Cancer is not something you want to face alone. Processing complex information, making decisions, and taking appropriate action are just too overwhelming without support. As anyone with the disease knows, cancer can be such a stressful experience that patients often struggle to maintain clarity, equanimity, and inner peace. That is why assembling your personal A-Team should be among your top priorities. Whom you choose to help see you through your treatment and recovery process can affect not only your quality of life, but your chances of attaining and sustaining a full remission.
The purpose of the A-Team is to help you meet the major challenges of cancer. They can relieve stress by providing meals, helping out with transportation or child care, scheduling relaxation or recreational time, helping you explore treatment options, and following up on diagnostic reports. Your A-Team can bring you clarity, coherence, and peace of mind as you move toward recovery.
The members of your A-Team must be capable of providing you with five basic forms of support: emotional, practical, informational, coaching, and decision-making. Here’s some information about what each form of support entails:
Practical Support: Cancer can be such an all-consuming disease that it becomes difficult to take care of the basics of daily living. The person best suited for this role is what Dr. Block refers to as the “go-getter.” He or she (or they, there may be more than one person designated to fill this role, or any role on your A Team) will keep you supplied with food, supplements and medications, and might shop for groceries and prepare or buy your meals. This person helps car-pool your children, gets you to your appointments and helps keep family members and loved ones updated on your condition.
Informational support: This person must be able to grasp and assimilate new and sometimes complex information, for they will be responsible for wading through the massive amounts of information available on the internet and helping decipher what is reliable (i.e., information from sites such as the National Cancer Institute) and what is not (it is also helpful if you know just how much information you are comfortable getting). Ideally this person will have a high degree of scientific literacy, someone who can not only comprehend and translate medical terminology but also untangle, synthesize and present complex scientific data. Many patients turn to someone other than close friends or relatives to fill this role, but there are many times when a “researcher” has no scientific training, yet performs the role with great effectiveness.
Integrative Coach: It is also helpful to have someone act as your “integrative coach,” to help you implement the Life Over Cancer program. This person helps you attend support group meetings, stick to your exercise regimen and generally helps keep you on track towards recovery.
Strategic planner: This should be someone with in-depth knowledge of cancer medicine, someone who can help guide you in your decision making. Ideally, this person will be a physician who specializes in integrative cancer treatment. You want to have your research and questions organized when you meet with your strategic planner. At the Block Center, we handle much of the strategic planning with our patients and their A-Teams, even helping patients receive treatment elsewhere, if necessary.
You may very well find that you have needs not detailed above. It’s important to articulate any concerns as they arise – and it’s likely your needs will fluctuate as you move through treatment and recovery. And don’t forget to take a moment from time to time and express your gratitude for the special care and support your A-Team provides!
For more information on The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, visit BlockMD.com.
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