Alright, I’ve been really damn quiet again. I’ll get to this later, but my current therapy has come with a lot of cognitive side effects. Memory loss, a bit of accompanying confusion and frankly, a tough time talking (it crosses the blood brain barrier and has an effect on my speech center).
However, I still said yes when GRACE asked if I would share my story on video. Two and half minutes of Linnea live in honor of GRACE and Lung Cancer Awareness:
life and breath: outliving lung cancer 
So glad to hear from you. Have missed your posts on Inspire. Your video was excellent and you looked terrific. It would be wonderful to get rid of the smoking stigma, but I can’t see that happening in the near future.
Hope you are feeling better. Take care.
Thanks Roni. Sadly I’m with you—we’ll be kicking that stigma around for some time to come.
Linnea
So nice to see you doing what you love to do.
Happy to know you are well.
Take care, and keep up the important work for all of us.
.
Cheryl, I am ready to crawl out of my cave again 🙂
Linnea
Excellent job, Linnea. You look and sound great. Stand strong, Hedy
Thanks Hedy (I love your stand strongs!)
Linnea
NICELY DONE!! Keep your chin up!!
Yes ma’am! 🙂
Linnea
I’m sorry to hear the new drug is causing some difficulties. For what it’s worth, I can’t notice any impairment in that video, so I’d hope you feel the side effects are pretty manageable and well worth the drug’s benefits.
Best hopes,
Craig
Well worth Craig, well worth. Happy to be here!
Linnea
You are an embodiment of gracefulness dear Linnea…. this organization called GRACE is blessed to know you and so are we all ❤
Thank you Terry. You and Jay have been on my mind so much; I hope to see you both soon!
Linnea
Thanks for sharing, you always do such a great job of informing and educating others; I can see why Dr. Shaw and you are the perfect team! My precious dog is named Grace so it was another reason I was attracted to this video. 🙂 Sounds like a valuable organization. Well done to all.
Aw, Grace is a great name for a dog. And yes, GRACE is a fabulous organization.
Linnea
Thank you for sharing your story with us and for the video! My mom had lung cancer and it still saddens me today that she said she was “embarrassed” by it due to the stigma associated with lung cancer. She was a former smoker who had quit 16 years before her diagnosis. It sucks that the first thing people ask is “did you smoke”? No one deserves lung cancer or any cancer. Thank you again for sharing your story!
Jeter, it’s so unfair that people should feel ashamed of a disease that no one deserves.
Linnea
Love you Linnea. Thank you so much for being such an incredible interviewee!
Love you back Carlea—and I am honored!
Linnea
Great to see you, L-love. I caught you on Don Stranathan’s FB post not 10 minutes ago. I so agree with your thoughts on GRACE (they get a big check from me every year). More importantly, I was just happy to hear your voice :). You advocate for the cause so beautifully!
xoxoxo
Joan
Thanks Joan! Good to hear your voice (and I see that we are now FB friends—how did that not happen sooner?)
xoLinnea
excellent video Linnea, happy holidays
Thanks Melanie—happy holidays to you as well!
Linnea
Hey Chica, You are such a powerful advocate. I have just made a donation to Grace. Alice (Dr Shaw) is my hero, too.
Sending love
PS Did we get a peek into your place in the video?
Chica! Yes, that was a peek. Glad we share heroes and thanks for the love and the donation to GRACE.
xoL
Dear Linnea – so glad to see you back with such an empowering video. I believe its very important to dispell the myth that if you have lung cancer somehow you did something wrong. I still need to say that my late husband was a life time non smoker when I am asked how he died. I feel very uncomfortable about doing this but I still do it. I would like to share the video on my facebook page if I have your permission to do so. Keep well.
Of course Beryl (the share). Good to hear from you—I was thinking of Both you and Guillermo yesterday so wonderful to see a comment this morning.
xo Linnea
Terrific video Linnea …
You are truly my inspiration
You look great and you sound great.
Stay strong and well.
Your Irish admirer
Simone
Thanks Linnea for sharing this inspirational video with us.It truly inspires people suffering from not only lung cancer but other cancer too.Please visit http://www.yoddhas.com it also post cancer related articles and helps in motivating people.
Nimisha
Linnea – We met in the waiting room at MGH in 2012-2013 when my 20 year old daughter Claire was being treated for Ewing’s sarcoma. Out of the blue you’ve been on my mind the last few days so i searched for and found your blog again. Though our encounters in Boston were brief you were, and continue to be, such an encouragement.
Linnea,
We met in the waiting room at MGH in 2012-2013 while my daughter Claire was being treated for Ewing’s sarcoma.
Out of the blue you’ve been on my mind the last few days.
Though our interactions were brief, you were such an encouragement to me then and continue to be…
Are you okay? A concerned lurker here….hoping you are well and caught up in living!
Thank you for blogging. I am on the same journey. ALK+ since 2011. Given 12 months to live. Now in 4th year. Love hearing long distance race stories!