“I’ve Just Been Diagnosed with Cancer.” What should you be doing, according to Naturopathic Doctor Mark Fontes

I wanted to start writing on Substack as a way of sharing information I’ve observed and learned in seeing patients with cancer over the last 15 years. As I tell my new patients, I view part of my job is to speak about the experiences of patients I’ve seen who have gone through similar health challenges – ie knowledge they have provided, lessons learned and patterns in what seems to help the most. I want to share these discussions and experiences with you and hope that you find this helpful. If you have any questions that you would like to see me write about, please reach out.

I’m going to begin with a common question patients and their loved ones ask after being diagnosed with cancer – what should I be doing? These are the most common recommendations patients of mine have provided when they reflect back on those first few days and weeks.

Take a moment to reflect and assess

Appointments, labwork, CT scans, MRIs, biopsies and more can happen very quickly – and sometimes, it has to. In a moment that you may have for yourself, take time to think about any questions you may have – write them down to bring to your oncologist or share them with your loved one who comes with you to your appointments. In the days that follow a diagnosis it’s day to day survival with all that is happening and ensuring that all of your questions are asked and answered fully will give you more confidence in the plan going forward. Think about what you need here and lean into your loved ones, and medical team.

Building your team

This will be different for every patient as this will depend on your plan – will it be surgery? will there be chemotherapy before and after surgery? What are the side effects – both short and long term of treatment? This will help decide what you need over the course of treatment. If you are receiving paclitaxel chemotherapy, for example, you may want to consider additional support for preventing neuropathy – research suggests acupuncture, compression therapy or certain supplements may help reduce the risk (speak with your medical team for any intervention you are thinking about). If you have a history of anxiety or depression, then added mental and emotional support will be a must. Think about what you have dealt with in the past and what makes you feel like yourself and start thinking about which support systems/practitioners/therapies etc you need.

This also means looking at your medical team. It’s OK to ask for a second opinion if needed and to make sure your case has been looked at from all angles. Ask and look for the most experienced doctor for your specific diagnosis, especially if there are several treatment options that may be available to you. Be open and honest with your oncology team and get the answers you need.

Lean in to your support system and put yourself first

This is a time when you need the most support – actionable support. Ask your loved ones and friends for what you need. This can be incredibly challenging for many patients I’ve seen who are the doers of the family – the ones who get things done, think about what has to be done and is always there for support. It’s a difficult adjustment but this is when your body and mind need you to put yourself first. And it’s completely OK to do that.

Preparing your meals

I frequently tell patients as they are getting ready for surgery or chemotherapy to ask their support system for healthy foods that can be frozen or prepared to be easily accessible in those days when you won’t want to cook or think about what to do for food. Have foods that are soft and cooked to ease digestion – soups, stews, broths, lean proteins, cooked vegetables – all of this goes a long way in those challenging first few days after treatment.

Thinking about finances

This is a topic that doesn’t come up very much in medical appointments but it’s such an important one as it can have many moving parts to it. Will you be off work – short term or long term leave? Do you have insurance to be able to step away from work and how does that impact your finances? These are questions that need to be thought about and discussed with your family, employer, accountant, bank or whoever you need. It will really help to reduce some stress in these first few weeks and months. A patient of mine recently told her oncologist that she had to work on certain weekends and didn’t want to be managing side effects when they were at the highest intensity – and so her treatment plan was able to be arranged to fit her schedule in the best way possible so that she could work on her off weeks of treatment.

Control what you can control

After a diagnosis so much can feel out of your control. The normalcy of your life changing in an instant; how others react and behave around you; how your medical team is organizing your plan and feeling in the dark at times; and what the next few weeks of your life will look like. It’s a lot to handle and process. And so in these moments focus on what you can control – where your time and energy is spent, who you spend your time with (lean in to those who definitely lift you up and ignore the rest), coming as prepared as you can to your appointments so you feel more involved and empowered in your medical decisions, what you are nourishing yourself with, and focusing on sleep and movement as much as possible. Control what you can control.

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”

Maya Angelou

In health,

Dr. Mark Fontes BSc, ND
Naturopathic Doctor

_{This post is intended for educational purposes and reflects my clinical experience and observations; it is not a substitute for personalized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please discuss any questions regarding your health with your medical team}