Take Detailed Notes & Do Homework

I recommend that you take detailed notes when you meet with your surgeon(s), or have someone you trust with you to do so. When you meet with the doctor(s), they are going to be throwing a lot of technical medical terminology at you, which can be overwhelming. They will be talking about blood tests and acronyms will be flying around.

In my case, the first surgeon I met with was great about explaining the procedures and the blood tests for tumor markers. She spelled out the technical terms and which blood tests were for which types of cancer markers. I made up a binder with relevant information I downloaded from the internet and with lots of blank note pages for me to write down notes. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the terminology by visiting reputable websites (such as here, or websites like the Mayo Clinic, and Johns Hopkins).

My first surgery (cystectomy/oophorectomy) went well, but the pathology report indicated a borderline ovarian tumor, so I will be having a preventative hysterectomy in January. This operation will be performed by a different surgeon at a different hospital. When I met with him, it was very helpful to have all the notes, especially which tests I already had for tumor markers and the results. This avoided the possibility of having redundant tests.

Doing your homework and taking notes helps you to manage your own anxiety, as this experience can be overwhelming on so many levels. Also, it can help you focus on specific concerns with your doctor. In my case, I found that both surgeons addressed most of the issues I had written down before I met with them when they gave me their standard briefings. I just checked off the questions I had written down that they answered, noting their responses. This reinforced what they told me and gave me the chance to ask about any issues I had written down that they missed.

Both surgeons were impressed that I came to the appointments well prepared. You should not feel self-conscious about taking notes or having a binder with you. I was surprised that I did not see a single other patient prepared to take notes.

When you are confronted with a medical situation like this, it is very easy to just become overwhelmed and passive. The more you can do to understand your situation will go a long way toward alleviating your anxiety and prevent that "deer in the headlights" syndrome.