Before you arrive

There is a lot to think about on the day of your first appointment. Preparing for your appointments can make things easier. You can use the checklists below to help you prepare for your upcoming appointment. You can also find information about getting to your appointments and what to expect while you are there on other sections of this site.

Things to do

  • Know where to go. Make sure to plan your trip ahead of time and look for directions to the hospital and the area of the hospital where you need to register before you leave home. If you are looking for more information on how to get to the Cancer Centre of South Eastern Ontario, please visit our “How to get here’ page (LINK)
  • Make a list of your symptoms, questions and concerns to talk to your cancer care team about. 
  • Bring a family member or friend to your appointments. It helps to have a second person there for support, and to listen and take notes.
  • Your first appointment could last several hours. Try not to book other appointments on this day. Prepare for a long visit by making other arrangements for things like family or work obligations.

What to bring

  • Your Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card.
  • All of the medications that you are currently taking.
  • Any daily medications you may need to take during your visit, like pain medicine, insulin or inhalers.
  • Any test results or other information your primary care provider or referring doctor gave you to bring to your appointment.
  • A list of symptoms, questions or concerns, with the most important at the top of the list.
  • The name, address and phone number of your primary care provider and your pharmacy or drug store.
  • Your drug insurance card or your drug insurance group and policy numbers, if you have a drug insurance plan.
  • A lunch or snacks, especially if you have special diet needs.
  • A book, magazine or other entertainment. If your appointment is for chemotherapy or other drug therapies, bring earphones to connect to the personal televisions available.
  • Cash or a credit card to pay for parking or in case you need to fill prescriptions.
  • Eyeglasses or hearing aid if you use them.
  • A family member or friend to assist with taking notes and to provide support. If your appointment is for chemotherapy or other drug therapies, your family member or friend should be over the age of 16 for safety reasons.
  • Your patient binder to take notes and keep your health information in one place. If you are coming for your first appointment, you will receive your patient binder when you meet with your care team.