|
|
|
|
|
(MS) - Surviving cancer is no small feat. Upon diagnosis, many cancer patients fear the worst, fully recognizing the difficult battle that lies ahead of them. For survivors of cancer, that battle typically does not end after the cancer has gone away or into remission. Instead, many cancer survivors remain understandably fearful of the cancer coming back.
The National Cancer Institute, the Federal Government’s principal agency for cancer research and training, offers these suggestions for cancer survivors looking to get the most out of their follow-up care. • Bring someone along on a doctor visit. Another set of eyes and ears never hurt anyone, and it might help calm your nerves to have a loved one beside you. Also, having another person with you might help you better understand certain things your doctor said in addition to providing an additional voice to ask any relevant questions you might not have thought of. • Don’t beat around the bush. Anyone who’s been to a doctor’s office recently can attest that a doctor’s time seems to grow more precious with each visit. That makes it extra important that you ask the most important questions you have first, as chances are your doctor won’t have ample time to sit down and discuss every minute detail. If you have several questions you deem important, ask your doctor when is a good time to call back and further discuss your condition or if your next appointment can run a little longer. • Ask for a private room. Many cancer survivors want to discuss private and sensitive information with their doctor in follow-up care. Such discussions aren’t easy on patients, who might have trepidation discussing more sensitive topics. A good way to approach this is to realize the more your doctor knows, the more he can help. Also, to ease your comfort level, always ask for a private room with the door closed. Your doctor should gladly oblige such a request.
|
 
| |||||
