Discussion about first treatment appointment

spotthedot

Hi Everyone,

My name is Amanda and I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma five years ago. Thankfully, I am now doing very well!

This experience has inspired me to improve upon the treatment process from a patients point of view. One of the hardest times for me was the beginning of the treatment process when everything was so new and complicated. As a graduate student working on my thesis, I want to find a way to use graphic design as a way to reduce some of anxiety and overwhelming emotions of this horrific experience.

I was hoping to get some ideas, stories and opinions about people's first experiences with cancer. Were you bombarded with new information and paperwork? How did you deal with that? What kinds of information were you given? What kinds of things did you need to know right away (ie. medications, treatment type, etc.)? What did your hospital/treatment center do for your first appointment that you liked or disliked?

Sharing any information about how you felt or your first reactions during the beginning of your treatments would be helpful to my research!

Thank you so much in advance for your stories!

-Amanda