"No One Ever Told Me..." - March 11,2015 Chat

We are happy to have had so many survivors join us this evening. There was a lively fast paced discussion  among our forty-two participants as they answered these questions:

T1A: For patients/survivors/loved ones, share "No one ever told me  ___ ". 
T1B: For our healthcare professionals/advocates, what do patients seem to be most surprised about or even blindsided by?

T2A: Are there things you wish you knew before your (or your loved one's) treatment (incl. surgery, chemo, radiation)? 

T2B: Healthcare professionals: What are you surprised that patients don't ask about?

T3: What pre and post surgery and/or pre and post chemo tips seem to help the most or you wish someone had told you?

T4: For those who have completed initial treatment, what do you wish people told you about survivorship - physical & mental? What are the on-going care needs and issues that surprised you or you wish you had more information about beforehand?

Some of the fill-in-the-blanks for "No One Ever Told Me ... " included:

• Surgical Menopause and its effects
• Losing ALL your hair
• Chemobrain
• Emotional scars
• Energy levels
• Family History
• Fertility options
• #Scanxiety
• Radiation Effects
• I would have to be my own advocate

You may read the entire trancript here. And find additional analytics here. 

Please scroll down for a list of resources shared during our chat. 

Remember that patients & caregivers are invited to continue our discussion on the Smart Patients platform at https://t.co/dFCf1Mcahw .

Mark your calendar for next month's Society of Gynecological Oncologist Annual Meeting  Recap & Ask the Docs chat on Wednesday, April 8, 2015.  We are happy that Dr. William Winter from @nedtheband will join us to discuss news in the field to participate in the  “Ask the Docs” segment.  See you then. 

Dee 

#gyncsm co-moderator

"Find a bit of beauty in the world today. Share it. If you can't find it, create it. Some days this may be hard to do. Persevere." #lisa

Resources: 

50th Anniversary of Cisplatin- http://theconversation.com/happy-50th-anniversary-to-cisplatin-the-drug-that-changed-cancer-treatment-38382

Pelvic Physical Therapy - http://pelvicguru.com/2013/12/28/what-is-pelvic-physical-therapy-and-why-doesnt-everyone-know-about-it/

Probiotics and Radiation Therapy- http://radiationnation.com/radiation-oncology/probiotics-radiation-therapy

Top things to know about recovering from cancer

http://thathealthsite.com/top-things-know-recovering-cancer/

6 Things I Wish I Knew About Cancer - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robyn-stoller/cancer-treatment_b_3010074.html

The Chemo Tip List I wish I Had http://thestir.cafemom.com/healthy_living/137918/the_chemo_tip_list_i

What I Wish I Knew Before My First Chemo- http://womenofteal.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-i-wish-i-knew-before-my-first.html

North American Menopause Society - http://www.menopause.org/for-women/find-a-menopause-practitioner

@hystersisters  HysterSisters

Demons of the Mind - PTSD and Mental Health Concerns July 2014 #gyncsm chat 

http://gyncsm.blogspot.com/2014/07/demons-of-mind-ptsd-and-mental-health.html

Cancerism - Confronting the Biases We Share- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBSARX94-ZM

Where to Go For Support #gyncsm Chat August 2014 http://gyncsm.blogspot.com/2014/08/where-to-go-for-support-august-2014-chat.html

What I Wish I Knew When I Was Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer - Smart 

Patients https://www.smartpatients.com/ovarian-cancer/what-i-wish