Dealing with lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease that affects millions of people each year. Over one million people die every year from lung cancer, meaning that millions upon millions of people are affected by the disease in terrible ways. It is one of the worst cancers and it is also one of the most common forms of cancer. If you or a loved one has been affected by this terrible disease you need to take stock of your situation and find ways to deal with it. Doctors will do everything they can to save you or your loved one, but they cannot help you to confront the disease or deal with your feelings. People underestimate the importance of a positive attitude in dealing with a terminal or serious illness. Sometimes a good attitude can actually save your life. Although positive feelings might not help you get through surgery, they nevertheless will carry you through the pain. Often patients who have a better attitude do better physically.
As with most terrible diseases, when you first find out about a diagnosis your initial feeling is probably shock. After this many people experience severe depression or despair. Some feel immediate anger about their situation and look for someone or something to blame. Depression is another major experience with lung cancer. Many people also report feelings of frustration because they can't do anything about their situation. Although it would seem strange to feel this way, some people report feeling guilt about their condition. This can result partly from poor habits, such as smoking, that could have led to the disease.
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Because it is important for you to deal with your feelings and to express them, you should know that it is normal to experience such extreme emotion. Don't try to hide from your feelings. It is ok for you to express these feelings and to feel them deeply.
The next thing to ask yourself is what kind of cancer am I dealing with? Is the lung cancer fairly advanced or has it been caught early? Is the tumor aggressive and spreading to other areas quickly? The answers to these questions will greatly change the way that you deal with the disease. If you are dealing with a slowly developing tumor that has been caught early you should be hopeful and approach your situation with a positive attitude. Realize that there is always a chance that you could survive and always a chance that you could die. You need to face the possiblity of your death and come to terms with it while nevertheless realising that you could survive.
It is probably good to be optimistic for the first while. Your attitude can affect the way that you feel and possibly even how your body deals with treatment and the disease. Have a positive attitude and hope for a succesful recovery. People who give into the disease quickly rarely survive. If, however, the disease continues and becomes worse then you might need to face the reality of death.
There are various support groups that can help you deal with cancer. They are composed of others suffering from the disease and of those who have survived. They can help you to feel that you are not alone and to deal with the emotions involved with the disease. A caring community can make a huge difference in terms of your ability to deal with the disease. Finally, try to laugh and enjoy yourself regardless of the situation. Life is fleating for all of us and we should have a good time with it even if it is going to end soon.
