Dr. Evil's Underground Lair

When you run the same route often enough do you begin to make up stories about the mysterious things you see?

Dr. Evil's Underground lair?

There is an identical one across the street from this and then a half mile down another set.  They are some sort of flood control for the Pawcatuck River.  Until someone told me that I had all sorts of stories about these being the entrance to Dr. Evil's Underground Lair, an auxiliary garage for the Bat Mobile.  What amazes me most is they never have graffiti on them.  What an exceptional canvas, either someone watches them like a hawk or there just aren't vandals in that neighborhood.  I'd like to think the area is sans vandals.

Really what I thought about most on today's run was Lung Cancer.  My mother is approaching her 5 year anniversary being diagnosed with Lung Cancer.  A co-worker lost her father last week to Lung Cancer.  Another co-worker lost a good friend last month to Lung Cancer.  A good friend lost her mother to Lung Cancer in February.

Lung Cancer is the underdog Cancer.  Since Nixon declared "war on cancer" in 1971, the 5 year survival rate of Lung Cancer has essentially not moved, it has gone from 13% to 15%.  The survival rate for Breast Cancer has moved from 75% to nearly 90% in that same time period.  The awareness and advocacy around Breast Cancer is tremendous.  Frankly who doesn't like boobs?  And Lungs, well we can't see them and oh yeah, didn't the smoker bring on their cancer?  WOAH wait a minute.  Did you know that 80% of all new diagnosis of Lung Cancer are in former and NEVER smokers?  Did you know that the survival rate is so low because Lung Cancer is not diagnosed early enough AND it is the least funded for Cancer research by the NIH, DOD, and the CDC has $0 in funding for Lung Cancer research.

So yes, it is a lot of facts and figures.  I pulled these from:  Lung Cancer Alliance Lung Cancer Facts and Figures, check it out your self.  Also take a cruise around the Lung Cancer Alliance website tons of helpful information to learn more about Lung Cancer, to find support groups for Lung Cancer Victims and their Families.

Do you know anyone with Lung Cancer?  Or who passed from Lung Cancer?  It is a tough disease.  I know being the daughter of a Lung Cancer survivor, and the friend of someone who passed from Lung Cancer the first question is "did they smoke?"  it is a tough question.  Because you can visibly see someone shut down when the answer is yes.  Think about this:

Tobacco causes 14 types of Cancer

What can you do? You can support me with a donation to the Lung Cancer Alliance!

I am running a Full Marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon with Lung Cancer Alliance's Team Lung Love in Washington DC on October 28th.  The funding goes for Education, Awareness, and Advocacy about Lung Cancer!

My personal page: http://tinyurl.com/7o9vq2r

And I leave you with this thought, DustyJoy.org says it best: