I remember the day when my husband Mike and I sat at the most prestigious cancer institution in the world staring into the eyes of the Melanoma God (you know the doctor who is supposed to fix everything). “You have Stage IV Melanoma it has spread to your lungs, liver, and lymph nodes, you have about 6 months to live. I would enjoy your Christmas with your family because this will probably be your last. 

What Next!

As a naïve person entering the cancer scene for the first time, I did not understand a lot about my stage of cancer, the type or mutation of cancer, or the response rates. We found out very quickly if you want to play the long game you need to understand your diagnoses and available treatment options.  It is not how fast you are treated, but how you are treated.

This webinar is going to go through the rules of engagement during the early stage of diagnosis.

Helpful hints that will help you survive your cancer journey:

1)    Research what hospitals are the leaders in your type of cancer, and review your options, and their statistics in these areas.  Don’t be fooled by a one size fits all approach. A good reference is the US News and World Reports assesses hospitals every year at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals

2)    Clinical trials can be your best option if the result from the stand treatment of care is not great. This can be a confusing process if you do not understand your pathology and stage of cancer.

3)    Interview your oncologist, this is the most important person you will ever hire in your entire life. Make sure you are comfortable with them because you’ll be spending a lot of time together.  A positive doctor with a good delivery is a good trait but you also want to make sure they are preferent in your type of cancer.  

4)    Ask questions and keep your own records.  If you do not understand what you are being told, ask. Write everything down plus request copies of all your scans (CT/PET/MRI) and test. Make sure you keep this information in one place. If you bounce from one hospital to another it is likely their systems will not communicate to one another.

5)    Everything part of cancer treatment takes a lot of time. Make sure you have a good book.

6)    Be your own Advocate or find someone who will be your Advocate. This could save your life. My husband was my cancerage he managed the process, reviewed the treatment options, and pushed me through the dark days. This is a very important role in your entire journal.

7)    Ask for help – you’ll be surprised by the results. Your personal network of friends and family will be your biggest advocates. Don’t be shy you will be surprised by the results.

8)    Think outside the box.  Combining Eastern and Western philosophies can work miracles. Consider yoga, rakkii, meditation, acupuncture, prayer, energy work, or anything that keeps you feeling positive and moving forward.

9)    Eat “healing foods”. Remember, “Garbage in, Garbage out”. Veggies with bright colors and big leaves are your new friends. Stay away from processed stuff. You are building a castle.  

10) Every time a door closes, another one opens.  It’s up to you to find it!

The next webinar in our series will be posted on September 1st!