Adult Patient Resource Handbook - 5th Edition
Reacting to a Diagnosis
Asking Questions
There are many ways to prepare yourself for what to expect with your brain tumour diagnosis, and one of the most valuable and important steps that you can take is to ask the right and most appropriate questions. A direct result of learning more about your tumour is that this allows you to ultimately ask better, more knowledgeable questions and find the answers that you need to guide you through this journey.
Sometimes it is difficult not to feel that your doctor is "rushed" when you are with him/her, however your concerns are important and you need to have them responded to. Your health care professionals are knowledgeable about the many aspects of a brain tumour diagnosis and can be a valuable source of information about diagnosis, treatment, nutrition, therapy, medications, etc. Make sure that you are organized for your appointment and this will ensure that you get the information that you need in an efficient way. Write down questions as they come up beforehand, and bring them with you to appointments. Make them specific and ask your most important questions first. Write down the answers you get so that you can have them for future reference. It may be a good idea to bring a family member or friend to an appointment so that he or she can ask questions on your behalf and remember important information as well.
Different members of your health care team can be supportive with various aspects of your diagnosis. For example, your pharmacist can answer many of your questions about medications, your social worker can answer questions about the resources and community services that are available to you, and your nurse can answer questions about symptom management. Your health care team is there for you, so utilize their knowledge to help yourself.
You will also benefit from asking yourself and your loved ones questions about your care. Understanding who will help you with aspects of your care can give you the peace of mind of knowing what support you will have. Who will drive you to appointments if you can no longer drive? How much time will you need to take off of work? Can you return to work? Will you have deficits from the tumour and what will you be able to do to accommodate them into your life? Many questions will arise as you go through the process of diagnosis, treatment and recovery. By vocalizing your questions and concerns with your loved ones, you will be able to work towards resolving any issues before they may arise.
| |
| | | |
|
À 2003 Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada 1.800.265.5106
Charitable Registration #BN118816339RR0001 |