Things to Keep in Mind at Your Next Oncology Follow-Up | Draga Ilievski​ | Women’s Healthcare

Oncology treatment can be one of the longest and most trying times in the life of a patient and even caregiver. It takes quite a toll on those involved in many ways. The good news is that there are several ways to cope during such a period. Each visit to the doctor is likely to stimulate more anxiety. If you’re a patient, here are some things you should keep in mind during your follow-up.

Prepare For Any Type of News

Optimism is good and quite important. But as much as you may hope for the best feedback from the doctor, it’s important to keep an open mind. This helps you prevent any shock that could lead to more stress and anxiety during treatment. After all, lower stress and anxiety help one heal faster.

Come Up With Questions

Next, you need to appreciate the essence of having your list of questions for the doctor. When you have answers to some of the questions running around in your mind, it helps put you at ease. Focus on getting informed about the treatment process, and the expected outcomes. This information allows you to deal with fear and anxiety. Fear weakens immunity by focusing more energy on the sympathetic nervous system. With less fear, your immune system has a better chance of helping you fight. Together with other treatment methods, you have a better chance of beating cancer.

Form a Relationship With Your Oncologist

Each person appreciates human interaction to some degree. It’s a good idea to see your doctor as a friend. This way, you can break past any barriers that could hinder you from getting the best out of your treatment. This perspective will help you ask questions. It will also make it easy for you to trust the doctor as they do their work.

Wrapping Up: Inquire About Steps You Should Take

Finally, it is critical to know what your actionable steps are. Take time to learn whether the oncologist has any recommendations for you. This should also be the time when you ask about the next appointment so that you can be mentally prepared. It’s also a good idea to write down anything that you feel you’d like to ask but may end up forgetting. The same goes for any answers you get from the specialist.

Originally published at https://dragailievski.org on January 19, 2022.