Treatment - After Treatment

What Do I Do After My Treatment?

• Follow the providers instructions
  • There are some that you may not understand and you need to ask the Healthcare Providers to explain
    • Make certain you understand how to take any medication you are given
      • What is it for
      • When do you take it
      • How much do you take
      • How often each day
      • How you can keep track of the schedule and dosage of your medication (e.g., bottle top may record the last time you opened the bottle).
    • For example, if the provider says to take a pill four times a day, does that mean you are supposed to set the alarm and take a pill in the middle of the night or can you take if before you go to sleep?
  • Make certain you understand when and where you are supposed to go for your follow-up appointment
  • Make certain you understand how to change a dressing or clean a wound or shunt to avoid infection. Ask what signs to look for to catch an infection when it is early.
    • Ask how much blood you should have from the surgery wound
    • Is losing ¼ of a cup of blood for a whole day too much?
    • At which point should you call the doctor and return to the hospital?
• How much pain or discomfort is expected?
  • An occasional throbbing or aching?
  • What if it lasts for an hour?
  • At what point do you call the doctor for help?
• If you have diarrhea, how do you replace electrolytes your body needs to function and heal?
  • How much diarrhea is a sign to call the doctor?
• If you are constipated, how long do you wait before you should call the doctor for help?
  • Which types of laxatives are okay for you to take with your other medications? 
  • Which types do you need to avoid?
• Before you begin to prepare to do ceremony, explain to your provider what is involved in your ceremony (e.g., fasting, dancing throughout the night)
  • Ask the Traditional Indian Healer and your western provider talk about how you can do ceremony without affecting the progress you are making against your cancer