Author: cqwu

I am diagnosed advanced Stage IV ROS1+ lung cancer 3.5 years ago at the age of 50 years old. Thanks for Targeted Therapy, my disease is under control. I am a cancer advocate to raise the awareness of lung cancer. Before I was sick, I was a professor in Mechanical Engineering.

Our Trip to the East of Canada-I

My husband and I visited our daughter in Montreal, QC, who is doing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Meanwhile, I visited the labs at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer at the University of Montreal because I’m involved in their current research project. We also visited Ottawa, ON, for several days. The trip took us about 12 days, and many activities were happening. I made a photo diary of the trip. This is Part I.

Visiting Ottawa

I visited Ottawa, ON, many times for work before I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I’m always admiring Ottawa because it’s not a mega-city like Toronto, but it has all that the big cities can offer, such as museums, art galleries, concerts, sceneries, cuisines…  

Scenery

It was at the end of autumn. From Montreal to Ottawa, it takes two hours by car. For the first time in almost 30+ years, I enjoyed and truly appreciated the colour of the fall of Canada.

The beautiful scenery on the road from Montreal to Ottawa.

National Gallery of Canada

One place I have always visited is the National Gallery of Canada. This is the first time I have come to Ottawa since I have lung cancer. The Gallery evoked a lot of memory.

Parliament

The first time I visited Parliament Hill was almost 30 years ago. At the time, we visited the parliament inside and out, but the atmosphere was totally different this time. Firstly, Parliament Hill is not accessible due to repair. Secondly, there are three demonstrations, one for handicapped people, one for abortion and the third for some men shouting about some language (English or French) issue. However, we went around Parliament Hill, viewing the beautiful scenery around Ottawa.     

Hotel

The hotel we lived in was excellent both at night and daytime. It has all the advantages, and it’s connected to a Casino. It’s super luxurious and waterfront.     

Dinning

Thought After Attending WCLC2022

I attended IASLC/WCLC2022, also called World Lung Conference 2022, from August 6th to 9th in Vienna, Austria. I would like to talk about my experience with the difference between the WCLC and engineering conferences based on my observation and how I adapted to WCLC2022. https://lungcancer.net/living/attending-wclc2022

My friend HaoPei (斐皓) was a Stage 4 lung cancer patient, 38 years old. He passed away in early February 2020. These pictures were taken by him when he travelled in rural China after his diagnosis. 斐皓, 一路走好。

Different Experiences, Same Reflections (Part 1 and 2)

Why do we as cancer patients feel gratitude despite such a fatal disease? Why are we so understanding of lung cancer patients’ pain? “Accept death” is such a critical milestone for me, and it took me a long time to truly understand its profound meaning. https://lungcancer.net/living/accepting-end-of-life https://lungcancer.net/living/processing-end-of-life

This is one of the scenes from my alma mater. Pictured by Yin Bai (印白）

Summer at My Cottage

I’m a city slicker, not a cottage goer, but my husband and I spent much time at our cottage this summer. We closed our cottage last week, and here are some pictures which help me remember the sweet summer.

Morning at the cottage.
Daytime at the cottage
Evening at the cottage

Sightseeing in Vienna

I attended IASLC/WCLC2022 in Vienna, Austria, from August 6 to August 9. Since I’ve been writing articles about the conference with lungcancer.net, here I will focus on sightseeing in Vienna, one of my dream cities. I was in Vienna several days before the conference.

St. Stephson’s Cathedral (Stephansdom Wien) 

St. Stephson’s Cathedral (Stephansdom Wien) is a must-see place. It accompanied Vienna through much of the city’s history.

A concert of Wiener Royal Orchester

I planned to go to Vienna to listen to concerts and operas. Unfortunately, most of the venues, like Austria’s leader opera house (Wievv Staatsoper) and world-famous acoustics (Musikverein Brahms-Saal), were not open while we were there. The concert of the Wiener Royal Orchester we attended was great. Too bad we couldn’t take pictures.

Kunst Historisches Museum Wien

Numerous world-class works of art live in Kunst Historisches Museum Wien. Among them, the third-row and first painting remind me of the winter in my hometown of Winnipeg, Canada.

Parks and streets

I spent a lot of time on the streets and parks. It was beautiful except that it was too hot.

Dining in Vienna

The top two photos are from a Chinese restaurant (新四川) not far from our hotel. Amazingly, they made authentic Sichuan food. We also tried several famous restaurants like Figlmüller Bäckerstraße and Café-Konditorei Aida, Café Central and Vienna Marriott Hotel.

My Experiences in Chemotherapy Ward

I’ve been still on the first line of targeted therapy for 6.5 years, but before that, I had chemotherapy when I was just diagnosed with lung cancer. Although I only had four months of chemo, the depressing experience in the chemo ward has carved in my mind. Is it the chemo ward or something else? Please see https://lungcancer.net/living/chemotherapy-ward

My friend HaoPei (斐皓) was a Stage 4 lung cancer patient, 38 years old. He passed away in early February 2020. These pictures were taken by him when he travelled in rural China after his diagnosis. 斐皓, 一路走好。

My Journey of Advocacy from Lung Cancer to General Cancer

Looking back at my four-year cancer advocating journey, I would like to share some of my experiences. I would also like to know about your advocacy journey. It’s my 7-year cancerversary this month. https://lungcancer.net/living/advocacy-journey#comment-thread

My friend HaoPei (斐皓) was a Stage 4 lung cancer patient, 38 years old. He passed away in early February 2020. These pictures were taken by him when he travelled in rural China after his diagnosis. 斐皓, 一路走好。