Postby kims » Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:29 am
Jess -
Even though it seems really overwhelming right now, YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS! Everything seems really uncertain with the flurry of tests. I found the uncertainty to be the most scary. Once I knew how the surgery was going to be done and what the plan was for chemotherapy, the whole thing seemed much easier to manage. You have probably already been given a lot of this advice but I'll mention it again. 1) Take someone that you trust with you to your appointments. It's a lot of information to absorb, especially given the emotions that go along with everything. That person can take notes for you and also ask questions that may not occur to you. It's also just nice to have the support. 2) Start keeping a notebook and file for yourself. I bought a divided file folder. Ask for copies of your lab reports, pathology reports, surgical reports and keep them. I cannot tell you how many times I have needed them. You can also keep copies of info that the doctors and nurses give you on drugs and side effects, nutrition, etc. 3) Before you go to appointments, write down the questions you want to ask. Some doctors are very rushed and if you don't pin them down, its tough to get questions answered. 4) Use the internet wisely and sparingly. My husband used to say - "stay off of Dr. Google!" It's a great resource for researching side effects and finding support groups. Its also scary and a source of misinformation. A lot of the statistics are old an inaccurate. Ignore them or they will just upset you. 5) Accept help from friends and family when you need it. Cooking, cleaning, laundry - hell yeah, take help when people offer!
You should check out an organization called "Chris4life" It is colon cancer awareness and support non profit. There is a video on their website that is for the newly diagnosed. There is a young woman named Rachel Yingling on the video. She was diagnosed in her late 20's with stage III cc. She talks about her experiences as a young person diagnosed with cc.
I will be thinking of you!
47 YOA
11/08 stage 2 breast cancer
completed chemo 6/09
diagnosed 1/11 stage 3B CC
4 rounds FOLFOX followed by 6 rounds Xeloda
completed 9/11
Pet scan 10/11 - NED
CT Scan 1/12, 4/12; 11/12 - NED
7/13 - recurrence - 1cm lesion left lung; VATS 7/13