Pieces of Care Planning

When being told you have blood cancer, there is often a lot of missing information. Sometimes, the links become connected in time, but it can be hard to figure out what to do first and how to go about it all. I tell many that this, indeed, is a process in steps, and some of those pieces of what and how eventually get answered throughout the very long journey. There really is a stage in the care process, and giving ourselves a little grace helps us in the long run.

Piece A- anxious

So, after being told of the stage of your blood cancer and the way it needs to be handled...well...for many, it leads to anxiety. In most cases, the conversation can be around a watch-and-wait period, which involves waiting for your cancer to become active to begin active treatment.

Often, anxiousness leads to quick decisions. While decisions that need to be made on the spot may be warranted. In other cases, if possible, taking a day to absorb what is happening in real-time, and then reacting, works better.

Piece B- uncertainty

There’s no rule book here, and this is literally like on-the-job training, you’re not sure what to expect until things happen. The uncertainty is always present and you learn to cope and proceed as needed. Would you believe it, but sometimes the decisions may not be the best thought at that time. And yes, sometimes you may need to go back to the drawing board. But that is okay, and part of the process. Again, we don’t know exactly how the end result will map out, so we proceed with caution and optimism.

Piece C- care planning

Once time is taken to regroup on how to continue on with this wrench of the new normal, you will learn the importance of incorporating a care plan. Why is it so important? Well, the aforementioned highlights why care planning is necessary. Let me explain what exactly is care planning with blood cancer other, than what we typically relate care planning to. When I speak of care planning, I mean once the dust settles, how do you make a plan by adding mental health and wellness, and time to adapt to your new way of life.

Other pieces: mental, wellness, time

Mental health

The following are areas that are pertinent in the conversation of life with blood cancer and subject matters that are part of the pot:

Wrapping your head around everything is a lot and no one says it will be easy, but as mentioned allow yourself the grace to ask the questions, or be emotional, and know that it is okay to do so.

Wellness

Taking the time to regroup by trying to stay on a healthy path despite the news of blood cancer. If it means taking breaks and doing more of “me” time, then that is a start. Sometimes by incorporating wellness as rebuilding the endurance you are missing, you’ll need to work on this hand in hand with treatment. Again, there’s no playbook but feeling healthy by healthier means is a start of what the future can look like, despite...

Time

Give yourself the time to adapt to what is being asked of the body that is taking a pause in moving like it once did. In time you learn that all mentioned plays an important role in how to move about in the strength and integrity that is needed on this road trip.

You got this!

The time to fight is now, with integrity, grace, hope, and a smile….when you feel like it