Health Care Decisions

In my perfect world scenario, no woman who is newly diagnosed should be making her health care decisions without backup. Backup may be a friend, a family member, a nurse advocate, a social worker, etc. With that in mind, here are a few suggestions:
1. If nothing else, make sure that you have someone with you at critical doctors' appointments. This person should be able to ask questions, take notes, etc. Ideally, they'll be someone who is good at explaining things, so that if you have questions later, you can check in with them.
2. In addition to having a back-up person, consider using some technology. Take a digital recorder, or use the recording tool on your cell phone.
3. Set aside some time to process your emotional reactions. If you need an evening (or several), to cry, to say that it's not fair, to freak out, please give yourself that time.
4. Use resources to generate questions if you're feeling overwhelmed. Sites like this one can be a great place to get some direction on the things you may need to ask. The social worker or nurse advocate at your cancer facility should also be able to help with that.
5. This may make me sound like a broken record, but I also think it can be valuable to get additional support, particularly during the most intense period of decision-making.
I know that this is a huge topic, so I'd welcome any follow-up questions.