| Surviving lung cancer means more than just | | | | challenge of surviving lung cancer. The first step |
| beating the physical disease. There are also | | | | to doing that is simply to admit that those |
| emotional and mental challenges that come with | | | | emotions are there and to try to discern why. |
| dealing with cancer. Learning to live with the | | | | Additionally, it is important to realize that these |
| disease and the required treatments and medical | | | | reactions are natural and normal, and may even |
| visits that arise because of it is crucial to survival. | | | | be helpful. |
| The treatments for cancer can be harsh on the | | | | Anger can result from a diagnosis of lung cancer. |
| body. Surgery may remove a tumor, but it may | | | | Feeling angry about being the one struck with the |
| also remove parts of or entire organs in the | | | | disease, the one who has to endure the stress |
| process. After surviving the cancer procedure | | | | and worry of treatment, is normal. Some find |
| itself, patients must then learn to survive the new | | | | that this anger is actually a motivating force as |
| condition they find their bodies in. It is possible | | | | they learn to survive with lung cancer. It can help |
| that the body will function differently due to the | | | | patients to become assertive about what they |
| surgery. Procedures like chemotherapy and | | | | want and need from treatment. In patients who |
| radiotherapy can also have lasting effects on a | | | | do not find their anger motivating and helpful, it is |
| patient's general health. | | | | possible to include counseling as part of their new |
| In addition to these physical challenges, many | | | | routine for surviving the cancer. |
| patients also experience emotional trials as a | | | | In contrast to anger, other patients could feel |
| result of being diagnosed with lung cancer and | | | | depressed as they attempt to survive with lung |
| undergoing therapy to treat it. Some fear that | | | | cancer. Some patients no longer feel like their |
| the cancer will return after it has been treated. | | | | usual selves and lose interest in the things that |
| Others find it difficult to cope with the lasting | | | | had been their favorite activities before their |
| effects of the cancer and the way it interrupts | | | | diagnosis. Depression can be destructive. A patient |
| their daily life. They could also experience a sense | | | | who has survived lung cancer but is now |
| of isolation if they perceive that their loved ones | | | | depressed may need support from loved ones in |
| don't or can't understand their feelings. | | | | order to cope with their new reality. |
| Negative feelings arising because of cancer are | | | | Despite any of these feelings, patients surviving |
| not unusual. The tribulation of surviving the | | | | with lung cancer should take pro-active steps to |
| disease - hearing the diagnosis, undergoing | | | | managing their disease and going on with their |
| therapy, coping with side effects - commonly | | | | lives. Eating a healthy diet it one way to do this, |
| causes uncertainty and negativity. Those | | | | as a balanced diet not only promotes general |
| struggling to survive with lung cancer may feel | | | | good healthy, but can also help patients feel like |
| depressed or anxious because of the disease. It is | | | | they are in control of some aspect of their lives |
| also not unusual for patients to experience anger | | | | still. Exercise also promotes good health and can |
| and fear due to their illness. | | | | reduce the risk of the lung cancer returning or |
| Coping with these emotions is part of the | | | | spreading. |