Rapid Questions in Lung Cancer

Are you new or seasoned in your walk with lung cancer? You may now find yourself in a stage of compressing the information that has fallen into your lap if you are newly diagnosed.

If you’re not new to the ballgame whether in treatment for years, remission, or reemergence of your cancer and settling into additional new steps. The questions that arise along the way from either stage are many, and because everyone’s health journey may vary you may find one shoe does not and cannot fit all.

How to feel

So how do you feel in this moment when hearing about lung cancer and the steps that are involved to secure your life? The answer(s) involve a bevy of emotions good and bad.

Some people may feel some sort of guilt based on their life behavior history, whereas others may feel stumped as they’ve avoided some of the correlations assumed when we speak of this cancer. The emotions are now brewing with the how so, why me?

So how should you feel about what is happening in the present time, and do you understand the complexity of what is happening? Many people won’t grasp it all in one shot as the typical questions mentioned may be the first stop; however, after the smoke clears the canvas may seem blank afterward, now what?

Now as for the seasoned survivor that made strives yet to be back in the barrel of trying this all out again. The true test is do you give up or have you now realized this unpredictable phase may be the new normal, literally.

Questions in stages

Yes, there may be stages in questioning because again every patient is different in what they need to ask in that moment. I wish all doctors could tune in better in giving the patient the script of what they should expect, what are the likelihoods, and what are the hopefuls in this situation.

We all know all too often that is not each survivor’s story. The walk to figuring it all out may be a mixed bag of confusion and frustration all based on that initial experience upon being diagnosed.

So, for many who have not been as vocal on their health journey you may find yourself pressed between being involved with your health or holding in those questions that eventually come out or stay held in. There is no such thing as the perfect patient, or should I say in the beginning, as many patients faced with this adversity ask their questions in stages. The true and main goal is getting the answers.

Honesty and transparency

Again, sometimes the doctors don’t get it right. I’ve written about my mom’s experience multiple times and I wonder why and if the multiple “maybe so” had any effect on her experience. Did her doctor like her as a patient? Did they find her worth fighting for based on her disposition or in their eyes lack of?

Sadly, do gender and race play a hand in the many quite different positive and negative experiences? Let’s be open and honest right now. Some patients don’t have the best experience which stalls them in getting the best treatment, and those that were mentioned can be dire when already faced with a dire situation.

The main thought is to remember your voice is your tool in lung cancer; you’ll learn that you’ll need to be your own best advocate in making sure your questions are answered and that ethically things are lining up in getting comprehensive answers. It may open the door for your being more assertive and that’s okay.

 The time to fight is now, with integrity, grace, hope, and a smile….when you feel like it