Insurance contacts.  I found dealing with insurance people one of the most stressful parts of having cancer.  I would often be in tears by the end of a phone conversation regarding my benefits.  I learned to start a conversation by getting the name of the person on the other end of the line.  I asked them to spell their name for me, so that they knew I knew their name.  I wrote down the time of the call and the information covered in the call.

Soon I had a paper trail.  At the start of the fourth call on the same topic, I could give dates, times, and names of the people I had already talked to.  This yielded two good results.  The new person could find the pertinent information.  He also knew that I was an organized (Ha! If he only knew!) and determined person who couldn't be put off.  When I needed to file an appeal about a denial of services near the end of my treatment, I had all the information I needed right at my finger tips.  My appeal succeeded.

Everyone is different, so my notebook method may not work for you.  Share your tips for organizing information.  I'd love to hear how other people manage.  The important thing is to keep notes and write the information you need in a place where you can find it easily.  Having that data handy will save you all kinds of frustration.

Next: Writing Your Way Through Cancer, Part II: Sharing Your News