Awareness

Radon Awareness and Action

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Now is a terrific time to test your home for radon. Radon is an invisible odourless gas, but it should not be ignored. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

Test kits are easy to find and easy to use. You can find a test kit provider at https://takeactiononradon.ca/test/radon-test-kits/. (They may cost around $35-$55, but if you have been affected by lung cancer and live in Canada, see below* to order a free one.) The best kind of test is one that you put in your basement for over 90 days then send in to get your results. The test kits are clear and easy to use. Please get one and use it! Now is the best time to test for radon in Canada since our windows and doors are generally closed during Winter. Radon action matters!

It’s exciting that Health Canada sent these radon awareness post cards out recently. According to this CBC report from November, Canada has the third highest radon levels in the world, and rates are increasing in new homes. If you’re interested in a report about radon levels across Canada, you can read the details here. Radon awareness matters.

The important thing is to use the test, send it in, and take action to mitigate the radon if levels are high. (There is some financial support available for radon mitigation.)

Radon awareness and action both matter.

* If you or your family member has been diagnosed with lung cancer, you can receive a free radon test kit. Take Action on Radon has a terrific initiative which provides free radon tests to families in Canada affected by lung cancer and covers all shipping costs. If you or your family member has been diagnosed with lung cancer, you can order a free radon test kit here. Their initiative is called “White Ribbon Radon Testing Program”, not to be confused with The White Ribbon Project, the international inclusive unbranded movement changing public perception of lung cancer.

5 Gold Rings Pillars of Lung Cancer

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12 Days of Giving to Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

What do you think of when you think of lung cancer?

Before I was diagnosed, I did not know much beyond the connection between smoking and lung cancer.

For decades, an enormous anti-smoking, lung cancer prevention campaign has been waged. Huge amounts of energy and funding have been invested, but prevention alone is not enough. In spite of prevention efforts, the Canadian Cancer Society estimates that 29,300 Canadians will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019. That’s the size of a town. 

A town-full of people diagnosed with lung cancer each year.

Clearly a prevention campaign is not enough.

Candid conversations which evaluate the past and examine the present shine light on paths into the future.

It’s time for lung cancer to shift to a well-rounded campaign which dedicates appropriate resourcing to five pillars of lung cancer:

Awareness, Early Detection, Treatment, Research and Survivorship.

When we allocate funding appropriately, we will drive change in lung cancer survivorship.

A town full of people each year! Who will get lung cancer next year?

Anyone can get lung cancer.

The research we fund today might extend your life.

#ResearchMatters

Team Jill:  https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/2020-lung-cancer-survivors-super-bowl-challenge/jillhamer-wilson

OR: Team Jill’s Canadian page (for Canadian Income Tax receipts): http://donate.ottawacancer.ca/goto/jill 

#12Days of giving to #lungcancer #clinicaltrials #Hope #Care #Team #Support #SilverLinings #Stories #Awareness #Early Detection #Treatment #Research #Survivorship #ThankYou

In the Bleak Midwinter

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First of all, dear friends, let me remind you that January is radon month, so if you haven’t checked your home for radon, please do it this week-end! Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Please protect yourself and your loved ones by getting a test kit this week-end and using it! You can read more in my previous blog post: How Two Trips to the Basement Could Save Your Life. Thus ends my radon public service announcement! 🙂

You’re probably wondering what I’ve been up to lately, besides hanging out with my boys and walking the dog. The answer is LOTS!

The Ottawa support group is going well: 13 out at our January meeting. We have an awareness day planned at the General next Thursday. Drop by the Cancer Centre and say hello if you’re around!

Our December Ottawa support group party, with a delicious and generously catered meal from Chances R Restaurant

I’m working at collecting and connecting lung cancer patients across the country, so if you know of any, please send them in my direction! Today I was talking with dear folks in Winnipeg. Yesterday it was Calgary. It can be pretty lonely here in Canada, without other lung cancer friends around! That’s why I’m working to find and connect lung cancer patients in various geographic regions across this large land. I hope we will have patient support groups, awareness days and summits across the country!

There aren’t enough hours in the day! I love serving as a catalyst, a creative problem solver! I’m energized by this work, and eager to meet people, gather them together, and help build lung cancer communities.

I joined the Canadian Cancer Trials Group as (volunteer) patient representative, Lung Site, in November. The CCTG develops and conducts clinical trials, and includes all major cancer centres and many community hospitals across the country. This will afford me the opportunity to meet people doing lung cancer research across the country, and that should help with my community building work! As patient representative, I have opportunities to give input into the clinical trial process at many points along the way. Steep learning curve and big responsibility! It’s important that I get to know a wide variety of lung cancer patients so that I can fulfill my obligation to represent us all. I hope to listen and learn a lot in the coming months and hopefully years. I hope to live long enough to fulfill my three year term commitment. Perhaps another clinical trial will help extend my life once again!

I’ve also applied to the Scientist-Survivor program at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting this Spring in Atlanta. What a wonderful opportunity to meet researchers, advocates, oncologists and learn many things about research into all kinds of cancer, then pass my learning along to many others! I should hear any day if I’ve been accepted, and I am eagerly hoping!

Christmas Day 2018

But it’s not all lung cancer around here. Sadly, Jono’s Mum is extremely unwell. Jono and our youngest rushed off to Australia right after Christmas to be with her and the rest of Jono’s family. We wished we all could have gone. They shared many joyous times together in the midst of such sorrow, and have just returned home. We’d be grateful if you could spare a prayer or warm thought for the family as it seems the end is drawing near.

November Awareness

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November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. If you follow me on Facebook, you may have noticed I changed my profile and cover photos for November. Have you noticed any other indications of Lung Cancer Awareness Month? I haven’t seen many.

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Did you know that Lung Cancer is by far the most common type of cancer, and by far the leading killer (of all cancers) in Canada?

Did you know that Lung Cancer kills more than 20,000 Canadians each year? Did you know Lung Cancer kills more people than Breast, Prostate and Colon Cancer combined?

I learned these sad facts through my involvement with Lung Cancer Canada.  lungcancercanada.ca They’ve got a few events that I’m planning to be at this month, including the Lung Cancer Patient Summit in Toronto and the Lung Cancer Canada Evening of Hope in Ottawa. I’ll be speaking at the Ottawa event. Busy month for me!

November can be a rough month, especially if one spends time reflecting on numbers like these.

Lung Cancer research is shockingly under-funded, especially when compared with funding for other cancers which don’t take nearly as many people away from their family and friends. Lung Cancer accounts for 25% of all cancer deaths in Canada. Ugh.

I’m thankful that these numbers aren’t the whole story! I’m thankful for researchers and doctors and nurses and administrators and fundraisers and so many generous people who are working hard to change these horrible stats!

I’m thankful that this clinical trial I’m on is making a huge difference for me and my family and friends. I hope this drug will help many more who follow.

I’m thankful for hope, and those to seek to inspire it for lung cancer patients.

Some members of my lung cancer community talk about “Outliving Lung Cancer”,  “Shining a Light on Lung Cancer”, and “Hope Beyond Cure”.*  I am thankful for them and for the hope that they help inspire in me and many others. Hope is good!

*  outlivinglungcancer.com   hopebeyondcure.com

I don’t know much about serving as a patient advocate, and I don’t know if this is my calling, but I’m hoping I’ll learn more, meet some great people, and be encouraged at these Lung Cancer Canada events this month. I’ll let you know how it goes!

This month I’ve been enjoying lots of walks, aiming to gradually increase my fitness. Let me show you some of the beauty I’ve been privileged to see … even in November! 🙂  Thank you for journeying with me: it’s good to have companions!

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