There are so many sources of information for cancer patients it’s hard to chose just one to recommend. A few of the resources I found helpful were the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, the hospital where I had surgery, my cancer center where I was being treated, and a program called Bag It! .
The American Cancer Society was helpful in providing the opportunity to call and discuss my diagnosis and possible treatment. I was able to compare what my doctors were recommending and what the national standard of care was. It was very reassuring to know I was getting the recommended treatment for my type and stage of cancer. I also enjoy their annual community event, Relay for Life. I felt honored and understood at the event and they also showed appreciation for my Care Givers. I liked that my whole family could participate and that it gave them an outlet for their emotions. The American Cancer Society is a volunteer organization and their services pop-up almost everywhere. An amazing organization! Find them at Cancer.org
The National Cancer Institute is also a great source for information about all types of cancer. You can also find out about the latest clinical trials, cancer statistics, research and funding and just about anything you’d like to know about cancer. I found their material very comprehensive, it helped me to understand my types of cancer and how they affected my body. I also found it very comforting that our government was so involved with cancer research. I think we could use more funding in research, I’d love to find a real cure before my daughter may be faced with it, but I was glad to see more involvement than I knew about. Visit their site at Cancer.gov.
If you require surgery your hospital will likely have information for you regarding your cancer. They might also have other items made by volunteers that may help you. My hospital gave me a little apron to hold my drainage bottles. This came in very handy after surgery, I wore the first one out!
My cancer center had printed material too (you will receive more brochures and pamphlets than you can imagine). More valuable though were the donations and free classes that were offered from various volunteer groups including the American Cancer Society. Look Good, Feel Better is a class they offer to chemo patients. You’re given a small makeup bag and tips for applying make up when you’re showing the side affects of chemo such as hair loss and yellowish skin tone. They also offer wigs to patients that want one.
Another source of information came from a friend. She gave me a bag of materials from a group called BAG IT! It was a bag filled with pamphlets and a notebook to organize and document your treatments and doctor visits. For more information on the program visit www.bagit4u.org.
These are just a few of the many sources of information available to cancer patients. Look around and find the sources that help you the most.