My Millennial Care-giving Guide to Cancer

part three

Why do I need these things?

A notebook with pen.
The reason is, you're going to need some information handy. You've now become someone's "care-giver".
That's a term you'll hear a lot as you go to multiple doctor visits.
As a "care-giver" you need to know some intimate details about "the patient" that you may be too upset to memorize .

An accordion file folder.
There are going to be test results, test requests, financial documents, medical documents, medication or device descriptions. Basically you'll be given a lot of documents and you'll need to gather a lot of documents. A copy saved in one convenient place is a step in preparation that has saved me a trip to an office somewhere, When it was at my fingertips filed in my folder.

A binder.
You sometimes need to take bits and pieces of your documents to offices instead of the whole accordion file folder. It's just convenient to have a binder for those individual meetings with specific agencies. (Still have the accordion file folder in the car, just in case). Also if someone other than you is helping with the struggle of the "red tape" in the cancer fight, they may only need a few necessary documents in a binder instead of the whole stack of forms you have in the accordion file folder.

A clipboard.
I got one that had a document holder attached. You will need to fill out a lot of forms. Lots of forms (which is why a notebook with answers to those questions is helpful). A clipboard to use is handy.

A small card case.
As you go to multiple doctor visits and see multiple doctors you can use this card case to carry appointment reminder cards. It's helpful as tests are scheduled too and I had to keep every appointment in order.