Doctor appointments are excellent opportunities to connect with the members of your treatment team, learn about endometrial cancer and its treatments, and have your questions answered. During appointments, your doctors and nurses will take the time to listen to your concerns and thoroughly explain every aspect of your diagnosis and treatment plan. As you may know already, this can be a lot of information. To make the most of your time with the treatment team, I encourage you to take some time to prepare. I think you’ll find when you do so, you’ll leave the appointment feeling better equipped and informed than when you arrived.
One of the most common and effective ways to prepare for your appointment is to write your questions in a notebook to bring with you. Questions may be about the disease, your treatment options, or how to manage a side effect of the treatment. You may have questions about scheduling your treatments around family events, such as a daughter’s wedding or a grandson’s graduation. You may have questions about logistics, such as arranging transportation to and from your appointments. Of course, your nurse will be available to you between appointments via phone for any question or situations that may arise, but when those nonemergency questions occur to you, write them down.
Another effective strategy to making the most of your appointment is to bring a friend or family member with you. This person can take notes, allowing you to remain focused on the conversation. Many times, people will bring a companion who doubles as a caregiver. Having your caregiver at your appointments is not only important for you, but it’s also helpful for them. To be an effective caregiver, they should have a good understand of the treatment course, possible side effects, and what to expect as a caregiver.
Occasionally, people will use their phone to make a voice recording of appointments. This can be especially helpful if your caregiver or companion is unable to attend the appointment, but it also gives you the ability to revisit the information when you need it. For some people, a recording helps them to feel less pressured to remember everything or write down every word spoken at the appointment.
I hope these simple (but effective) strategies inspire you to make the most of your time with your treatment team. I encourage you to prepare for each appointment, bring along a friend, and find the best way for you to record the proceedings of your appointment (whether that be through note-taking or voice recording). In preparing, spend some quiet moments reflecting on your questions and concerns and bring those questions and concerns to your treatment team. Once addressed, you will feel better informed, and hopefully, empowered.
