The 5 Steps After Diagnosis
Filed Under Cancer Coach |
When patients receive a diagnosis of a serious disease or condition, they can experience a wide range of emotions, such as fear, anger, confusion, and denial. Very often, strong feelings revolve around a change in self-image. For example, some people experience feeling vulnerable for the first time in a way they have not felt before.
Other emotions might relate to feeling a loss of control. Before, they felt completely healthy and in charge, and now they feel like they are not.
Other people may experience fear of the unknown. They want to know what this is going to mean for themselves, for their families and so forth.
Common questions include, Will I be able to work? Is this going to change what I like to do? Am I going to be limited in my activities?
Other emotions might include total confusion: What am I hearing here? Maybe this isn’t right. I don’t feel any differently physically, so how could I have this new diagnosis?
Step 1: Take the time you need.
Following your initial diagnosis there is usually time available. Doctors say there are very few situations where a medical treatment needs to start immediately. Taking the necessary time to explore options and to get additional information before making a hasty decision allows patients become more empowered and in-control of their personal healthcare. By asking questions, doing research, and exploring additional opinions, you can start to plan a strategy and a framework for your future care.
Step 2: Get the support you need.
When receiving a new diagnosis, it is very important to include, and engage, members of your family, friends, or other people who can work with you. It is a good idea to have someone with you who is a little more emotionally distant and can ask questions you might overlook. This is especially helpful when you make doctor visits and get tests done. It’s very helpful to have a partner, an advocate, or a health coach to assist you throughout this process. A partner in the process can take notes and help review information following the doctors’ visits.
No one should feel isolated or alone in this process because there are plenty of places to turn to for help. If you live alone and don’t have immediate family, friends, or coworkers, you can often find support through other community resources.
Step 3: Talk with your doctor and maintain a good exchange of information.
Good communication between physicians and patients is one of the most fundamentally important components of clinical care. If you can’t communicate effectively with the physician who’s taking care of you, you may not get the full benefit of his or her expertise, and you’re certainly not going to learn as much as you could about how to make new treatments and procedures work for you. Good communication means forming a relationship in which you feel free to ask questions. Be a well-informed patient.
Participate actively in your treatment plan by preparing for office visits and writing down questions in advance. Tell your doctor everything he or she needs to know about your health.
Patients and their doctors should also discuss when it is appropriate to seek a second opinion. Listen to the advice of Dr. Robert Muscalus, D.O: “I think it’s wise for patients to consider a second opinion, especially when the treatment that is being proposed is invasive, or has risks that cause the patient to feel uncomfortable. The medical community is usually very open to the concept of second opinions, so patients should not feel they are going to somehow upset their physician by asking if they could get a second opinion.”
Step 4: Seek out information.
When facing a new diagnosis there are multiple sources of information available. The first source is the physician who ordered the tests, or found out about your diagnosis, and shared that information with you. Research the internet, seek out a health coach, and/or work with a librarian and others who are knowledgeable about obtaining electronic information.
You can learn a lot more about the implications of your diagnosis and what it means for people like you. Being well informed can be very empowering. Health coaches can put you in touch with other reliable sources of information such as books, patient support organizations, and workshops. In addition, they can accompany you on your doctor visits and take notes for you.
Seek out well-recognized, respected organizations to provide you with objective and reliable information. Be careful about organizations making claims that sound simply too good to be true. If they announce breakthroughs or discoveries not known before, exercise caution before using that information for your own healthcare.
The reason for taking the time, engaging support, talking with your doctor, and seeking out information is to prepare you for the next step.
Step 5: Decide on a treatment plan.
After confirming the diagnosis, determining the right treatment plan for you is the ultimate goal of exploring all options. This is particularly important when there are multiple choices involved. Considerations include determining what treatment plan will conform closest to your own preferences and what plan has the least impact on your normal life.
Occasionally there is only one recommended treatment. Sometimes there may not be any good options and your doctor may recommend participation in a clinical trial. Most often, however, there are multiple approaches to treating a particular illness, including proven strategies.
When you have discussions with your physician about your diagnosis, you need to discuss the different treatment options as well. Your doctor is probably the best person to have this discussion with because this is a professional who knows you, your history, and your background. Consequently, he or she should be able to identify which options may be best for you.
However, keep in mind that most oncologists will discuss only the options they are familiar with and practice. There may be other options available to you. This is where your research, or the knowledge of a cancer coach, comes into play.
A coach will bring you up-to-date on all options…not just the ones the oncologist recommends. Your available options will also depend on the quality of healthcare available to you and current trends in understanding how to fight disease. Increasing your options requires taking charge and using the excellent sources of information that are available.
The good news for all of us in this country is that for many conditions, there are two or more options available at almost every step of the process. That’s fabulous news! However, it also means there is more information to research to determine what is right for you.
Jeanette Marshall
