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Lewis, Kristyn Kusek. "The best ways to stop smoking. You can quit, with these great new strategies." Health, September 2007. ...Four years ago, Tiffany Hudak lost her mother, a lifelong smoker, to lung cancer. Pregnant at the time, Tiffant knew she couldn't smoke. But after her son was born, she started smoking again. "It's what I used to cope," she says. Then last year, unable to bear the thought of not being there for her son, Tiffany decided enough was enough. She set a quit date, a technique that experts recommend because it helps you mentally prepare. She would stop on her 35th birthday and gear up by getting healthier. She joined a gym and started eating more fruits and vegetables, and less meat. The first three weeks after quitting were more difficult than Tiffany anticipated. "I had wild mood swings, so my doctor prescribed an antianxiety medication, which helped tremendously," she says. Shaking up her routines helped, too. She temporarily swore off favorite cigarette accompaniments like coffee and red wine. And because her old "smoke break spot" was on the front porch, she didn't use her front door for six months. Why it worked: Diet and exercise changes can help quitters avoid weight gain, one thing that makes quitting difficult for women, says Erik Augustson, PhD, MPH, a behavioral scientist at the National Cancer Institute. And a new Duke University study says cutting out caffeine and meat is important because they can make cigarettes taste better. Fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, on the other hand, don't mask cigarette's nasty taste. Tiffany's lifestyle changes gave her more energy than she could have imagined. "If I'd known life would be this good as a nonsmoker," she says, "I would have quit a lot sooner!" The Morgan County Citizen, May 2008 Tiffany has dedicated this year to her mother, Sherry Bridges, who passed away from lung cancer five years ago. She also hopes that the title of Mrs. Georgia will bring recognition and awareness to the disease. Tiffany has been a spokesperson and a volunteer for the National Lung Cancer Partnership for over two years and recently founded the inaugural Athens Free to Breathe 5K Run/Walk. The race was a huge success and raised over $5,000! A graduate of North Georgia College & State University, she holds a Bachelors degree in Nursing and is currently employed at Saint Mary's Hospital in Athens. Tiffany has been married to husband Don for eight years and they have one son, Grant. They relocated to Bishop two years ago and recently moved into a new home that was designed and built by Don. The Mrs. United States pageant will be held in Las Vegas on July 24, and Tiffany will be there to represent the peach state. She is looking forward to the trip and the opportunity to meet women from all over the country. For more information regarding lung cancer awareness, or to donate please visit: www.NationalLungCancerPartnership.org. Athens Oconee Junior Women's Club honors top members
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/030408/living_2008030400480.shtml |
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Best Bets Free to Breathe Lung Cancer 5K Run/Walk 8 a.m. Sunday, Sandy Creek Park Bishop native Tiffany Hudak, the reigning Mrs. Georgia, organized this event in memory of her mother, http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/041008/marquee_2008041000798.shtml |
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Lori Brooks: Newspaper thanked for lung cancer story I'm the person she spoke of who is her largest sponsor for the upcoming Athens Free to Breathe 5K race, and who lost my mother to lung cancer six years ago. I've spent the past six years spearheading Project Safe domestic violence fundraisers, and now that I've rolled off of their board, I'm ready to throw myself at the lung cancer cause - something that gets very little attention. By publishing a story about a cause that isn't as "popular" or as well-embraced in the community as others, the Banner-Herald has shown its dedication to responsible journalism. Lori Brooks President, Managed Medical Transport Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 041208 http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/041208/letters_2008041200442.shtml For Mrs. Georgia, it's all about the platform
So instead of giving up after finishing first-runner up at the Mrs. Georgia pageant in 2007, she decided to suit up and go for it one more time. She's glad she did. What Hudak won in addition to the 2008 title was the spotlight on her cause. "I had actually decided I wasn't going to compete again this year. I didn't know if I had the intestinal fortitude to do it again," she said with a laugh. "It's a wonderful opportunity for me to get my message out there about lung cancer." Hudak's mother Sherry Bridges died of lung cancer almost five years to the day announcers called Hudak's name as pageant winner at the Gwinnett County Civic Center on Feb. 24. Part of the competition included an interview, during which she delivered a personal talk about lung cancer, her mother's death and the common issue associated with the illness - smoking. She didn't preach. She couldn't. She herself smoked until age 35. And whether or not her mother did shouldn't matter. "When you say, 'lung cancer' the first question is always, 'Did they smoke?'" Hudak said. "I don't care who you are or what you've done in your life, no one deserves to get cancer. No one." But the Bishop resident and St. Mary's Hospital nurse is quick to explain the scientific link between smoking and lung cancer had "everything" to do with her quitting the habit. "I started thinking about if I died at the age my mom did at 54, my son would barely be into his 20s," Hudak said. "I just thought I can't do this anymore ... I was quite hard on myself. I allowed myself no relapses." She followed a plan. Exactly three months before her 35th birthday and predetermined quit date, she joined Curves and started to work out on a regular basis. A month later to the day, she added nutrition as a focus, ridding her diet of junk food. Another month later, May 17, she put cigarettes down forever. It