Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Getting a diagnosis of any cancer can be one of the most frightening things to ever happen
to a person and one of the first things that I always recommend to the patients when they
get a new diagnosis of cancer is just to take a deep breath. It's important for patients
to understand for colorectal cancer, even at its most advanced stage has become now
in this day and age a very treatable cancer. It can also be very frightening and sometimes
frustrating because after receiving a diagnosis of cancer, there are multiple tests that have
to be performed, typically a CT scan, laboratory testing and the multiple visits with doctors.
What I tell patients is to take things one step at a time. Its always good to read as
much as you can about your cancer and then to write down questions and concerns that
you have and its important to bring these questions to your doctor, so that you can
go through each question in detail and talk about it together. I also tell patients its
important to take things one step at a time because the plan will be made to treat your
colorectal cancer and you can go through a million "what if" scenarios which you may
either read about or hear about from other people and it's important to understand that
you are individual and just because something has happened to somebody else or that you
read something about colorectal cancer online, it may have no applicability to you individually
and that's the job of your physicians and your team of doctors that will be making an
individualized plan for you. And it's also important to understand that you are not alone
in this fight that you have your friends in your family close by, but also your team of
doctors which include often times surgeon, medical oncologist, the nurses that will be
taking care of you or all on your team and that you will go through this journey together
with them and they will be fighting right along side you.
For an interactive tool to learn more about your colon cancer and your personalized treatment
options, go to MyColonCancerCoach.org.