Forum Discussion
Questions to ask 'Post Surgery' of yourself - to your Specialists - Tick Sheets - Self assessment
I know that after my own surgery, I didn't always quite know what questions to ask of my surgeon and 'the team' that we all see regularly for the first 5 years following our treatment - so I set about looking for 'tick sheets' that would help me, as these appointments approached!
I came across some really interesting files. They are all 'multi paged' so I've put a 'sample page' from each document to give you an idea of what is in it.
The first booklet is available at most Cancer Clinics and was put out by the Cancer Council - 'Living Well After Cancer'. It is a good one to give to friends & relatives to read as well - to give them an idea of the longterm affects of cancer even after successful treatment - as they often think that once you've had your surgery, chemo, rads & tabs - that you are now 'well'. We all know that that is NOT necessarily the case! :( It really is a lifetime sentence.
This booklet covers a lot of areas that concern us all - and may be able to help answer questions in many situations that we face.
(sample page)
The 2nd one is: "Questions to ask 'post cancer' " - a 'tick sheet' - these questions could be spread across the whole team - your surgeon, Onc and Rad Onc as well as GP. Tick the ones that are relevant to you in the lead up to your individual appointments.
(sample page)
The next is "Self Care Specific Symptoms" - this sheet could also be for any of your team - with the 2nd section relating more to mental health issues that may impact you.
(sample sheet)
And finally - a Survivorship Care Plan - virtually a ''Self Assessment Yearly Checkup'' sheet .... which has more specific symptoms that you may be concerned about and also has pages for noting yearly checkups required re Dexa, Mammograms, Colonoscopy, MRI etc - almost a 'diary' to keep re future appointments.
(sample Pages)
Write down the dates you've had them, and when the next one is. Add any other exams that are not already there
You can use any or all of these documents to track how you feel you are progressing - date them & further down the track, you can compare them to see how you are travelling.
Take care & I hope these sheets help in tracking your health - both mental and physical. xxx
I came across some really interesting files. They are all 'multi paged' so I've put a 'sample page' from each document to give you an idea of what is in it.
The first booklet is available at most Cancer Clinics and was put out by the Cancer Council - 'Living Well After Cancer'. It is a good one to give to friends & relatives to read as well - to give them an idea of the longterm affects of cancer even after successful treatment - as they often think that once you've had your surgery, chemo, rads & tabs - that you are now 'well'. We all know that that is NOT necessarily the case! :( It really is a lifetime sentence.
This booklet covers a lot of areas that concern us all - and may be able to help answer questions in many situations that we face.
(sample page)
The 2nd one is: "Questions to ask 'post cancer' " - a 'tick sheet' - these questions could be spread across the whole team - your surgeon, Onc and Rad Onc as well as GP. Tick the ones that are relevant to you in the lead up to your individual appointments.
(sample page)
The next is "Self Care Specific Symptoms" - this sheet could also be for any of your team - with the 2nd section relating more to mental health issues that may impact you.
(sample sheet)
And finally - a Survivorship Care Plan - virtually a ''Self Assessment Yearly Checkup'' sheet .... which has more specific symptoms that you may be concerned about and also has pages for noting yearly checkups required re Dexa, Mammograms, Colonoscopy, MRI etc - almost a 'diary' to keep re future appointments.
(sample Pages)
Write down the dates you've had them, and when the next one is. Add any other exams that are not already there
You can use any or all of these documents to track how you feel you are progressing - date them & further down the track, you can compare them to see how you are travelling.
Take care & I hope these sheets help in tracking your health - both mental and physical. xxx
39 Replies
- Interesting reads thanks ladies
- Thanks iserbrown 🙂
- Hi I was surprised to get a call from a nurse today to ask how I am and what the next steps are pathology results good idea thankyou arpie
- Well done @melzzs - I hope you felt the same relief that I did after the surgery xx. The waiting for results is always a pain (ask for a copy of the pathology results too) .... Once you know your 'plan' - I think you'll
feel more in control xx. take care - Surgery done, yay!
Next step will be pathology results from surgery to determine what course of treatment the Oncologist will advise you on
Take care
https://www.bcna.org.au/resource-hub/articles/breast-cancer-pathology/ - I just had a lumpectomy, in maroondah public hospital now I wait I guess, I do get told what will happen next but always feel I need asurance & told a dozen times
- These are fantastic! Thank you x
- Tick Sheets to 'self assess' in between seeing your Medical Team .......
I am bumping this one to the top again - a set of 'tick sheets' to print off & fill in before you go to your specialists (on Page 1 - click on the 'downloads' down the bottom.)
The first one is the BC handbook from the Cancer Council, so no need to print that one off.
Print off 2 copies of the Tick Sheets & fill one in for your specialist as well - and in the meeting, tick them off as each item is discussed (make notes on it as well.)
I hope you are travelling well at the moment
take care - Hi @Cora
I hope you can talk to someone at this time of need - your breast care nurse GP or the Breast Cancer Network helpline.
This is a time of intense emotional and psychological trauma and it would really be beneficial to talk it out with someone.
Take care 🌺 - Hello arpie, Ive made a formal complaint to both the hospital and my surgeon. I intend to take this matter further as I was treated as an imbosile in hospital. The fact that a single male nurse leant over my body just to check my wound, with a strong pungent smell of colonge in the middle of the night made me sick. This is just one instance of the shit that took place in this supposedly reputable accredited private hospital. Im ready for a fight. But I still have this stupid drainage tube, which I have to have removed, apparently by my surgeon, who I have sacked. So im thinking of taking it out myself. Sorry I just couldn't get to the tick sheet you mentioned. Ive tried a number of times. Probably because my brain is in a fog.
