Van, our doctor is English and he told us we had to be "bloody-minded". We went home and looked it up in the dictionary, and found it means "stubborn". He was absolutely right. You have to put your head down and plough through the garbage and keep in mind that most people get through it.

It may be that you won't have a long treatment. Everyone is different, and the programs are tailored to the individual. We thought we wouldn't have to have chemotherapy and radiation; it wasn't until after the surgery that they found lymph nodes involved and decided to go the whole route. Maybe that won't happen in your case. Or maybe you won't have severe side effects -- lots of people don't. Keep your eye on the "best-case scenarios" and do what you have to do, is the best advice I can offer. It has worked for us.