@colleenyoung Everyone’s experience will be unique and what works for one may be different for another. With that qualifier, these were helpful for me:
1. Be patient. There’s no way I thought it could take a year to recover. Well, it did and then some.
2. You have a care team, talk to them frequently. They were so helpful to make adjustments and offer different suggestions.
3. Manage post-op pain. The nerve block is deceiving. When it wears off, it will be uncomfortable if you haven't been following pain med guidance.
4. Hug the pillow. My lobectomy included two broken ribs. Hugging a pillow tight really helps when you need to cough.
5. Culver’s custard. When swallowing is difficult due to radiation therapy, Culver’s custard has more protein than ice cream.
6. Sleep. Find a place and position that will let you sleep as best as you can. Mine was a recliner. Sleep a lot.
7. Accept that things will forever be different. That doesn’t need to be worse, just different. You get to decide.
8. Let your caregivers help you. Your full time job, awake or asleep, is fighting cancer.
9. Have something you’re looking forward to. It may be a thing or a place. It doesn’t have to be big.
10. A pill minder app. The number and timing of meds can get complicated. I use Medisafe. It’s been very helpful.
11. A pill backup case. I have a small pill case that holds one pill and fits on a keying. It has saved me multiple times when I left home and forgot to take a pill.
12. Have faith. My Christian faith sustains me on a daily basis.

I hope you find some of this helpful. I wish you the best in your fight. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.