In 2004, Aldrich herself received the news that her husband, Gordon, had a tumor in his spinal column. It’s a day she vividly remembers. “It was the middle of a Friday afternoon,” she recalls. “Our lives had been changed forever, and we wanted information fast, and to start fighting Gordon’s cancer right away. To add to the pressure, he was in terrible pain that needed immediate attention. After hours of bargaining and begging, we were told that our earliest chance for an appointment was still four weeks out. The thought of having to wait that long while a tumor continued to grow in my husband’s body was mind-blowing and unreal to me.” While Aldrich advises to do everything that you can to expedite your consultation with a good specialist—no matter how many strings you have to pull or people you have to bother—she also recommends finding ways to stay productively occupied in the days and weeks of waiting. Here are her seven suggestions for keeping busy and being proactive while you “hurry up and wait”: