Looking back at my four-year cancer advocating journey, I would like to share some of my experiences. I would also like to know about your advocacy journey. It’s my 7-year cancerversary this month. https://lungcancer.net/living/advocacy-journey#comment-thread

Through AACR Annual Meeting 2022, I have had several “aha moments” which intrigued me.  https://lungcancer.net/living/aacr-recap

I attended AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) Annual Meeting 2022 from April 9-13 for the first time. I initially questioned what the Patient Research Advocates (PRAs) would do at the conference. It turned out that I had an incredible experience. https://lungcancer.net/living/aacr-science-survivor-program

I wrote about financial compensation for patient research advocates when working with pharmaceutical companies and various cancer organizations last year (https://wordpress.com/post/prevailingwithlungcancer.blog/1036). Now, it’s the turn of the patient advocates to do our part – the patients have to be trained.  https://lungcancer.net/living/financial-compensation

I used to think that, most of the time, doctors don’t make mistakes, so I trusted them to make medical decisions for me. However, the essence of making medical decisions together is not who is right or wrong. The essence is what’s more suitable for my health, conventions, finance, etc. Of course, it’s equally crucial to self-educate. https://lungcancer.net/living/shared-decision-making

Photo from Lifebook online, Jon & Missy Butcher (https://home.mindvalley.com/quests/en/lifebook-online)

My poor experience with counselling when I was just diagnosed with lung cancer taught me how to talk with the patients newly diagnosed lung cancer patients and it works. https://lungcancer.net/living/hope-newly-diagnosed

Canada snowboarder, Max Parrot, won one gold and one brown medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics. To my surprise, Parrot was a cancer survivor about three years ago. In this article, I wrote down the inspiration from Parrot. I wrote another article in 2021 when the 2020 Olympic Game was held in Tokyo (https://lungcancer.net/living/2020-olympics-refection). The perspective was so different, which reflected my mindset.

My lung cancer has under control four years ago. I decided that I wouldn’t go back to being a professor anymore. I believed that God gave me a second chance to live; how boring it is to repeat life. However, I was dreadful staying idle and not feeling fulfilled in my life… After four years of trial and error, I found my place. My life after lung cancer is more fulfilling than before. https://lungcancer.net/living/reclaiming-my-life

This article is not for everybody. I hesitated to post it. Should I be positive? What effects will be on other patients and caregivers? But I feel that 1) this article didn’t make me more depressed. On the contrary, not knowing those patients and not seeing those pictures mentioned in the article, always make me haunted by my imagination. Realistically, lung cancer is a deadly disease. 2) I wish that there is reliable and realistic information out there about the end-of-life, and I don’t have to spend close to 7 years to get it. https://lungcancer.net/living/dying-experience

Last November of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, an unpleasant event happened in the major cancer canter of my city (please see the article.). We expressed our dismay, and we are still waiting for the cancer center in our city to respond till today. https://lungcancer.net/living/stop-smoking-stigma