Deciding To Have Surgery

01/22/24 • 26 min

Not long after your diagnosis, you’ll sit down with your doctor and discuss your treatment

plan. There are many forms of cancer treatment, and no two patients’ experiences will be exactly alike. However, most patients will have one major question to consider: whether to have surgery. This is rarely a straightforward decision. You’ll need to weigh up your surgeon’s advice, the various risks and potential side effects and a seemingly infinite number of personal considerations. In this episode you'll hear from peers who will talk about the questions they asked, the research they did and the people they consulted to help lead them to their chosen course of action.

This podcast was developed in collaboration with the Cancer Psychology Collective.

Resources:

BRAN tool to help make decisions about surgery

Macmillan support with energy bills

Using an advocate to support your care

Citizens Advice offering free financial advice

For more information and resources relating to the content of today’s episode, visit our website at https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not long after your diagnosis, you’ll sit down with your doctor and discuss your treatment

This podcast was developed in collaboration with the Cancer Psychology Collective.

Resources:

BRAN tool to help make decisions about surgery

Macmillan support with energy bills

Using an advocate to support your care

Citizens Advice offering free financial advice

For more information and resources relating to the content of today’s episode, visit our website at https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Communication

Following your diagnosis, there’s further difficult conversations to be had. How do you let the people in your life know that you have cancer? There are many reasons why you might hold off on sharing your diagnosis with loved ones: a fear of burdening them with such heavy news, a desire to retain your independence, or a worry that others may make a big fuss. Telling your loved ones about a potentially fatal disease is no small task but it’s critical to getting the support you need. In this episode, you’ll hear from your peers on how they navigated sharing this difficult news and how it helped them to draw support from their loved ones.

This podcast was developed in collaboration with the Cancer Psychology Collective.

For more information and resources relating to the content of today’s episode, visit our website at https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

The Hospital Environment

Whether you opt for surgery or a different treatment like radiotherapy, all cancer patients will find themselves spending time in hospital. For some people, that’s an environment that can stir up a lot of fear and anxiety. In episode four, your peers will offer their candid advice for making your hospital visit or stay as comfortable as possible. This includes practical considerations like what to pack in your overnight bag to how to communicate your needs to your hospital care team.

This podcast was developed in collaboration with the Cancer Psychology Collective.

For more information and resources relating to the content of today’s episode, visit our website at https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.