Bloch, Richard
#1. Recognize you have a life threatening disease.
Facing the truth is a necessary ingredient to starting on the road to
successfully fighting it. The fact that it is not as bad as you imagined it
would be, that you feel too good, or whatever, do not deny it. That would get
in your way. Never look back. Apply all your energies to conquering it.
#2. Make a commitment to do everything in your power to fight.
The most difficult single decision you will have to make is to make the
commitment to fight. Once this is done, everything is simple. If it could
possibly help, you do it. If it could possibly hurt, you don't. It makes no
difference how pleasant, how convenient or how comfortable.
#3. Get a qualified independent second opinion.
Cancer is an extremely complex disease. Often there is only one chance to
successfully treat it. One doctor could possibly see or know something
another might not. This is not to imply you doubt or have less faith in your
physician. It is your life and you are entitled to be certain.
#4. Realize that knowledge is your greatest asset.
The more you know about your disease, the better you are able to be a team
with your physicians and help yourself fight the cancer. In old days people
were not told they had cancer. Today it is said that doctors don't beat
cancer. Patients beat cancer with the help of their doctors.
#5. Have complete confidence in your doctors.
Once you find a qualified doctor in whom you have faith who believes he can
successfully treat you, trust this doctor and follow his advice to the
letter. Do not doubt and do not continue searching. Use all your energy in
fighting cancer and do exactly as this doctor recommends.
#6. Understand and believe in the treatments you receive.
Forget everything you have heard about cancer treatments. You are an
individual and a unique person. Your cancer is not like any one else's.
Understand what each part of your treatment is supposed to do and how it
works. Help that treatment by visualizing it doing its job.
#7. Seek and accept support.
This is a time in your life to be selfish. Let others who want to help you do
it. When you have recovered, you can repay them. Join or create a support
group. It has been clinically demonstrated that cancer patients who join in a
support group do better than those who don't.
#8. Plan for the times you will be depressed.
Everything about cancer is very depressing including the diagnosis, the
treatments and the disease itself. Expect down days and plan things that
cheer you up to do at the times you will be depressed.
#9. Maintain a strong desire to live.
Life can be beautiful. Have a reason for living. Whether it is children to
play with, work yet to be accomplished, trips to be taken or just to read
tomorrow's newspaper and see what happens, a strong desire to live will help
in the successful outcome of cancer treatments.
#10. Enjoy each day.
Live one day at a time. Do not look back at yesterday or worry about
tomorrow. Today is all that counts. Enjoy it and be grateful you have it. If
you are taking unpleasant treatments, remember, you are doing this
voluntarily because you want a chance to continue living. Savor the flavor of
today and each night be grateful you had the wonderful experience of that day.
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The Cancer Hot Line 800-433-0464 - 4400 Main St . - Kansas City, Mo.64111
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