You Have Cancer? What Next?

You’ve just heard those three words from your doctor, “You have cancer”, and you know that your life will be changed forever.  Now what?  If you are like me, you will do what your doctor tells you to do as you speed through all of the testing and preparation for round one of either treatment or surgery.  And before you know it, it’s over!  It is at this point that one begins to think about the treatment that has already been given and what has been outlined as the next steps for you.

For every person who has cancer, who has had cancer, who is a caregiver or who knows someone with cancer, please visit this site.  You will come away with a feeling of empowerment, of being more knowledgeable, of knowing that you are not alone and knowing that there is help and information available for everyone.

But, how do you know if your doctor has set the best plan in place for you?  How do you know if there are other alternatives?  How do you know what the latest research and trials may be for your particular type of cancer?  How do you know where to find the answers?  For me, all I had was WebMD with information that, at that time, was at least a couple of years old.  Now we are fortunate to have a wonderful resource in the website, “WhatNext.com”.

I learned about WhatNext.com a few weeks ago when I had the opportunity to meet David Wasilewski, the founder of this website which is the leading online resource for insights into cancer treatments and experiences. Developed with the American Cancer Society, their mission is to make it easier for those affected by cancer to connect with people, information and resources that they need in order to make decisions regarding their own personal healthcare.

David, who was the co-founder of Spanx (we are all grateful to him for that product line) had been the primary caretaker for his uncle who ultimately died from brain cancer.  It was at this point that David decided to create this site for all of us who are here to fight our own personal cancer battles as well as for those who choose to help others with their battles.  Anyone who has suffered with cancer knows that the most important person in your non-medical world is your primary caregiver, a person that possesses the biggest heart and spirit and love that can be imagined in one person.  Therefore, it was no surprise to me that Dave would be the person who would choose to make this website happen.

If you visit WhatNext.com, you will not find David’s presence in view but that does not mean that he is not an ever active participant in what does appear there.  And you will be touched and enchanted by the person that has been chosen to be the Community Manager for the site and that is Greg P who is a 3x survivor.  As you browse the site, you will find answers, be moved by the people who are posting there, find support like you may never have imagined and know that there are resources available to help you and to answer whatever questions that you may have.

For every person who has cancer, who has had cancer, who is a caregiver or who knows someone with cancer, please visit this site.  You will come away with a feeling of empowerment, of being more knowledgeable, of knowing that you are not alone and knowing that there is help and information available for everyone.  What a great gift to share at this holiday season.