A simple, useful tool.

One of the most useful tools in your cancer-fighting arsenal can be obtained for as little as a dollar.

A notebook.

When someone has been diagnosed, they encounter a few things fairly often:  questions, information, worrying and waiting.  Yes, there are more than just those four.  But they do keep coming up.

A notebook can really help.

It gives you a place to record all the appointments you will have.

All the doctors and office numbers.  Who to call when in case of whatever. When you fill in forms, you will probably be asked for the name, phone number and address of your doctor.  And the fax number.  Possibly the email address.  When you are a cancer patient, you collect a lot of doctors and other medical professionals.  I recommend writing the contact info on one or two pages, right at the front of the notebook.  Along with what each one does.

You can write notes from meetings in the notebook.  You can write questions in it, so you have a better chance of remembering to ask them.  You have a place to put forms, pamphlets and business cards.  You may need to staple or glue them in, but still.  It saves rummaging for the things later, when you are trying to go someplace and really can’t spare the time.

One of the things that happen to the patient is an increase in stress levels.  This happens for their principal support person/care giver, too.  There is a hormone, called cortisol, that is IMHO, really annoying.  When you are stressed, you produce more of it.  It really isn’t your friend.  It packs weight on you, screws with your sleep patterns, and can make you forget stuff, and may even make you more likely to develop breast cancer. There are good descriptors at this link.  And of course here’s another paper that says stress makes cancer grow.

Lovely.  Does this help the patient?  Well, I suppose it does, but it also makes me think of the IT Crowd episode, in which the boss of the company declares war on stress.  And decrees that anyone who is stressed will be fired.  Because that’s going to help.

But forewarned is forearmed.  If there is something you can do to reduce your worry, why not try it? 

So, back to the notebook.

Write stuff down!  It may help!

If there is a change in your treatment, write it down.  If someone recommends you do something, but you want to check with your care team first, write it down. 

Your doctors will want to know your history.  Write it down.  When did you first notice symptoms?  When you’ve figured that out, write it down.  You can refer to it later. 

When did you have a test?  When will you get the result?  Do you call them or do they call you?  Write it down.

It doesn’t have to be fancy, or plain, or depressing.  I like a notebook with a flexible cover, but something with a cheerful or calming cover may be more your style.  Stick photos in it.  Drawings.  Things that make you feel happy. 

Or at least, less stressed.