On Thursday, I completed Treatment #4 of a planned 6 and all
went well. My cancer antigen level has
dropped significantly which is a wonderful thing! We actually made 4 trips this week between
labs, doctor’s appointment, chemo, and a follow-up injection – more than the
normal routine. It got us talking about
how comfortable I am with these people and how essential they all are in my
healing process. My husband commented
that it made him feel so much better seeing me come out of the office laughing
and smiling. Choosing your medical team
is so important on so many levels.
The doctor-patient relationship has changed over the
years. We used to be willing to go along
with whatever our doctor recommended – after all, he or she was the
“DOCTOR!” Patients are becoming more
pro-active, more questioning, more an equal partner in their treatment. It is critical that, once you settle on a
treatment plan, you feel confident in the physician’s skill and their ability
to treat your cancer.
Second opinions can be extremely helpful, both clinically
and psychologically. They can also be
had at any time before or during your treatment. Sometimes you may have concerns about a
recommended treatment – other times you may just want to hear it confirmed from
another physician. Before beginning this
most recent treatment, my own oncologist suggested that I talk to the doctors
at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa to get their opinion. I resisted at first, feeling it wasn’t
necessary, but we did go. It was an
incredible comfort to hear one of their all-star oncologists tell us that he
would have recommended the same treatments since day one and would definitely
recommend the one scheduled to begin. Cancer
feeds on anguish and pain and fear. But
when you have your chosen team of medical professionals in place, your fear is
lessened, the pain is eased, and the anguish is shared. You need to feel SAFE in their care.
I have been blessed with a phenomenal team for the past 4
years. They have each played a huge part
in my journey. Their caring ways are
overwhelming. Their compassion is
heartwarming. Their sense of humor is
ever-present and so healing. One day when we were discussing a post-surgical incision
problem, to describe the area of the pain, I used the example of where the
counter would hit me when I was doing dishes.
I left that day with a signed prescription saying that I was “medically
unable to do dishes anymore.” It didn’t carry too much weight at home, but the
humor behind it was priceless. There is always laughter in that office. There is always love, more so when I bring
cookies, but it’s always there. Of
course I have already told them that if anything happens to me, the secret cookie
recipe goes too!
I can actually call that office any day, any time and I know
I will get to speak with someone. I will
get an answer to my question, or I will get a compassionate ear in which to
whine. To a cancer patient who is
frightened or just in need of some reassurance – that is invaluable. In my 67 years, between health issues and my
profession, I have spent a lot of time in medical surroundings. I can honestly say that what I have found is
rare – but not impossible. They are out
there! Find your own special band of
angels and let them share your journey.
When first diagnosed, most of us will head for the
Internet. It’s a wonderful resource and
I use it myself all the time – BUT, beware of the source. There are some truly horrendous stories and
myths out there. Remember, anyone can
post anything, even if it’s wrong. One
way to sort out the sites is to determine where the funding is coming
from. Addresses ending in .com
(commercial), .org (organization), .edu (education), and .gov (government) are
clues to the site’s funding source, audience, and motives. There are some excellent, reliable, reality
check-sites out there to verify information.
A few that I have used are:
American Cancer
Society – “Rumors, Myths and Truths” – www.cancer.org/AboutUs/HowWeHelpYou/rumors-myths-and-truths.
American Society of
Clinical Oncology – “Cancer Myths” -
Quackwatch – “A
Special Message for Cancer Patients Seeking ‘Alternative’ Treatments” –
Once you’ve identified your treatment options, go home and
weigh the pros and cons of each.
Evaluate chance of recurrence and the potential risk of side effects compared
to other treatments. How will the treatments
be evaluated? What are the chances of
cure or remission? It’s a definite
relief once you settle on a plan, but you must know that there will always be
uncertainty. Each of us is different and
our cancers are different. The most
important thing is that you gather your information, make your decisions with
confidence, and believe that you are making the wisest choice you can at that
time. TYG4e
SURVIVAL TIP FOR TODAY:
Even though my motto remains,
“BE PROACTIVE – STAY POSITIVE – STAY STRONG!” a “positive-at-all-costs”
approach can add an additional burden that you don’t need. Everyone reacts differently to cancer. This is your journey and you have no
obligation to please others by the way you cope.
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