INTERACTION WITH THE PERSON MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT YOUR CANCER AND YOUR TREATMENT
When I think of the communication between doctors and patients at the time that cancer is diagnosed, I remember the great scene between Debra Winger and her oncologist in “Terms of Endearment.” Debra is lying in her hospital bed and the doctor says, “Dear, you have a malignancy.” After he says a few more lines of dialogue, she stops him and asks, “Could you say that again?”
No one is ever prepared to hear the words, “You have cancer.” When my husband was diagnosed, the world seemed to stop turning. The doctor’s mouth continued to move but the sound didn’t seemed to be turned on. Looking back, there are so many questions we just did not know to ask. Invariably, they were the ones we wished we had and the ones we were asked over and over.
This section of CopingWithChemo.com is dedicated to compiling a list of questions that you should ask your doctor. The doctor should answer these questions before you ask, but…
- What kind of cancer do I have?
- What was the point of origin?
- Can you estimate when it started?
- Are you an oncologist?
- Have you ever treated this kind of cancer before?
- Can I have a second opinion?
- What are the treatment options?
- Do you have a nutritionist on staff?
- Do you have a therapist on staff?
- Do you have a nurse practitioner?
- May I have your e-mail addresses?
- WHO ON YOUR STAFF WILL “OWN” THE PROCESSING OF MY INSURANCE PAPERWORK?
A BURDEN SHARED IS A BURDEN HALVED.
YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IS THERE TO SHARE YOUR BURDEN.
IT IS UP TO YOU TO SEE THAT THEY DO BY ASKING QUESTIONS.
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