was her birthday. "It's something I did. Yes, it was tough, I'm over it now and I'm fine," said Hudak, who's now 37. "I don't miss, or obsess. I'm probably healthier than I've ever been." Her biggest responsibility as Mrs. Georgia is preparing herself for the national Mrs. United States pageant, which will take place in July in Las Vegas. The national competition involves practice, coaching and lots of sashaying in swim suits and gowns. But what she most cares about - aside from husband Don and their 4-year-old son Grant - is the cause. One of the foremost events on her mind is the Athens Free to Breathe 5K race April 13 at Sandy Creek Park (www.free tobreathe.org). Proving her voice as Mrs. Georgia is being heard, a woman whose mother died of lung cancer six years ago sent Hudak a $1,000 check after reading a story about Hudak in a local paper. She is Hudak's biggest race sponsor. "Amazing. I get chills thinking about it," she said. Because what she finds is that many people's charitable attention seems to go up in smoke. Hudak hopes to change that. "Yes. There is a stigma," she said. "I'm so determined to get the word out about educating people about lung cancer ... It kills more (men and women) than any other cancer." Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 040508 http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/040508/living_2008040500340.shtml May 28, 2008 Tiffany Hudak wears the crown because she is Mrs. Georgia 2008. She wears the bracelet on her wrist because she wants to bring awareness to lung cancer. “There is no way to detect lung cancer early,” she said. “Once it is found, it is too late.” Lung cancer doesn’t only affect smokers. More than 21,000 people die each year from lung cancer caused by radon. Georgia has the highest rate in the Southeast with 822 deaths last year. Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. It is invisible, odorless and tasteless. Regions with a lot of granite have a higher risk for radon. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, all north Georgia counties have a moderate to high potential for radon. Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties have the highest potential for it. Raised in Elberton, Ga., known as the granite capitol of the world, radon awareness is important to Hudak. “It is scary. It is all around us,” she said. Since winning her crown in February 2008, she has thrust the spotlight on her cause. She has been featured in several newspaper articles and will be on the cover of Athena magazine later this year. She hosted the Georgia “Free to Breath” 5k run in April, which raised more than $5,000 for the National Lung Cancer Partnership. And she’s joined forces with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. “Radon is truly a silent killer,” said Becky Chenhall, a UGA Extension radon educator. “It is so easy to ignore because you can’t see, smell or taste it. The only way to know the radon level in your home is to test for it.” UGA Extension offices distribute free radon test kits. Since the program started five years ago, 22,000 test kits have been distributed. “We are saving lives by educating and motivating people to take action,” Chenhall said. “The bad news is radon causes lung cancer. The good news is that any radon problem can be fixed.” Radon is heavier than air. Test kits should be hanged two feet to six feet above the floor in the center of a room. Bedrooms or family rooms are the best rooms to test. Children are at greater risk of radon exposure. The radon level at a child’s breathing level is higher than that found at an adult’s. Radon test results will never be 0. The average indoor level is 1.3 pCi/L. Any test that measures 4 pCi/L or higher requires action. Nationally, one out of every 15 homes will have high radon. In north Georgia, one out of every five homes could have elevated radon. When required, mitigation can be done relatively cheap. The gas can be safely released from the home by installing an inline fan and running a ventilation pipe from underneath the home’s foundation to above the roofline. Georgia currently has 10 certified radon mitigators trained to correct radon problems http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/storypage.cfm?storyid=3430 covergirl When her mother passed away at 54 years old, only three weeks after being diagnosed with lung cancer, Tiffany Hudak knew what she had to do. "It really affected me to the point where I felt like I needed to do something about it," Hudak says. "So I began to get involved with the Naitonal Lung Cancer Partnership." But she didn't stop there. Hudak would go on to win the 2008 Mrs. Georgia Pageant in order to garner support and awareness for her platform - educating women about lung cancer. Hudak began her pageant career at 12 in the Little Miss Merry Christmas Pageant and continued in a few competitions during high school. After an extended hiatus during her college years and after, Hudak competed in the Mrs. Georgia Pageant 2001, but did not place in the competition. This pageant, she says, was "just to get her feet wet." Later, following the death of her mother and birth of her son, who is now 5, Hudak entered the pageant again with her new platform. "I started thinking if I got back into pageants and won this thing, I could really get my message about lung cancer out there. There is a pseudo-celebrity status to it, and people tend to listen to you a bit more when your picture is in the paper. So that's what it's all about," Hudak says. A part-time nurse in the operating room and outpatient surgery center at St. Mary's Hospital, and a legal nurse consultant, Hudak's commitment to lung cancer research is rooted in both professional and personal spheres. Though there is no official time commitment associated with her title, Hudak has diligently pursued her opportunities to use her "pseudo-celebrity status" to spread the word about her platform. She has already organized the "Free to Breathe 5k" race and is in the process of planning another major fundraiser. All profits will benefit research at the National Lung Cancer Partnership. Hudak is also working in conjunction with the University of Georgia's radon educator. As radon is