Lillian’s Story
Two days after my 34th birthday I woke up with a sore shoulder and arm. I didn’t think too much of it because the pain went away quickly.
After I felt a lump on my left collarbone, I mentioned it to my dad and brother because they’re doctors. They said it was probably because I’d had a cough in the past weeks but to get an ultrasound.
After having some further scans and tests, it was confirmed to be stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer. I was devastated.
When I tell someone that I have lung cancer, the first thing most people say is “did you smoke?”. While I think that people have the best intentions and it’s human nature to want to find the cause of a problem, does it really matter whether I had smoked or not?
I have never smoked, but if I did smoke, even if it was just one cigarette, should I feel that somehow it’s my fault?
I want to reduce the stigma suffered by lung cancer patients and their families who are already going through so much.
I think that taking away the stigma will lead to greater funding for research. I am feeling hopeful about my future. It’s important to me to stay in the moment and appreciate what I have.
Lillian
I use statistics to educate people and raise awareness. I explain that many other lifestyle choices are linked to cancer and that smoking causes other health conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases and other cancers. I let them know that 1 in 3 women diagnosed with lung cancer has never smoked, such as myself.
A lot of the people I’ve met with lung cancer say they’re guarded about their diagnosis. One carer said she didn’t tell anyone for 3 years that her spouse had lung cancer for fear of being stigmatised. There needs to be a lot more compassion.
I think that taking away the stigma will lead to greater funding for research. I am feeling hopeful about my future. It’s important to me to stay in the moment and appreciate what I have.
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