{"id":2133,"date":"2021-05-10T08:41:15","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T15:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bethechoice.org\/?p=2133"},"modified":"2021-06-06T10:17:00","modified_gmt":"2021-06-06T17:17:00","slug":"guide-to-self-advocacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bethechoice.org\/fr\/guide-to-self-advocacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Self-Advocacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Self-advocacy is the action of representing oneself or one\u2019s views or interests. In simple terms, this means making your voice heard! For breast cancer patients, self-advocacy is\u00a0 crucial. Only by advocating for yourself can treatment decisions take your views into account.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At Be the Choice, we are passionate about self-advocacy. It\u2019s partly what led to the creation of the <\/span>Decision Tree<\/span><\/a>s. We want to promote self-advocacy, empower breast cancer patients with knowledge and help them make decisions that are best for them. This means speaking up for yourself at the beginning, middle and end of treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, let\u2019s not kid ourselves, self-advocacy is hard, especially when you\u2019ve been recently diagnosed. The news of a diagnosis is shocking, exhausting and overwhelming. It\u2019s hard to advocate for yourself in this situation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is partly why we wanted to share these tips to help get you started: <\/span>Practicing Self-Advocacy<\/a><\/p>\n

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  1. Know your cancer:\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Know what kind of cancer you have, what stage you\u2019re in and Understand your pathology report<\/a>. So many decisions are made based on these three factors. If you understand these, you\u2019ll be able to ask more informed questions, and understand the responses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. Bring a buddy:\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Ask a friend or family member to go with you to all medical appointments – preferably the same person if possible. Studies show that patients remember about 10% of what is said in these appointments. No wonder \u2013 it\u2019s an overwhelming time!<\/span><\/p>\n

      The best buddies:<\/span><\/p>\n