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Step 1
Bring a friend, a pen, and a notebook.
After diagnosis, your first doctor consultation will be a discussion of surgery, prognosis, and treatment. This visit is full of information and the time to ask the most questions. Take lots of notes and encourage your friend to do the same. They are there for moral support, but pick a friend whose support extends to note-taking. -
Step 2
Get a second opinion.
Anytime you receive serious news about your health you should seek a second diagnosis. This is not to imply your doctor missed something; medicine is fast-changing and experimental treatments emerge as quickly as science and grant money can allow. If the second opinion drastically differs from the first then you've got an issue with the people who are supposed to be treating you. -
Step 3
Open-up before and after treatment.
Many people have gone through cancer and you may know someone with the same cancer as you. They can add advice about the doctors and surgeons they liked or disliked, the emotions they dealt with during treatment, and the long-term effects they deal with.
You are not the last to have cancer, and by telling your story others may come to you for advice and support. You are not just offering them a shoulder, it may help you in continued healing after cancer. -
Step 4
Start a binder.
Keep files for billing/insurance, your treatment schedule/surgery/medication, and one for articles you find related to cancer. Keeping things organized from the start will help if you need to refer back to information during your treatment. Keep the binder indefinitely, in the case that you might come out of remission or need long-term treatment. -
Step 5
Research everything, then remember that you are not the doctor.
Those grocery store magazines and online articles are helpful. They may examine treatment programs you aren't aware of. They list professionals or groups that offer financial and emotional support. They discuss tricks like 'eating hard candy during chemo'. However, they are written for a general audience by a journalist.
In the end your doctor is the one with the medical degree. They know your issues and their recommendations are specific to you. Let them do their job, and don't constantly use the newest medical news as a platform against them. -
Step 6
Pay for services, if you can; or ask for help.
Housekeeping, dog walking, child care, and car maintenance won't go away. However, even if you have the time you likely won't have the energy. Start arranging for assistance when you are first diagnosed. If you can't afford to pay for help, look to cancer support, community, or church friends that can help.
Be upfront with what you need and how often you will need help, and try to make a schedule that fulfills your needs while being easy for others to handle.
