It seems the more we find out, the more questions we have. Can too much information be a problem?

15. It seems the more we find out, the more
questions we have. Can too much
information be a problem?

Some family members cope well by learning everything
possible about the cancer and its treatment.
However, there is a bewildering amount of information
out there—on the Internet, TV, radio, and
newspapers—and being bombarded with all of these
sources can contribute to feeling overwhelmed.
Additionally, diagnosing and treating cancer are
complicated processes, often necessitating specialists
to understand all this information. As a nonmedical
professional, you cannot be expected to read and
understand all of these details in the short time you
have to make a decision.

Start by reading information given to you by the physician.
Review this information and then discuss it with
the doctor. If you have more questions or wish to do
more research, investigate legitimate resources.
Write down questions as they come to you,
and then organize them according to subject. This not
only will help you organize questions for the doctor but
may make you feel less overwhelmed by making your
questions seem more manageable. Keep in mind that
not all questions can be answered. Medicine simply
cannot answer all questions about treatment effectiveness
or side effects, since so many individual differences
occur. If no answer is available and you have discussed
it with the physician, try to accept this and move forward.
A cancer diagnosis is a venture into the
unknown, for both the person with cancer and family.