Deb Smith

Deb Smith

@debsmith14.bsky.social

Art, birds, books, dark chocolate, and the beach give me joy and sanity. Living with EGFR/T790 stage 4 lung cancer since 2011!

2.3K followers204 following435 posts

Deb Smith reposted

Angry
@angrystaffer.bsky.social

Everyone keeps asking me how I’m feeling about early voting so far. I’m feeling like nobody *actually* knows anything, and this is the most important midterm of our lives. I’d rather be us than them, but we can’t get comfortable. We can’t get complacent. Go vote like we’re down 3%.

Deb Smith reposted

Abigail Johnston
@amjohnston.bsky.social

The Backpack They Never See If you saw me walking through an airport, you probably wouldn’t notice it. I’d smile if we crossed paths. I’d make small talk. I’d ask about your family. I’d laugh at the right moments. You’d see the backpack slung over my shoulder, but you wouldn’t think much about it.…

nohalfmeasures.blogThe Backpack They Never SeeIf you saw me walking through an airport, you probably wouldn’t notice it. I’d smile if we crossed paths. I’d make small talk. I’d ask about your family. I’d laugh at the right moments. You’d see the backpack slung over my shoulder, but you wouldn’t think much about it. Everyone carries one. What you wouldn’t know is how heavy mine has become. That’s the strange thing about invisible burdens. They don’t announce themselves. They don’t ask for sympathy. They simply settle onto your shoulders one careful layer at a time until you forget what it felt like to walk without the weight.

Deb Smith reposted

Dr. Jack Brown
@drjackbrown.bsky.social

Heads up if you live in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, or Texas – *today* is the last day to register to vote in the midterms. Make sure you're registered (even if you think you already are) – and Vote!

Democrats@democrats.org

If you live in the following states, TODAY is the last day to register to vote before the midterm elections: Arizona Arkansas Florida Georgia Indiana Kentucky Mississippi Ohio Tennessee Texas Go to IWillVote.com for more info.

Deb Smith reposted

Abigail Johnston
@amjohnston.bsky.social

Well Tolerated?

nohalfmeasures.blogWell Tolerated?The most dangerous person to ask about tolerability is often the person who doesn’t have to take the drug. Not because they’re unintelligent or without access to data. Not because they’re uncaring, but because they get to go home afterward without the ramifications of the treatment. The patient does not. The patient takes all the side effects of the drug home. The patient takes it to the dinner table. To the bathroom. To bed. To their child’s soccer game. To the grocery store. To the middle of the night when the rest of the house is sleeping and their body is negotiating with a treatment that is both helping and hurting them.

Deb Smith reposted

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
@danafarber.bsky.social

New research conducted by investigators at Dana-Farber and 23andMe Research Institute shows a rare inherited mutation in the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gene is associated with a 25-fold increased risk of lung cancer.

bit.lyRare inherited EGFR mutation linked to dramatically increased lung cancer risk | Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteA rare inherited mutation in the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gene is associated with a 25-fold increased risk of lung cancer, according to a study by investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and 23andMe Research Institute. The findings included de-identified, aggregated genetic data from more than 3.3 million 23andMe research-consented participants.

Deb Smith reposted

Dr. Jack Brown
@drjackbrown.bsky.social

If you live in a congressional district represented by a Republican, or if either of your US Senators is a Republican – call their office and/or email them (or both) today and say: "I demand that you protect my right to vote – including my right to vote by mail." Do it now.

Deb Smith reposted

Dr. Jack Brown
@drjackbrown.bsky.social

Help to ensure every voter feels safe.

Project HALO@halovote.bsky.social

Do you want to do your part to ensure our upcoming elections are free & fair? Then volunteer for Project HALO, our initiative led by veterans, faith leaders, lawyers, & others to celebrate voting & make sure every eligible voter can participate with confidence. Sign up here! halovote.org/contact

halovote.orgContact | Join us to ensure every voter feels safe, supported and confident in elections. — Project HALOProject HALO brings communities together to celebrate voting, build powerful cross-sector coalitions, and mobilize trained volunteers who provide visible, nonpartisan support so every voter can partic...

Deb Smith reposted

Abigail Johnston
@amjohnston.bsky.social

Here’s to the women who show up

nohalfmeasures.blogGratitude for the People Who StayThere are people who change your life in dramatic ways and then there are the people who change your life quietly: the ones who never make headlines. The ones who don’t arrive with trumpets or grand speeches. The ones who simply show up, over and over again, until their presence becomes woven into the fabric of your story. Lately, I’ve been thinking about those people. Maybe it’s because cancer has a way of stripping life down to its essentials. Maybe it’s because when you’ve lived long enough in the land of uncertainty, you begin to see more clearly what actually matters.

Deb Smith reposted

Abigail Johnston
@amjohnston.bsky.social

Denial and the danger of leading others There is a particular kind of comfort in denial and I understand why people reach for it when living with a terminal/incurable disease like Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). When someone tells you that you have MBC, that the disease has escaped the…

nohalfmeasures.blogDenial and the danger of leading othersThere is a particular kind of comfort in denial and I understand why people reach for it when living with a terminal/incurable disease like Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). When someone tells you that you have MBC, that the disease has escaped the boundaries where medicine can be confident, that it has settled into your bones or liver or lungs or brain and intends to stay, denial can feel less like a flaw and more like a life raft. The truth is heavy; the truth is frightening. The truth wakes you at three in the morning and sits beside your bed like an unwelcome guest, so I understand the temptation to look away.

