@bevmac Yes, positive thinking and determination do definitely help.
The Big 3 drugs can be brutal for some. But for many the side effects are not too bad. (I expected a bit of a battle to fight this thing! LOL).
The decision to give the drugs a go is yours. But with lung cavities, it's getting a bit more more important to at least try them for a few months if you can. You might have some (smaller) side effects that everyone gets from the disease as well as from the drugs. And I've found that many things that were a problem in the first month or two start to settle down a bit more after a while and you can live with them. Having periodic eyesight checks, liver function tests and hearing tests helps to monitor things.
My lung doctor specialises in NTMs. She gets me to take the drugs in stages in the evening, so I watch TV or sleep through most of the side effects. For example: 6pm Rifampicin, 8pm Ethambutol with my evening meal, and 10pm Azithromycin just before bed. She also recommends taking a good probiotic every morning with a prebiotic (Inulin) as well. So far that's really helped with gut issues and prevented diarrhea. I also take Vitamin D and frequently inhale pure Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca essential oil) -- the research supports using these things to fight mycobacteria.
I'm in Australia too -- Brisbane. But no matter what country we live in, you've come to the right place. This forum site is the best because the people are so nice and helpful and responsive.
Lots of luck and courage to you