"Radon, lung cancer and me"

The scan on the 30th went fine, it's an easy process and now we wait for results. I see Dr. Karamlou on Thursday, May 7th before chemo and we'll go over all the reports then. In these last months, I've learned that the doctor calling right away after tests are done usually means the news isn't good so I'm happy to bide my time until the 7th.

Many times in this cancer journey I've wondered what the purpose is in all this and what can be done to glorify God in each step. He has brought so many amazing people into my life throughout this process, people that have encouraged me and people that I have been able to encourage. I am so grateful for these opportunities.

There is one other very important mission I've been given and as each day goes by, more is revealed to me. Let me give you a little of the history behind my "Radon mission" first. In December, when I was at UCSF to see the oncologist there, she asked if I had ever had my home tested for radon. I told her no, I didn't even know what radon was and had never tested for it. Didn't think much of it until my oncologist here in Portland asked the same question...again, I answered no, but was thinking to myself "Why are the doctors asking me about this?". I didn't pursue the question and it wasn't until my dog, Corbett, was diagnosed with a form of cancer that this whole radon thing got my attention. A friend of mine is a chemical engineer and when he heard that both my dog and I had cancer, his first response was "Susan, you need to get your house tested. There's something there making you both sick."

The reasearch began. I learned that radon - an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas - is the number #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, killing an average of 21,000 people annually. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon is caused by the decomposition of uranium in the soil and when inhaled over long periods of time, can cause cancer. It doesn't matter what type of home you have or when it was built, it all has to do with the dirt it sits on.

The research continued.....according to Oregon EPA, I live in an area known as "Radon Ridge" with some of the highest levels of radon in the Portland Metro area. This was news to me! The next step was to test my home and without going into all the particulars, just know that anything measuring above 4 PiCu is considered toxic. My home tested at 20.4, five times the toxic level. Do the math, folks, - 13 years in this house with high levels of radon gives me a pretty clear understanding as to why I have lung cancer.

I guess you could say this rocked my world (no pun intended). Several things happened at that point. First, immediate plans were made to install a radon mitigation system to properly vent this toxic stuff out into the air. Done. Next step was to continue my research and talk to others. I thought it was just me....how come I didn't know anything about this radon stuff? Turns out very few do. Many would tell me they'd heard of it, but didn't know what it was or why it was an issue. The #1 cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and no one knows about it? How does that happen? Virtually none of my neighbors, friends, colleagues knew about it - friends on my block tested their home shortly after my report came in and their home had a level of 46, over 10 times the toxic level.

More research.....I find that some states have legislation in place requiring radon awareness/notification in real estate transactions. Oregon is not one of them. According to the Federal EPA, all homes should be tested for radon yet it is a subject few know about. So I decided to do something about it. I contacted a columnist for our state newspaper, the Oregonian, asking if she'd be willing to write an article about radon awareness, as I want to be the "living face" of radon related cancer for as long as I can. It is really important to me to get the word out, have people test their homes and if necessary, mitigate any radon exposure as soon as possible. Turns out she was interested and an article was published in the paper two weeks ago. Here's the link if you'd like to read it: www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/margie_boule/index.ssf?/base/living/1239839713325720.xml&coll=7

Things have really taken off from there. I've been asked to testify before the Oregon House for HB20, a bill that will require all new home construction to have radon detection systems and may also do some promotional work for the local American Lung Association chapter in their Radon Awareness group (up till now, I didn't even know such a thing existed!). I've also been in touch with a woman in Illinois whose husband died 18 years ago from radon related lung cancer - she became part of an organization that was subsequently successful in getting legislation passed in Illinois requiring Radon notification in real estate transactions. Her group has already done the legwork I want to do to get this same requirement in Oregon . I have lots of plans for getting the word out to everyone I can think of about radon awareness!

So at least a part of this cancer journey is my "Radon mission", to help inform others and prevent anyone else from getting lung cancer as a result of exposure. I've been asked if I'm angry or bitter about the fact that I probably have a cancer that could've been prevented if I'd tested my house years ago. And honestly, no, I'm not either of those things. I didn't know anything about radon - now having cancer is just what is and I do believe there is a purpose in it. What I ask of each of you is to take the next step, no matter where you live or how old your home is, and test your house. The test kits can be purchased at Home Depot or any similar store and cost about $10.00, plus an additional $30.00 for lab processing. $40.00 isn't a huge sum when you consider the alternatives. Do it for me, ok? It will make me glad to know the people I care about and anyone else that happens to read this are taking steps to protect themselves and their families and pets.

Skeptical? That's fair. Do your own research and read up on the subject, it's weirdly interesting. But most importantly, please do something. You're all too important to me to let this sit on the back burner.

OK, 'nuff said and I'll hop off the soapbox. Keep praying for good news when I see Dr. Karamlou on Thursday!

Love and hugs,
Susan