AfterShock: Facing a Serious Diagnosis

Receiving bad news about your health is scary and can turn your life upside-down.

The AfterShock app offers a simple roadmap through the first few days and weeks after a serious diagnosis, providing concise information and trusted resources to help you regain a bit of control during this turbulent time. Whether your diagnosis is cancer, Alzheimer's disease, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis or another condition, the decisions you make about your care will have an important impact on you and your loved ones.

This app is based on the book “AfterShock: What to Do When the Doctor Gives You – or Someone You Love – a Devastating Diagnosis” by Jessie Gruman, founder and president of the Center for Advancing Health. Having faced cancer five different times, Jessie wrote the book to help people with the practical and essential aspects of care that are necessary after the doctor delivers bad news.

The AfterShock app is a pocket-friendly, condensed version of need-to-know information, with first-hand accounts from people like you who were faced with a serious diagnosis, with advice on:
Getting Through the Shock
Learning About Your Diagnosis
Learning About Treatment Options
Telling Others
Finding Good Doctors and Hospitals
Getting a Second Opinion
Making Your Appointments
Finding a Little Relief

Each section in AfterShock describes the tasks you'll face and offers things to consider and links to reliable resources, including some from the Center for Advancing Health's “Be a Prepared Patient” website. The Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people find good health care and make the most of it. Your experience with your diagnosis is unique to you, so you may find some sections more useful than others.

We hope AfterShock is a helpful companion and organizer during this unstable period. At a time when little may be certain and you are faced with many choices, AfterShock shows you some steps you can take to live for as long and as well as you can.