Deb Smith reposted

Conor Browne
@brownecfm.bsky.social

There is a reason why many people you know seem different now. Not quite who they were before. www.psypost.org/brain-scans-...

psypost.orgBrain scans reveal widespread structural and functional changes in patients following COVID-19 infectionA systematic review of 49 imaging studies highlights how COVID-19 affects the human brain. Researchers found widespread structural and functional changes in areas responsible for memory, emotion, and ...

Deb Smith reposted

Abigail Johnston
@amjohnston.bsky.social

Navigating Visibility and Virtue in Cancer Advocacy Disclaimer: These reflections are not about any one specific person or situation. They are simply personal musings on visibility, advocacy, volunteerism, and the varied motivations that can emerge within the world of cancer and illness. There is…

nohalfmeasures.blogNavigating Visibility and Virtue in Cancer AdvocacyDisclaimer: These reflections are not about any one specific person or situation. They are simply personal musings on visibility, advocacy, volunteerism, and the varied motivations that can emerge within the world of cancer and illness. There is a peculiar gravity around terminal illness that draws people toward visibility. Cancer, especially, rearranges not only the body but the social landscape around a person. Some become louder. Some become quieter. Some feel compelled to document every infusion, every ribbon, every trembling revelation to keep everyone informed. Others disappear into the folds of ordinary life, carrying impossible burdens silently while still answering texts from frightened strangers at midnight.

Deb Smith reposted

Dr. Jack Brown
@drjackbrown.bsky.social

"A straight line is a lie we tell ourselves; the crooked path is the truth the river knows, for it is only by wandering that we find our way home." Virginia Woolf

Deb Smith reposted

Dana-Farber News
@danafarbernews.bsky.social

Today is World #HeadAndNeckCancer Day which raises global awareness about cancers affecting the throat, larynx, nose, sinuses and mouth and the importance of early detection. Learn about symptoms, risk factors, prevention and treatment options at bit.ly/4lrJlDg. @danafarber.bsky.social

bit.lyHead and Neck Cancer: What You Should KnowHead and neck cancers represent a group of cancers that affect the throat, larynx, nose, sinuses, and mouth. These diseases are relatively rare, but they affect vital functions, including swallowing and speaking. Here are five things to know about head and neck cancer, including: - What are the risk factors for head and neck cancer?

Deb Smith reposted

Pete Buttigieg
@petebuttigieg.bsky.social

You have much more power than the people in charge of Washington want you to believe. 100 days from today comes the best chance we’ve had in a long time to use it. Let’s get to work.

Deb Smith reposted

Chris Gloninger
@climatechris.bsky.social

The vision of my climate friend, Adam McKay. Please sign & share!

Adam McKay@ghostpanther.bsky.social

YellowDot released this letter today calling for disaster preparedness for the heat jump this El Niño will bring. It’s signed by scientists, meteorologists, climate writers, concerned citizens & was sent to every Governor, major city Mayor, international Mayors. Sign + share if you can.

Deb Smith reposted

Rep. Chris Pappas
@repchrispappas.bsky.social

A few spots left at my Pop-Up Passport Fair tomorrow!

Rep. Chris Pappas@repchrispappas.bsky.social

THIS WEEK: My next Pop-Up Passport Fair will be at the Portsmouth Community Campus on Saturday, July 18th. To schedule an appointment or learn more ➡️ pappas.house.gov/passport

Deb Smith reposted

Ron Filipkowski
@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social

Replying to @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social

or someone you know is in Cumberland County (southern ME) they are free to vote tomorrow online for me or any of the other candidates if they are a registered Dems. Link to do so is here. mainedems.org/senate-race/...

mainedems.orgSenate Delegate Process - Maine Democratic PartyDelegate Nomination Meetings Maine Democrats 2026 Maine Senate Nomination Delegate Process: Below is information for those who will be participating in a delegate nomination meeting and those wanting ...

Deb Smith reposted

Declan Troy
@troydeclan.bsky.social

Meanwhile, back in Alaska. I barely made it back when I found myself off on a trip to western Alaska. One of the birds visitors are always keen to see is the Bluethroat. They are locally common but can be secretive when they aren't singing. Nome #Alaska #BirdsSeenIn2026 🪶

Deb Smith reposted

Janet Freeman-Daily
@jfreemandaily.bsky.social

A patient perspective on the impact of a proposed OMB rule The White House OMB proposed a rule empowering political appointees to control federal grant approvals for scientific projects. Janet Freeman-Daily, a cancer research advocate, opposes this rule. She states it jeopardizes research by…

grayconnections.netA patient perspective on the impact of a proposed OMB ruleThe White House OMB proposed a rule empowering political appointees to control federal grant approvals for scientific projects. Janet Freeman-Daily, a cancer research advocate, opposes this rule. She states it jeopardizes research by prioritizing political over scientific criteria. She emphasizes the need for funding systems that value expert insights to improve patient outcomes.
Deb Smith
@debsmith14.bsky.social

@maryjolles.bsky.social

1DegreeOutside@1degreeoutside.com

You can't miss it...a flare-up of intense wildfires in northern Minnesota & Ontario has sent a big plume of smoke straight into our skies. Expect a fiery sunset tonight & more smoke in the coming days. Details: 1do.us/wildfiresmoke

1do.usWhy the Sky Looks Different Today: New England's Incoming Canadian Smoke - 1 Degree OutsideCanadian wildfire smoke has pushed into the northeast and will come and go over the coming days and mainly remain aloft.

Deb Smith reposted

Chris Gloninger
@climatechris.bsky.social

Yesterday Salt Lake City hit 109. Hottest in 152 years. Same week, Barcelona hit its hottest in 112. Two continents, one week. Not El Niño. The baseline we built by burning fossil fuels. New video. #ClimateChange #ExtremeHeat #bigoil