How does a patient survive the horrors of chemo and radiation? what are common side effects? can these treatments make you so sick that you die?

Find support: Ask your doctors for leads to good information on exactly what will be done and what to expect - not just once but as treatment progresses. Also get leads to local support groups & reliable literature. It will help if you drop words like "horrors" to true, but less emotional ones. High quality care will evaluate your ability to handle treatment and work w/in safe limits. Psychotherapy can help too.