Longer-term cancer survivor shares strategies to cope with the appointments, tests, and results that always seem to be looming on the horizon.
BY Barbara Tako
PUBLISHED August 03, 2019
Barbara Tako is a breast cancer survivor (2010), melanoma survivor (2014) and author of Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools–We'll Get You Through This. She is a cancer coping advocate, speaker and published writer for television, radio and other venues across the country. She lives, survives, and thrives in Minnesota with her husband, children and dog. See more at www.cancersurvivorshipcopingtools.com, or www.clutterclearingchoices.com.
Waiting is the hard part. Information helps reduce fear of the unknown and allows a newly diagnosed patient with cancer to move forward to treat their cancer and live their life. Still, it is hard to wait for the next appointment, the next test and especially the next test results on the horizon.
We live in the era of the Internet. For cancer survivors, it has changed our expectations, how we think and how we problem-solve. We have the instant gratification of a lot of information right at our fingertips in many cases, but not always for our own cancer battle.
When or if I get another cancer diagnosis, this is what I want to know right away: specific type of cancer; for example, more specific than "melanoma" for me was "lentigo melanoma." I also wanted to know my cancer's stage, grade and treatment plan. Armed with this information, there was less fear and panic. Armed with this information, a newly diagnosed patient with cancer can educate themselves about their disease and do their own research. A patient with cancer can understand what may be on the horizon.
We live in the era of the Internet. For cancer survivors, it has changed our expectations, how we think and how we problem-solve. We have the instant gratification of a lot of information right at our fingertips in many cases, but not always for our own cancer battle.
When or if I get another cancer diagnosis, this is what I want to know right away: specific type of cancer; for example, more specific than "melanoma" for me was "lentigo melanoma." I also wanted to know my cancer's stage, grade and treatment plan. Armed with this information, there was less fear and panic. Armed with this information, a newly diagnosed patient with cancer can educate themselves about their disease and do their own research. A patient with cancer can understand what may be on the horizon.
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