Dear Savvy Living,

My 62-year-old mother was just diagnosed with cancer and is feeling depressed, confused and doesn't know where to turn. What resources can you recommend that can help me help her?


Dear Overwhelmed,

Being diagnosed with cancer has to be one of the most difficult and shocking experiences a person can go through, yet 1.4 million Americans will experience it this year alone. Here are some tips and tools that can help you and your mom get more informed about her condition, and organize a plan for her treatment.

Get Informed

If you're like most people you're clueless about cancer. So your first step is to learn about your mom's specific type of cancer along with the treatment options, and thanks to the Internet it's easy to do. To get started go the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at www.cancer.gov and click on your cancer type in the A to Z list of cancers. There are many other good and reliable web sites to visit and become informed of cancer treatments.

Choose a Doctor

After you know a bit about your illness, you'll need to choose a good doctor. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (www.cancer.net) provides tips on how to choose a cancer doctor (known as an oncologist), along with a searchable database to help you locate one. Also see www.vitals.com, a Web resource that will help you locate, evaluate and choose a doctor based on their training, expertise, consumer ratings and recommendations from other doctors. (Be sure the doctor you choose accepts your mom's health plan.)

Research Alternative Medicine

If your mother is interested in learning more about herbs, supplements and other alternative approaches to fighting cancer, go to the National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine (www.nccam.nih.gov). Also, check-out the complementary and alternative medicine guides from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at www.mdanderson.org/departments/cimer.

Find Support Services

There are lots of programs and services available today that can help your mom with a wide variety of cancer-related issues. For example, there are counselors, social workers and cancer support groups that can help with depression, anxiety and other psychological issues; nutritionists and dietitians to help deal with nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue or mouth sores; and physical therapists, and pain specialists that can assist with pain and discomfort.

To find what's available near your mother, start by asking the doctor, clinic, medical center or hospital that will be treating her. Larger health care or cancer treatment centers usually offer a wide variety of on-staff support services. However, if your mom is being treated in a small clinic or she lives in a rural area, finding help may be more difficult.

Get Financial Help

If your mom's insurance is limited or if she doesn't have insurance at all, there are financial assistance programs that may be able to help her. See www.cancercare.org and click on "Get Help" then on "Assistance," or call 800-813-4673 to learn more. The NCI also offers financial assistance information on their Web site at www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/support - click on "Financial Assistance and Other Resources for People With Cancer."

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Senior" book. The articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.