The Complete Cancer Organizer. Jamie Schwachter
Copyright © 2015 Spry Publishing LLC
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No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Spry Publishing LLC
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2015940122
E-book ISBN: 978-1-938170-72-0
Disclaimer: Spry Publishing LLC does not assume responsibility for the contents or opinions expressed herein. Although every precaution is taken to ensure that information is accurate as of the date of publication, differences of opinion exist. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The information contained in this book is not intended to replace professional advisement of an individual’s doctor prior to beginning or changing an individual’s course of treatment.
To the many patients over the years who have asked their questions and shared their stories. You’ve touched our lives and we’ve learned so much from you.
With love to my parents, Joe and Josephine Snyder. Thank you for all your love and encouragement.
—JMS
To my daughter Alexis, my husband Marc, and my mother Linda for your support, smiles, and patience. Together you make my life joyful, worthwhile, and full of love.
—JLS
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1 A New Diagnosis
CHAPTER 2 How Cancer Is Treated
CHAPTER 3 Making Treatment Decisions
CHAPTER 4 Important Conversations
CHAPTER 5 How to Help Yourself During Treatment
CHAPTER 6 Side Effects from Treatment
CHAPTER 7 Survivorship
INDEX
The phone rings, I pick up the handset, and say, “Cleveland Clinic Cancer Answer Line. This is Josette, I’m one of the nurses. How can I help you?”
With a sob in her voice, the caller says, “I have cancer, can you help me?”
My next line will be something to the effect of “Tell me your story.” The remainder of this book is to provide you, the reader, with answers to some of the common questions that are asked as patients tell us their stories.
A diagnosis of cancer can be overwhelming. Technically, the term cancer refers to more than 100 different types of diseases. Each of these diseases has their own particular set of signs and symptoms. Also, how the diseases are evaluated and treated differ, and even within a specific type of cancer, different treatments may be recommended based on a variety of factors specific to how the cancer is acting in the individual patient.
We find that each person who has been diagnosed with cancer brings a whole lifetime of experience that may or may not include knowledge of cancer as part of it. Even if they have experienced cancer through a family member or friend’s eyes, their diagnosis of cancer is new to them. This new diagnosis opens a floodgate of questions.
The questions at the time of diagnosis need to be filtered somehow to allow the most immediate to rise to the surface. What is the cancer? How is it going to be treated? What is my prognosis? When do I get started? However, throughout the cancer journey—from diagnosis, through treatment, into survivorship, or dealing with questions about end-of-life—the questions continue.
With 17 years of combined experience answering questions about cancer from patients and their loved ones on the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Answer Line, Jamie and I have learned there are certain questions that are common. While we could never answer every question here, our hope is that we can provide answers, tips, guidelines, and resources in this book to help patients diagnosed with cancer—either newly or some time ago—to navigate their individual cancer journey. We won’t be focusing on which treatment should be used on which cancer; your treatment team will advise you there. We’ll let you know what to expect, provide you with questions to help as you make decisions, and offer suggestions on how to live well during and after cancer treatment. If there is one thing we’ve learned working on the Answer Line, knowledge and understanding make every journey easier.
“I couldn’t believe it—he couldn’t be talking about me. He says I have cancer? I eat right, I go to the gym, I never smoked, no one in my family has cancer. Now I’m hearing words such as biopsy, surgery, chemotherapy—this couldn’t be happening to me. I left my doctor’s office with an appointment to see a surgeon and an oncologist. All I remember thinking on my way home was they must have mixed up my tests with someone else’s. I even called the office to make sure. Then I got on the Internet—boy, was that a shock. If I wasn’t freaked out before, I definitely was after that. I couldn’t think about anything else until my appointments. This time I was better prepared—my wife was with me—she didn’t let me get away without asking all the questions on our list. Many of my questions were answered, but it seems like I always have just one more—like Columbo on that old detective show.”
—Larry, 62 years old, lung cancer survivor
When hearing the word cancer related to you or a loved one, it is common for the ears to shut down and feelings to take over. It doesn’t matter if you are a sun-worshipping 75-year-old who is told that the biopsy came back positive for skin cancer, or a young mother who is told that she will need a biopsy because the mammogram finding was concerning—it is always a stunner. Fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, disbelief, denial, shock—any of these feelings can distract you from hearing what is being said. Some people even describe a sense of relief when finally a name is assigned to the cause of their symptoms. All of these feelings are normal. Most people need time to process the information given, but feelings can get in the way. Not only in the way of hearing what is being said, but in moving forward in making decisions about your cancer care and treatment.
We all bring our past experiences to any new situation, and so it is with cancer. Some may have