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Total Gastrectomy for stomach cancer: What can I expect?
Cancer | Last Active: Jan 20 9:58pm | Replies (26)Comment receiving replies
@twocents I can only imagine how overwhelmed you must be. So many different people telling you so many different things and most of them “speaking a foreign language.” By that, I mean so many different words and procedures. My big suggestion to you (from my own experience), is to get a good size notebook and start religiously using it. When I got sick 3 years ago, my husband started a notebook and wrote Everything that anyone said or did. It was several months before I could really comprehend what was going on but he had carefully written it all down. I now keep my own notebook with sections for my PCP, the neurologist, the oncologist, physical therapy, etc. I hope this will help. As a former oncology nurse, we asked all of our patient’s caregivers to do this and it made such a difference to them.
Will you stay connected and let us know how everything goes?
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I would like to add to this, from things I have learned as a cancer caregiver. I have found it VERY helpful to take pictures of any important documents (doctor business cards, port identification cards, stent information, suggested diet, etc). I made a folder on my phone for medical information for my husband and I keep it all in there at the tip of my fingers). I have found a notebook, as mentioned, very helpful for recording symptoms and what my husband was eating while recovering from the surgery and during chemo and radiation. I also record any blood pressure, temperature or pulse oxygen I take in there. That way I don’t forget what has happened if I am asked.