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Carmel Enkelmann, a resident of Dunbogan, says that she was treated differently when she told people that she had bad cancer compared to a lung cancer diagnosis.
"Most people I talk to almost think that I was a smoker, when in fact, many non-smokers can get it too," she said.
The Lung Foundation Australia recently published a report on the social, economic and mental health problems of Australians with lung cancer.
The report states that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the country.
Although smoking is a significant risk factor, about 21% of people living with lung cancer are non-smokers for life.
"Smoking is considered to be the leading contributor to lung cancer and, as a result, current and former smokers and non-smokers with lung cancer often feel blamed for their disease," the report says.
"This judgment has a negative impact on the perception that people have the ability to access support and reduces their sense of entitlement to care and empathy."
Before her lung cancer, Carmel was diagnosed with bad cancer in 2003. The two cancers are not linked.
Just before Carmel was informed that she had lung cancer in 2017, she had received the "clear" result of a bad cancer scan.
Carmel discovered for the first time that something was wrong when she attended a dragon fishing session in September 2017. She was training four to five times a week.
"I became very short of breath after walking from the parking lot to where the shed was," she said.
"I was completely exhausted and I apologized.
"By the time I got back to the car, I could barely breathe."
Carmel was able to obtain medical badistance and was transferred to the Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
She had drained 2.6 liters of fluid from her lungs.
"It was horrible." She says.
Three weeks later, Carmel received the results of the pathology and learned that she was suffering from lung cancer. Initially, she had six months to live.
Carmel has non-small cell lung cancer, which is the most common type of lung cancer.
Unfortunately, Carmel said people are not informed about lung cancer because many other cancers, including bad cancer, are badociated with greater financial means.
"The public understands and understands bad cancer very well," she said.
Carmel said it was unfortunate that lung cancer has a negative stigma because it means it is underfunded in terms of cancer research.
"I think it's because campaigns showing the negative effects of smoking and its badociation with lung cancer have been successful," she said.
Carmel wants people to realize that lung cancer can be diagnosed even if they have never smoked before.
Carmel's goal is to return to Ireland to see his sister. She will travel in 2019 if she feels good enough.
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