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Making Plans

Do you feel as if you are struggling between controlling your disease and letting your disease control you? Do you try to keep up with your "normal" life, despite any physical limitations or side effects of treatment?

Many people do, and—like them—you may be just as determined to hold on to your independence and take control of your life whenever possible. It’s common to want to continue to do the simple, "normal" things you did before cancer. Family and friends may be waiting for you to bounce back.

But when treatment ends and you want to resume your "normal" life, your body may not want to cooperate. Side effects of chemotherapy or fatigue from radiation may continue for some time. You also may be anxious about what comes next.

If so, tell yourself that being able to focus on the future is a good sign, one that means you are ready to get back into life. Also, it may be helpful to try NOT to think of the way you lived before cancer as "normal" but to consider the way you live now to be a new kind of "normal." That means continuing to do some of the things you used to, but accepting the fact that some compromises may be in order.

For more information on adjusting to these new challenges, please visit the Setting Goals page of this Web site.

What Lies Ahead?

Making plans for your future is a good way to energize the present, to brighten up today. Even if the future you’re planning for is just a few hours off, you can take pleasure from the anticipation of knowing that something good lies ahead.

The following suggestions for making plans may prove helpful:
  • Use your head, not your body. To conserve energy, think of ways to reduce your workload. In fact, tell yourself that you don’t have to do something every minute of every day. Instead, stop and take a breath. Plan some welcome opportunities for quiet, unstructured time.

  • Set priorities. To avoid wasting time and energy on unimportant tasks, make a list of the things you think need to be done, and give them a priority, such as: "Have To," "Want To," and "Would Be Nice To." Make sure that the "Have To" list includes plans for at least one "treat" that you’re feeling up to.

  • Adjust your attitude to believe that "less is more." If you expect too much from yourself now, you’re sure to feel frustrated if you can’t accomplish it. It really is okay to lower your standards a bit and settle for less. After all, who needs a spotless house or a perfectly groomed lawn when one that is neat will do?

  • Ask for what you need. There will be certain projects, of course, that will just drive you crazy until they get taken care of. Your plan for getting the projects done can include asking friends or family for help. You’ll feel better, and the people who care about you will probably be only too happy to oblige.

Accepting Uncertainty as a Challenge

Looking ahead—not back—can be a challenge now, but keep in mind that no one knows what the future holds. For helpful ideas on how to start, please visit the Mentally Coping page of this Web site.

Sources of Information

There are many organizations that provide information and support that may help people with lung cancer and their families cope with the effects of cancer on their lives. You may contact them by phone, mail, or on the Internet.
  • Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support, and Education (ALCASE)
    500 W. 8th Street, Suite 240
    Vancouver, WA 98660
    1-800-298-2436 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm PT)
    http://www.alcase.org
    A nonprofit organization devoted solely to supporting and improving the quality of lives of people with lung cancer. Offers a phone buddy program for patient-to-patient support and a geographic listing of in-person lung cancer support groups.

  • Lung Cancer Online
    http://www.lungcanceronline.org
    A comprehensive Web site with links to services and
    support for patients and families.

  • Cancer Care, Inc.
    National Office
    275 7th Avenue
    New York, NY 10001
    1-800-813-4673
    http://www.cancercare.org
    Offers support services, education and information,
    referrals, and financial assistance.

  • The Wellness Community
    919 18th Street, NW, Suite 54
    Washington, DC 20006
    1-888-793-WELL (9355)
    http://www.thewellnesscommunity.org
    Offers a free program of emotional support, education, and hope for people with cancer and their families.

Additional Resources

Knowing where to find credible and accurate information about coping with lung cancer is an important step toward making your life as a person with lung cancer better. The following resources may help:

Self Matters: Creating Your Life
From the Inside Out
Phillip C. McGraw, PhD
Simon & Schuster
ISBN 0-7432-2423-X, 314 pages
2001

Self-Nurture: Learning to Care for Yourself as
Effectively as You Care for Everyone Else
Alice D. Domar, PhD, and Henry Dreher
Viking
ISBN 0-670-88286-0, 306 pages
2000

After Cancer: A Guide to Your New Life
Wendy Schlessel Harpham, MD
W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN 0-393-03664-2, 364 pages
1994