Help! My Head is Spinning

Help my head is spinning – A Cancer diagnosis is terrifying and will make anyone’s head spin but after the initial shock, it’s important to get a grip and get as organized as possible. You will become inundated with decisions to make, medical terminology to learn, and a roller coaster of emotions to ride. That’s why it is imperative to be organized when receiving cancer treatment, and that’s why understanding and tracking the details is extremely important. As a business designed to guide patients to recovery and give them the tools they need to succeed, we want to discuss the barriers and benefits to keeping track of the details throughout the chaos of cancer treatment.

There is so much going on when anyone receives a cancer diagnosis. New terms, doctors, treatments, and medications that couldn’t be pronounced even if you tried. And then, there’s the root of the actual problem: cancer itself. To understand and track everything you need throughout cancer treatment would be hard enough for someone who is completely healthy, so doing it as an occasionally overwhelmed, intimidated, and confused patient is an extraordinary task. With the tremendous amount of material there is to process when facing treatment– especially for those who don’t have a support system to help interpret everything– it’s easy to be stressed, upset, and tired of being out of control. Then there’s the scheduling, the treatment protocols, medication dosages, dieting restrictions, and more, that can tip patients over the edge during cancer treatment. Ok, so now we have an understanding of the problems that every cancer patient experiences at one point or another with tracking details. Let’s talk about why tracking details during cancer treatment is so important, and what resources are available for patients.

As discussed, there are so many things to track and monitor during cancer treatment. So, why is keeping track of everything so important? First of all, staying organized gives you back some control. Cancer patients aren’t in complete control of how they’re going to feel, react, and deal with cancer, but they can certainly try to gain some of that control back by keeping everything in one place. With a cancer treatment planner, journal, or notebook, patients can keep everything they need together regarding their treatment. Having medication dosages & schedules, appointments, and other notes all in one place at your finger tips can save so much time and energy. Patients can look back at this resource any time during cancer treatment without having to keep everything in their head– trust us when we say that keeping everything in your head is in no way helpful to you. The more organized you are during cancer treatment, the more you will be able to have a clear head and understanding of everything when it comes time to make difficult decisions– yes, that time will come, and it will come often, so be prepared. Additionally, when patients have a resource to look back at during cancer treatment with thoughts, notes, and more, they can be clearer with their caregivers. Doctors and the people who support you ultimately aren’t feeling the same way you are, but the more organized you are, the clearer you can be with those who are looking after your cancer treatment.

It’s clear why staying so organized is important during cancer treatment. Through the experiences of the founder of Ready for Recovery, Julie Grimm, she created a resource that she wished she had during cancer treatment: a planner set to keep everything in one place. This planner set isn’t just for scheduling appointments, it’s for logging and tracking meds, side effects, dietary restrictions, and more. It’s a place to keep everything regarding your cancer treatment. The planners include questions to ask each of your doctors, terminology, inspiring quotes, and tips on how to take care of yourself. Additionally, there is space throughout the planner for notes and thoughts you want to jot down, which is extraordinarily important to use. An additional benefit of our planner is the fact that it’s paper-based. Some people today prefer apps and other electronic resources, but our paper-based methodology gives users space and freedom to use the planner in any way they want to. While your electronic device is out of battery, your cancer treatment tool will never be. Take the planner wherever you go, use it however you feel it helps you, and remember that Ready for Recovery cancer treatment planners is designed by survivors, for survivors.