In addition to long term follow up for cancer related issues, it is very important for all survivors to have ongoing primary medical care for other health and wellness needs. The following are general guidelines of things you can do to take care of yourself.
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Select a primary care doctor you feel comfortable with and have a complete check up every year. |
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Make sure you follow the appropriate health steps recommended by doctors for anyone of your age. This includes having a checkup once a year, with a physical examination, blood count, urinalysis, and other recommended tests. |
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Follow recommendations for detection of “adult cancers”. Your doctor will tell you how often you will need to have screening tests done for cancer of the breast, colon, thyroid and other organs. |
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Practice breast self-examination (women) or testicular self-examination (men) regularly. |
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It is highly recommended that you be seen once a year by a specialist familiar with health needs and life issues of childhood cancer survivors. Make sure you understand your special health care needs based on the type of cancer and treatment you had and your current state of health. |
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Maintain good health habits such as:
- get plenty of exercise (at least 3 times per week) and stay physically active
- eat regular healthy meals - see http://www.mypyramid.gov
- get enough sleep every night (8 hours per night is best)
- keep alcohol consumption to a minimum
- avoid the use of recreational drugs and tobacco products
- minimize sun exposure and use sunscreen and hats when outside
- practice safe sex
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Make sure to let your health care providers know if you change your address, telephone number, or your name so that they will be able to keep in touch with you. |
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Obtain copies and organize your medical records in a file or binder. Include copies of your cancer treatment summary and recent test results (MRI, CT scan, lab tests, etc.) so that they are available if needed for comparison. |
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Pay attention to your emotional health as well. Be aware of symptoms of depression and anxiety. These symptoms may include long periods of sadness, irritability, hopelessness, a change in eating or sleep patterns, more difficulty with daily functioning at school/work and problems with interpersonal relationships. There are effective treatments for these conditions and seeking help when problems arise is important. You can contact your primary care doctor or your long-term follow-up clinic for counseling and mental health referrals. |
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Learn about survivor-oriented resources, support groups, Internet listservs, workshops and/or conferences. Information can be found by "surfing" the Internet and contacting organizations that provide survivor services. Our printable resource guide (found under Information for Survivors tab on this website) has many resources listed. |
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Obtain your high school diploma and then try to obtain the highest degree you can in a field that interests you. Seek out help from a high school guidance counselor or college admissions office to explore your options for higher education. Also, there are many online resources to assist you in choosing an educational and career path. Check out www.knowhow2gocalifornia.org, www.bls.gov/k12/, or www.whodouwant2b.com. Our printable resource guide (found under Information for Survivors tab on this website) has other resource suggestions. And just remember, obtaining a good education will most likely improve your chances of finding a job that offers good health insurance benefits. |
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Try to maintain health insurance if at all possible. You will probably continue to be insured under your parents' insurance while you are a full time student, in school and during college, until age 25 (this varies by state). After this time, the most affordable and practical way to obtain insurance is through group coverage as a job benefit from your employer. You can also apply for a private health insurance policy on your own, though these plans are often more expensive. There are some government aid programs available (i.e. Medicaid/Medi-cal) but eligibility is based on disability and very low income, so most healthy survivors do not qualify for this type of program. Don’t count on them! |
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Try to maintain health insurance continuously. It is more difficult to obtain health insurance if you have had a lapse in coverage. For example, if you are changing jobs, take advantage of COBRA to have continuous health insurance coverage with no gaps. Know your legal rights about health insurance coverage for cancer survivors. The Cancer Legal Resource Center offers assistance to survivors with insurance questions and problems. (https://www.disabilityrightslegalcenter.org/about/cancerlegalresource.cfm) |
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Know your rights as a cancer survivor. Discrimination against you in the workplace because of your cancer history is against the law. We invite you to explore the website of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (www.canceradvocacy.org) to learn your rights as a survivor.
You also have the right to special accommodations in school if you have any long-term affects from your diagnosis or treatment. If you seem to be struggling at school, talk to a specialist familiar with health needs and life issues of childhood cancer survivors to see if it is related to the kind of cancer you had and/or your treatment. You may have the right to be given more time for tests, have a note taker, or be provided with other types of special accommodations. You can register with the Office for Students with Disabilities at your college or university in order to learn about services and accommodations that may be available to you.
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