the second leading cause of cancer and Georgia has the highest levels of radon in the United States, Hudak wants to use her reputation to warn people of its harmful effects. Approximately 160,000 women die from lung cancer every year, yet barely more than $1,700 is allotted for hospital care for each patient - a small amount, especially when compared to the $13,000 spent on women with breast cancer. Funding is one of the major aspects Hudak wants to draw attention to during her time as Mrs. Georgia. The biggest hurdle, she says, is the stigma attached to lung cancer and smokers. "I don't care who you are or what you've done, but no one deserves to get lung cancer," she says. Having been a smoker for more than 10 years herself, Hudak quit two years ago as a testament to her cause and to set an example for her son. She suggests yearly scans, early detection techniques and even therapies for smokers wishing to quit. She believes each of these actions would signifigantly lower the number of yearly casualties associated with lung cancer. When she's not making appearances of sharing her platform, Hudak enjoys spending time with her husband and son at home in Bishop. Having won the swimsuit competition, Hudak makes attending classes at Jazzercise and Curves for Women in Watkinsville a priority. She's also preparing for the national competition, Mrs. United States, in Las Vegas this summer, in which she'll participate in swimsuit, evening gown, and interviews competitions. Regardless of the outcome of the national pageant, Hudak wants to continue her work with the National Lung Cancer Partnership in the future and is thankful for the opportunity to share her message. "If having a crown on my head makes people listen to me about lung cancer, then I'm all for it." she says. "Whatever it takes." Elyse Beasley is a senior at the University of Georgia, majoring in Magazines and minoring in Spanish. |
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The Morgan County Citizen, July 24, 2008 By Jessica Blomquist Morgan County resident and reigning Mrs. Georgia, Tiffany Hudak, will travel to Las Vegas to compete for the title of Mrs. United States in a pageant on July 24. Hudak lost her mother, Sherry Bridges, who was 54 years old, five years ago when she was pregnant with her son, Grant. Th loss of her mother compelled her to use her interest in beauty pageants to help her gain a voice to raise awareness for lung cancer, an often underfunded and unsupported type of cancer research and education. "You are able to take an issue or a cause that is oftentimes personal or close to your heart and bring it to an audience," Hudak said. "It is amazing that when you put a crown on your head, people stop to listen to you more." Hudak uses her semi-celebrity to raise awareness for lung cancer education and research. Early detection techniques are a priority for lung cancer, a disease that is harder to treat the farther along it progresses. Hudak's mother was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer at a routine exam and succumbed to the disease a mere three weeks following her diagnosis. Hudak said a stigma is attached to the disease because many who are diagnosed are or were smokers. "There is a huge stigma attached," Hudak said. "People always equate lung cancer with smoking." Because of that stigma, charitable donations for lung cancer are less than those for other cancers. "Funding for lung cancer lags far behind fundraising for other cancers," Hudak said. "Patients with lung cancer often get blamed for their disease." Along with speaking about lung cancer awareness, Hudak makes appearances at charity events, works with the National Lung Cancer Partnership, and organizes her own fund-raising events. In March, she attended the Cathy H. Francis Foundation's annual Mustang car raffle, a fundraiser started by Francis' husband after her death because of breast cancer and leukemia. In April, she organized her own fundraiser, the Free To Breathe 5K Run at Sandy Creek Park in Athens. With 120 runners taking part in the run, she raised over $5,000. "I was proud," she said. "It was my first fundraiser." She worked for three years with the NLCP, a lung cancer awareness group headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin run by physicians and researchers. The NCLP has also asked her to help start a Georgia chapter of the group. Her next fundraiser is a benefit concert starring a Rolling Stones cover band scheduled for November 21 in Athens. Hudak herself smoked for 15 years, but she quit following her mother's death and the birth of her son. On May 17th, her 37th birthday, she reached her second smoke-free anniversary. "If I died at 54, the same age as my mom did, my son would barely be in his 20's," Hudak said. Over 160,000 people die from lung cancer annually. Another less wll-known cause of lung cancer, aside from smoking, is radon exposure. Hudak works with Becky Shenhall, a radon educator at the University of Georgia. Over 20,000 people die yearly from radon. Hudak won the title of Mrs. Georgia on February 24 this year after competing against 11 other women at the Gwinnett Civic Center in an instense schedule, which included panel and one-on-one interviews in addition to swimsuit and evening gown segments. The previous year, she had competed and come in first runner-up, having won the interview segment, which is worth 50 percent of the total score. Hudak competed in her first pageant at age 12, winning a Christmas pageant called the Little Miss Merry Christmas Pageant in Norcross. "I got hooked from that moment on," Hudak said. She continued to compete in pageants off and on throughout childhood and in high school, but took a hiatus from competing starting when she went to college until age 28. Hudak was unaware of the Mrs. United States pageant, one specifically for married women, until she saw it on television one day. There are also pageants for widowed and divorced women as well as senior citizen women. "I thought that once you married that was it," Hudak said. "It's endless. I could do this for the rest of my life. It's great. You can bet I'm gonna have bling on my wheelchair."
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