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After a lung cancer diagnosis, you’re likely to receive a flood of information from your health care team as well as various opinions from loved ones. As you manage all of this input, remember that your voice matters most.

Here are some ways you can advocate for yourself as you work to understand your diagnosis and treatment process.

PREPARE YOUR QUESTIONS.

Doctor’s appointments are likely your best opportunity to spend time with your healthcare team, and good preparation can help you get the most out of these meetings. Think ahead of time about questions you want answered, write them down, rank them by importance and bring the list from appointment to appointment. Make sure to let your doctor’s office know that you’ll need enough time to ask questions.

BE SPECIFIC.

Describe your symptoms to your doctors in as much detail as you can. The better they understand what you’re experiencing, the better they may be able to find treatment options that work for you. Keeping a journal can help you remember the details of what you are experiencing. Note how often you suffer from particular symptoms and to what degree they interfere with your daily activities.

BRING A SUPPORT PERSON.

Having a helper with you can help relieve some of the stress of a doctor’s appointment. A support person can also keep track of what’s discussed during your appointment so you can focus more on the conversation.

KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING.

Ask your doctor whom you can reach out to between appointments. Your doctor’s office may staff a cancer-specific social worker, nurse or other specialist you can speak with if your doctor is unavailable.

SPEAK UP.

Let your doctor know if you don’t understand something. Try repeating the information back to him or her with statements like, “What I hear you saying is…” If you learn better with visual aids, ask your doctor to show you x-rays or draw a diagram. When it comes to important and difficult topics, be bold: The more honest you can be, the more your doctor will understand the issues that really matter to you.