Excepting motherhood, I've been exactly where you are now. At diagnosis, my surgeon told me I was not a surgical candidate. But my oncologist figured out a way to shrink the tumor to allow surgery. I had a years worth of post surgical complications from removing my right lung and during that period, the cancer migrated to my left lung. I was then right where you are - on the 20% five-year survival curve. Come February 4th, good Lord willing, I will have survived 12 years from non small cell, squamous cell, lung cancer.
It took all kinds of treatment, most of that was unsuccessful. I had lots of nervous time anticipating and waiting for scans, so much so, I coined a term for the special anxiety we lung cancer patients experience - "Scanziety"! I was absolutely afraid, then depressed, then afraid and depressed. But I believed I'd be one of the 20% and if I could live one year, why not five? When I got to five, why not ten?
After you digest this, I've got some information on understanding survival statistics that you may find comforting. But for right now, I'll keep it simple. You've got to want to survive to survive. You've got to believe you will live to live. I believe attitude is of ultimate importance in arresting your disease. And, you can influence your attitude about survival, treatment and life. You are in charge of your feelings and beliefs. They are about the only thing you can control during lung cancer treatment, so grab the control and believe you are going to make that 20%. Believe you are going to make the 1% or the 1/2% who go on to have lengthy lives after treatment.
Show up to treatment armed with this positive attitude and unshakable belief in life and tell the doctors to "bring it on"!
