To choose the most appropriate treatment, you need to be fully informed about all of your treatment options. This means working with your healthcare team to get the information you need, to understand the information, and to apply the information to your own case. The following tips may be helpful.
Bring someone with you. Sometimes, it is hard to remember everything the healthcare provider tells you, especially when you are emotionally upset or stressed. A family member or friend can give you emotional support, help remember the information, and help you evaluate the information more objectively.
Take notes. Taking notes will help you to remember what is said. Also, the very act of writing down the information will help you to understand what has been said. If you are not sure you understand something, ask for clarification so you can record it accurately. Sometimes, when you take notes, the healthcare provider will be more conscientious about speaking clearly and slowly.
Use pictures and examples to more clearly understand what is being said. Sometimes it is easier to understand an illness like cancer if you can create a picture of what is happening. This can be done in your imagination, or you might ask for a drawing or illustration. For example, you may ask for a drawing of different treatment options and how they work. As well, at times it is easier for your healthcare provider to understand your problem if you use “vivid” language that paints a picture. Example: “I didn’t even have enough energy to get off the couch to get a drink of water.” “I was so tired I just dropped the groceries right by the door.” “I was so cold all the time, I had to wear gloves in the house.”
Ask questions to make sure you understand what you are being told by your healthcare provider. Ask for explanations in simple, everyday language. Repeat the information back to verify that you understood what was said.
Tape record the meeting, if the healthcare provider is comfortable with the process.
Come prepared to the meetings. Bring a record of your medications, side effects, symptoms, and changes in your health status.
Write down your feelings and thoughts in a journal. Keep track of your illness and its effects on you. Note what medications are related to which side effects. Ask for copies of your health record, including test results and the physician’s notes.
Find information through other sources such as the Internet and your public or hospital library. Find reliable sources through your nearest university, the clinic library, or self-help organizations like the Canadian Cancer Society.
Reach out to friends, family, medical staff and professional contacts to help you navigate the system. Find support groups. The Cancer Society, for example, operates a telephone support program that connects cancer patients with people who have also faced the disease. Spike Harris, 46, an ovarian-cancer survivor in Vancouver, advises: "Be clear about what you want, even if it changes by the day, or by the hour. Be authentic with people."