BATTLING ISOLATION, STIGMA
Support for women with lung cancer
Jill Hamer-Wilson has lived to see what seemed impossible nearly four years ago when she was diagnosed with lung cancer: Her eldest son has grown taller than her.
She’s also baked for her children’s bake sales, watched La Machine’s giant robots roam downtown Ottawa to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday and taken up watercolour painting.
“With a lung cancer diagnosis, our world gets smaller,” said Hamer-Wilson, a 52-year-old married mother of three.
“At first it seems there are so many things we can’t do. So I’ve had to search for things I can do.”
Among those living with lung cancer, Hamer-Wilson is a rarity. Only 17 per cent of those diagnosed are still alive five years later. The chilling lethality of the disease, the misconception that it’s a disease only of smokers, and the exhausting side effects of chemotherapy, the most common treatment, can leave many people with lung cancer feeling isolated and alone.
So maybe it’s not a surprise to learn that there has never been an ongoing support group for women with lung cancer in Ottawa. Until now. Hamer-Wilson is one of nine women registered for a six-week pilot project, Sharing Air Together, which helps those living with the cancer to tell their stories, share information and lean on each other.
“Because I’m about four years in, my situation is really different from someone who’s recently diagnosed,” she said.
“We’re going to be shedding tears together. Just being present is a huge gift. I’ve learned a lot. It’s hard work learning about lung cancer because it’s so depressing.”
More than 28,000 Canadians are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.
One in 13 will develop lung cancer at some point in their lives. The disease kills 20,000 Canadians a year. A significant — and increasing — portion of them have either never smoked, like Hamer-Wilson, or have quit smoking.
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