by Nene Adams

Created on: June 28, 2009   Last Updated: July 01, 2009

Receiving a cancer diagnosis comes as an utterly gut-wrenching shock. It disrupts your life, the lives of your loved ones, and is one of the most stressful things that will ever happen to you. As you fight this terrible disease, it's easy to become so focused on how you feel or what's going to happen next that you forget important things that need to be addressed. Here's some advice on what you (or your caregiver) should do to avoid frustration and more stress.

BE HONEST AND PRECISE
Physicians can't read your mind, and now is not the time to be stoic. Symptoms and sensations you're experiencing or concerns you may have might be a signal to your doctor that something is wrong. When the doctor asks, How are you feeling today? tell him or her. Be honest. If you have things you want to bring up during the appointment, write them down in advance, and take the list with you to the doctor's office.

During and after treatment, make a record of any out-of-the-ordinary events like fainting, dizziness, seizure, problems with your vision, etc. Record the date, time, treatment (like an ER visit), who treated you, recommendations or follow-up visits, and be sure to bring this up with your primary oncologist or doctor. If you're able, keep a daily updated journal and jot down any symptoms you experience when they happen, that way you won't forget. Be precise. For example, if you feel feverish, take your temperature and make a record of it. If you're experiencing pain, make a record using a scale from 1 - 10 (with 10 being the worst pain you've ever felt) - this is a useful diagnostic tool.

Don't rely on your memory, and don't assume your doctors are up-to-date. They probably aren't, so it's up to you to ensure they have the most recent facts about your case.. If you can, bring someone with you to the appointment to take notes, or take along a digital recorder so you have a record of what was discussed.

GET ORGANIZED
While undergoing treatment, you'll be seeing a number of people like doctors, oncologists, specialists, therapists, social workers, nurses and physical therapists, and you might be going to different places like doctor's or oncologist's offices, hospitals, specialist cancer treatment centers, emergency rooms, clinics and cancer wards. Your full up-to-date medical records will likely not be available to every doctor or medical worker you see. You will need to bring your records with you to every appointment. Organize a three-ring binder with:

Treatment schedule

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