Receiving a diagnosis of cancer can be scary and stressful.
When emotions are heightened, it can be hard to remember everything that gets said during important appointments and meetings. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to relieve some of the pressure while you visit with your surgical team.
It can be helpful to bring a notebook or laptop with you so that you can make a list of questions before your appointment and write down the answers in real-time. You can even use a recording device on your cell phone and record the entire meeting.
There are many things to think about when meeting with your surgical team, and it might be easy to forget certain topics you wanted to ask about. To help you keep track of the many different topics you may want to discuss, we have compiled a list of possible questions to ask your surgical team at different points along your cancer journey.
Before & During the Procedure
- What if I decide not to have the surgery?
- Is there a chance that you will need to remove more tissue than you expect? What may need to be removed? Why?
- What is the risk of death or disability?
- How long does this type of surgery usually last?
- Will my family be updated about what’s going on while I’m in surgery?
Post Surgery
Recovery
- Once the surgery is over, where will I be recovering?
- What types of tubes and wires can I expect to be in place when I wake up?
Quality of Life
- Will I look different after surgery? Will it be permanent?
- Will I be able to breathe normally after surgery? If not, what can I expect?
- Will I be able to eat normally after surgery? If not, what can I expect?
- Will I be able to speak normally after surgery? If not, what can I do to communicate with the hospital staff and my family?
- How will my pain be managed?
- What long-term complications should I expect after surgery?
- How will you know if all of the cancer has been removed?
- What will happen if you aren’t able to remove all of the cancer?
- How long will it take to return to normal activities?
- Will I need reconstructive surgery?
