WORD OF THANKS FROM THE PUBLISHER
It’s an honour and a real privilege to present the new look of The 2022 Big C Survivor’s Guide. This is a new navigational concept to assist you, the patient, through the strenuous times and guide you through all the humps and bumps and prepare you with the many questions you need answered.
We hope that this booklet, in print and online on oncologybuddies.com, will relieve some of your anxiety, stress and desperation you feel at different times. We also hope it can give you the power of education, support, and comfort of understanding more about your cancer path.
We would like to thank Dr Ronwyn van Eeden and all the other specialists for putting up their hands to compile this incredible patient-centric content. Finding time to do content like this to help patients is above and beyond our expectations.
We hope that the emotional and educational support in the Big C Survivor’s Guide will offer you the medical understanding you need at the right time.
Having thanked the medical team, we cannot leave out the loyal ongoing commitment of our advertisers and salute Medipost for their support. Without this support, this wouldn’t be possible.
To our own team, Laurelle, Sandra, and Samantha, you have given so much of yourselves. Your dedication, strength, compassion and focus to so many is applauded.
To the survivors, stay healthy and take care of yourself and families through the festive season. We certainly hope that 2022 will bring happiness, hope, love and fulfilment to you all.
The Publisher
Karen Joseph
Word for Word Media
CONTENTS
To determine if you have cancer, you will need to undergo screening and other testing. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and fearful. Once you have been diagnosed, change is imminent for you and your loved ones, but the good news is that you can better prepare yourself with basic understanding, giving yourself the confidence to ask questions and be prepared for more detailed discussions with your doctor.
The type of cancer you have will determine your treatment options. Be sure to know all your treatment options and talk about the details of each option with your cancer care team; you are also part of the team. Some of the common ways to treat cancer are: surgery; radiation therapy; chemotherapy; hormone therapy; targeted therapy; immunotherapy; stem cell or bone marrow transplant.
Survivorship starts once you are diagnosed and continues throughout treatment and thereafter. It is of great importance to keep yourself physically and mentally healthy during and after treatment to ensure the best quality of life.