Twenty Years Later: What I Wish I'd Known Before My Lobectomy

If you're facing a lobectomy, or any type of lung surgery, please first read A Lobectomy: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Then, this is what I want you to understand from someone who's been there:

What I want you to know before your surgery

• It's okay to be scared. This is a major surgery – even if you have a minimally invasive lobectomy. Courage isn't the lack of fear. On the contrary. Courage is resilience to do something despite the potential physical or emotional pain that may result.
• The pain is real – but it is temporary and manageable. In my case, the physical pain was the most I had encountered in my 51 years of life. After going through that, I am confident that I can get through whatever other challenges arise. You can, too. I think you will find out that you are a lot tougher than you realize.
• Recovery takes time, and that's normal. Be patient with yourself. Ask others to be patient with you as your body heals and you regain your strength.
• Accept help – you will need it more than you think. There are likely people who have offered to help you or your family. Allow others the joy of giving of their time and talents to help you in your time of need. (The day will come when you can pay it forward.)
• Ask about your surgical options – techniques today are often much less invasive than what I experienced. Today, it is the norm for thoracic surgeons to use minimally invasive techniques. Not everyone will be a candidate for minimally invasive surgery; however, if your surgeon does not use VATS or robotic surgery techniques, find another surgeon.

And most importantly:

Your experience will likely not be the same as mine – in a good way.

Twenty years later

Today, I am a long-term lung cancer survivor.

That lobectomy – as difficult as it was – gave me the chance to be here 20 years later. It gave me time I wasn't guaranteed.

If I could go back and talk to the woman who wrote, "Ow," I wouldn't tell her it wouldn't hurt.

I would tell her this:

It will be one of the hardest things you ever go through.

And it will also be one of the most important.

Everyone's experience is unique to them. Thankfully, advances in science and technology have helped improve the patient experience. And it will continue to improve.

Other types of lung cancer surgery

Many lung cancer patients also undergo what is called a wedge resection. This type of lung surgery is known as "lung sparing," meaning it saves as much lung tissue as possible. My bi-lobectomy, as it turned out, was not really necessary because cancer was only found in one of the lobes. I respect the lung sparing approach, as long as the doctors are confident they can remove all the cancer.

Some surgeons are even doing surgery on Stage IV lung cancer patients. Plus, a few years ago, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients were automatically disqualified from surgery. But some SCLC patients now may be candidates for surgery. Not everyone is a good candidate for lung surgery. But I am hopeful that this area will continue to progress and improve outcomes for people with lung cancer.