Chapter 3 Learning a New Vocabulary

In This Chapter
➤ The doctor’s words and what they mean
➤ What the books and periodicals say
➤ Internet information guidelines
➤ Talk, ask, listen, talk
Once you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, you’ve entered a brave (or not so
brave) new world. It’s time to hit the information highway and become an informed
consumer. Some folks listen to the doc’s advice and go with it. Nothing wrong with
that, if your doctor has his fingertips on all the up-to-the-minute details about your
particular cancer. If he does, great. But what if he doesn’t? Or what if he tends to pre-
scribe a more aggressive treatment than the standard? Or less aggressive? How do you
know what’s best for you? How do you find out?
Sometimes those who listen to the doc’s advice and go with it wonder later if they did
the right thing. In this age of information, you owe it to yourself to dig up the details.
You have one shot at this, and you don’t want any regrets. The best news is that you
don’t have to dig very far, and you start here. In this chapter, we’ll tune in to what
the doctor’s words mean, how to find more information about your diagnosis and op-
tions, what to read—and what to skip—and how to learn from the sisterhood.