Newly Diagnosed: How to Go From Overwhelmed to Organized
If there was one emotion that I felt when I was newly diagnosed with breast cancer, it would have to be overwhelmed. There were plenty of other emotions to go with that— for sure, but feeling overwhelmed was the primary one!
If you are newly diagnosed and wondering if it is normal to feel overwhelmed, the answer is YES!
Newly Diagnosed and Overwhelmed
I remember walking out of my diagnosis appointment feeling overwhelmed and shocked. My friend could see it in my eyes. We found a chair in the waiting room, and she began to review the paperwork with me. As we talked, I felt a bit more empowered. I was still very much shocked and scared, but as we began to map out the next steps, I realized that there were things I could do to participate in my treatment.
We began to get organized. We looked at the paperwork from my surgeon, and she helped me figure out which items I could take action on right away before leaving the office and which items I needed to do when I got home.
We talked it through a few times and then took action on a couple of things I could do right away. I was right next to the lab, so getting the pre-operative bloodwork was simple. I also put my subsequent appointments with my surgeon on my private calendar. I definitely didn’t want my family to find out I needed surgery by getting a calendar notification, but I also wanted to make sure I knew when things were scheduled.
After my blood work, we walked downstairs to the imaging center to schedule my MRI. We could leave the office and head home with those on my calendar.
I was still overwhelmed, but I knew what to do next.
Cancer- A Second Job We Didn’t Apply For
When we are newly diagnosed, treating cancer becomes like a second job to us. We have appointments to get to, treatments to plan, surgeries to schedule, and it seems like every single one of those things needs to happen RIGHT NOW.
Unfortunately, we can’t lay everything out on a nice, neat treatment calendar the first day we are diagnosed. Treating cancer is like solving a puzzle, but without all the pieces available immediately. Our care team designs a precise treatment plan for our diagnosis through pathology, imaging, and further genomic testing.
Treating breast cancer usually involves more than surgery. A typical treatment plan includes surgery plus something else- such as radiation, genetic testing, genomic testing on our tumor, chemotherapy, targeted treatments, and/or endocrine therapy. The specific combination is different for each of us. Some breast cancers are treated with chemotherapy before surgery. Others of us may not know that we would benefit from chemo until our final surgical pathology is completed.
Additionally, depending on the surgery chosen, multiple surgeries may be required to complete reconstruction. Other adjustments might be needed if we have surgical complications or if the margins aren’t clear.
If you are overwhelmed by reading all of this, I can relate!
In fact, I thought we had organized everything nicely and scheduled my surgery at just the perfect time. Then, my MRI revealed additional findings that needed biopsies. My plan was blown up, and everything needed to be rescheduled.
Ugh, that was hard.
How Can We Feel Less Overwhelmed?
So, given all of these variables, is it possible to move beyond feeling overwhelmed?
Yes! As I have talked to many cancer patients, one of the things we talk about is how we manage our appointments, imaging, side effects, and surgeries in harmony with our lives. It is challenging— so don’t think that you’ll have it easy by doing this or that you’ll sail through everything.
To move beyond feeling overwhelmed, we need to get organized.
For me, it meant keeping track of my appointments, scheduling and putting things on my shared family calendar and having one place to keep all my notes.
This might look different for you. So, I decided to create a new workbook and email series to help you figure out what you might need to organize and brainstorm ways to collect and process all the latest information and to-dos you’re receiving.
You can get a copy of my “Newly Diagnosed— let’s get organized” workbook here.
Sharing One of My Secret Weapons With You
Before I close- I wanted to share one of my secret weapons to beat post-appointment overwhelm.
I always book “buffer time” in my calendar after my medical appointments. This gives me extra time to process what happened in the appointment, schedule any follow-ups, and plan for those appointments where the doctor is running late.
It is also a chance for me to decompress by journaling, talking to my husband, calling a friend, or getting a mocha. I never know exactly how I’m going to feel after an appointment, but allowing myself some buffer time helps me have space available if I need it.
In my book “A Breast Cancer Journey: Living It One Step at a Time,” I write in detail about feeling overwhelmed. In fact, feeling overwhelmed is the topic of the first chapter! You can buy a copy of it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Apple Books, and you can also read a free sample here.
Being newly diagnosed comes with a high dosage of emotions— and for many of us, it feels overwhelming! I hope you can embrace organization right from the start because it will help.
Jennifer Douglas
Jennifer is the author of "A Breast Cancer Journey: Living it One Step at a Time," breast cancer survivor, and patient advocate. Her book, published in 2023 by Bold Story Press, is an encouraging guide for breast cancer patients. It contains first-hand information, organized by topics, to help readers navigate the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery from breast cancer. Her writing emphasizes emotional, mental, and physical well-being along with empowered decision-making.
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