I write this as I am waiting to taxi out on my connecting flight to Tokyo. I am on my way to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s global conference, an annual gathering being held in Yokohama this year. In my pervious posts, you will have read about my excitement, so I’ll refrain from repeating myself.

What I will say is, thank you! 

Thank you to all the people who contribute and organize World Lung. Thank you to the researchers, those in clinics and those behind a microscope in the lab. Thank you to the oncologists and their teams, to the nurses and social workers, and the army of people who chose to work in the field of lung cancer. Without you, I wouldn’t be writing this, or writing anything. 

I am so greatful to the IASLC for being an excellent resource and for opening their conferences to patients, but for also having an award that helps patient advocates with limited means attend. If it weren’t for this generous award, I would not be able to attend. I would be at home, glued to twitter waiting for the latest developments in lung cancer research and care. Of course I have a vested interest in what’s going on at a “World Lung” because it tends to be where patients like me, living life line to life line get our info. That is, if we aren’t already in a clinical trial. It may sound weird that I’m excited about exons, translocations, and serum diagnostics, but that’s where all the juicy details are being studied, that is a gross understatement! There is so much incredible research being done in lung cancer. 

So as the stewardess asks me to turn my phone to airplane mode, I ask you to keep tuned here. I am hoping to post a daily summary of the things I have gotten to do (I can’t get to everything, that would require cloning.). I hope to be well rounded and share not only the patient experience, but the science and social events as well. 

Stay tuned,

AM