What can I do about my shortness of breath, which is really preventing me from doing a lot of things?
Using oxygen will definitely help, as will time. Your body will adjust to a smaller amount of lung function, if you have had lung-removing surgery.
Shortness of breath is also called dyspnea
If it worsens, you need to tell your doctor. You may have a re-accumulation of fluid in the pleural space between your chest and lung(s). If so, removing the fluid can help relieve your shortness of breath.
If your blood count is low, you may feel short of breath. Your doctor may suggest ways to build up your blood count, or miss a cycle of chemotherapy if necessary (see fatigue).
You may have other medical problems which are contributing to your shortness of breath. Any other lung problem, like emphysema, can make it worse. There are heart problems that can make you short of breath, for example, if your heart is not functioning properly. That is why you need to tell your doctor about your shortness of breath. If it is related to something besides the cancer, there may be medication to help treat the other medical problems.
It is also possible for shortness of breath to get worse because it frightens you, and you start to breathe faster. This actually makes you feel more short of breath. If you and your doctor have addressed any possible medical condition and he or she thinks your lung(s) are working well enough, and you have enough red blood cells, and your other medical problems are treated, but you still feel short of breath, you may need to learn some relaxation techniques.