You Have Cancer: Now What? (Practical and Emotional Tips)

I suppose the natural next post would be to put some tips/advice for actually being the patient. This is, by no means, medical advice; rather, these are just some helpful things I've learned to do as I've managed my own diagnosis and treatment (more or less in order of importance).

1. Rely on your doctor as the primary source of information about your type of cancer and your prognosis (a.k.a. STAY AWAY FROM THE INTERNET!!!). There are times for a bit of self-education, and there are times when you should simply should shy away from search engines (no disrespect to Google). The days/weeks after your diagnosis are definitely one of those times. I made the mistake of browsing the Internet one too many times and almost stirred myself into a nervous breakdown. REMEMBER THAT STATISTICS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN AVERAGES! (And that's coming from a statistician). Your doctor is the best source of information about the likely outcome of your treatment. No two cancer patients are alike, even if they have the same cancer, so save yourself some tears and call your doctor if you have any questions.
2. Use the Internet for supportive resources, however. Searching for a particular cancer will yield mostly medical sites, most of which are pretty clinical and dry, and not often that sensitive with statistics, survival rates, etc. YET, using the web to access support groups or patient-run sites can be very, very helpful and uplifting. Some of these sites are listed to the left under "Helpful Links" and supportgroups.com is a very typical example. I'd also recommend looking for a support group that is social media-based, as in on Facebook or Twitter. These groups tend to post very positive and uplifting information very frequently, and maintaining a positive mindset can be very beneficial to your health.
3. Keep a calendar and make To-Do lists. This is really not an option: your life is about to be dominated by doctors' appointments, follow-ups, infusions, and hospitalizations. The only way to manage this is to keep a calendar. If your a smartphone junkie (like I am), use your phone. I just use the standard Calendar app on my Android phone with a widget on my home screen that tells me when my upcoming appointments are. If your not a phone person, get a small, portable calendar booklet with at least weekly divisions to give yourself plenty of space. I also recommend keeping To-Do lists on a small, portable notebook (I use a small size yellow tablet from Staples). Actually writing things down helps you to remember them, and crossing things off of the list with an honest-to-goodness pen is very therapeutic.
4. Get a big ol' pillbox... you're gonna need it. First, ask your doctor for an info sheet on your treatment regimen if you don't have one. Then, go to the pharmacy and get the biggest pillbox they have, because you're likely to be on about 5 to 10 different meds for quite some time. Dose them out as prescribed for the week ahead and save yourself the stress of trying to remember if you took a particular med or not. Equally important: keep your must-take meds separate from your as-needed meds. 
5. Buy a pill fob for your keychain and keep a few "as-needed" meds in it. Click here for a link to the one I use. I keep a few pain pills and Zofran (the anti-nausea medication) in this. You never know when you're going to get a sudden burst of pain or nausea, so having these handy is a huge relief whenever I'm out of my house.
6. Buy a thermometer. If you EVER run a fever while on chemo, you need to call your doctor RIGHT AWAY! There are times when you may feel feverish, yet actually be fine, so save yourself the worry and just buy a decent thermometer and check your temp at least twice a day. If you are worried about the price, ask your doctor to write a prescription for one, as your insurance will likely cover some of the cost.