Linda Wortman is Changing the Face of Lung Cancer

My name is Linda Wortman and I’m a nonsmoker. I flew for Northwest Airlines for 35 years. I began my career in 1973. January 11, 2008, I was diagnosed with non small cell Lung Cancer. I never realized the unknown devastating health risks associated with second hand smoke! Do you? Two years prior to my diagnosis, I questioned, Do I have SARS or TB?… My local doctors office would just send me home with a ZPac Rx, for my annoying cough & choking symptoms. Also saying, “You don’t need a chest x-ray”! … My physical exam at Mayo Clinic is where I finally found the answers.

Thanks to the grace of God, my loving husband Jerry and wonderful medical care at Mayo Clinic, I am a lung cancer survivor. Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life and works closely with NCI cancer clinical studies funded by National Cancer Institute; these collaborations are why I am alive today!

I’m sharing my experience to provide hope and resources to people, both ‘smokers and nonsmokers’,
who may have questions, or have been diagnosed with lung cancer and to help raise lung cancer education and awareness for the need to fund research into the causes of this horrible disease that kills more women and men; more than 7 other cancer combined. Research is important so we can understand:1)Why more lung cancer patients suffer more from compromised quality of life and how to improve the quality of life of lung cancer survivors. 2)The etiology of non-smoking related lung cancer, particularly why never smoking women are more vulnerable to this disease. 3) Set up role models for family support of lung cancer patients and survivors.

To help spread the message, I have set a goal to run a 5k race in every state in the union.

Linda Wortman is Changing the Face of Lung cancer! from TEAM DRAFT on Vimeo.