The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation by Bonnie J. Addario
www.thelungcancerfoundation.org
San Francisco, California

It was September 2003 and after seeing my primary doctor about a sharp pain that I had on the left side of my chest I was referred to a neurosurgeon … My doctor thought the pain might be related to some herniated discs in my neck … I had seen him several times prior to that about the pain.

The neurosurgeon prescribed “vioxx” for the pain and, believe it or not, also prescribed a crazy contraption to hang on a door that I was supposed to use to stretch my neck … (no kidding) …

In October my husband and I went to a facility in San Jose, California that offered CT screening and other testing not always available to people unless their doctor and their insurance company authorizes such testing. It is quite expensive but sometimes the only resource available to get results.

Normally I wait and wait and then end up going to Immediate Care when I am ill and not one to run to the doctor easily. This time I knew instinctively that something was wrong.

The same day the clinician showed me my CT scan and the dark shadow on my left lung … My worst fear was confirmed … they didn’t tell me I had cancer … only that I should take the film to my doctor. I knew I had lung cancer but still had to go through the “process” of being diagnosed.

I brought the scan to my somewhat “redfaced” primary doctor and he immediately sent me for another scan which confirmed what the first one did … “Suspicious shadow” on my left lung …

Next step was a meeting with a Pulmonary Doctor who scheduled a biopsy. The biopsy was unsuccessful because the tumor I had was located behind the heart resting on the subclavian artery and the aortic arch … I was then referred to a surgeon …

I never did see that surgeon because I was immediately sure that at this point I should be finding out more about this disease, biopsies, treatment and possible surgery.

Call it Divine Intervention or Serendipity … I was sitting at our Kitchen Island that evening trying to relax a little and regroup … I poured myself a glass of wine and opened the newspaper. Looking for a distraction, I suppose. My eyes went to a very very small article about “Lung Cancer” of all things. It said that Sequoia Hospital, in Redwood City, California, established a partnership with a Pulmonary Thoracic Surgeon from University of California at San Francisco named Dr. David Jablons and that they were bringing the expertise from a Research Hospital to a local Community Hospital.

I made a few calls that evening to some people I knew at Sequoia and I had an appointment the next day with Dr. Melissa Lim … Her expertise is Pulmonary Disease. She took the ball and ran with it … I had another “successful biopsy” at UCSF in two weeks and started intensive chemotherapy and radiation at Sequoia with Dr. Fred Marcus. Because of this relationship between the two hospitals I was able to have my chemo and radiation close to home and surgery at UCSF … My surgery was rather complicated due to the location of the tumor.

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After recovery, which was long, and arduous, I had plenty of time to think … I knew I was going to work to educate people on lung cancer and the need to get early detection … In very short order Dr. Jablons asked me to join his Thoracic Oncology Board and Sequoia asked me to join their Foundation Board.

Through both of these entities I have been privileged to meet some incredible compassionate caring individuals that are dedicated to saving lives and making a difference. Some are on this Foundation Board.

While research moves on at a roaring pace in the labs it is our job to get information to the streets … Information about lung cancer and all cancers that forces people into their doctor’s offices and to find this horrible disease early. While we wait for a cure … early detection is the only way to fight this disease.

I have had 5 people in my family develop lung cancer … including myself. Three have died. There is no cure yet and when you are diagnosed with cancer you have it forever. It looms over your life like the dark shadow on the scan … I want to make a difference for my children, my grandchildren and all the people out there that have a shadow on their lung and haven’t been to the doctor yet …

I want to shine a light on that shadow and make it go away … This foundation and the Team we have organized is going to make a huge difference in how people feel about Lung cancer and it’s future.

In the words of Dr. Jablons, ” When I thought about what could make a difference most quickly, screening stood out in my mind. While I would like to believe that all the progress we and others are making in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of lung cancer is going to make the difference, it will be a long time until these discoveries translate into meaningful therapeutic breakthroughs. Of course, I remain the ultimate optimist so I am both confident and hopeful it will happen soon. But screening will save lives today, in real time.”

We need your help. Please join in any way you can …we need you.

My love to you,

Bonnie J. Addario
www.thelungcancerfoundation.org

2008 Hummingbird Award Winner

2012 WebMD Health Hero Award Winner

Time = Lives

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