The right support when facing a cancer diagnosis

Facing a serious illness is a difficult experience not only for the person who’s diagnosed with the illness, but also for the patient’s loved ones. The stress of trying to find the right doctors, gather medical records, and set up appointments can make the situation even more difficult to manage and make it harder for the family to focus on caring for and supporting the patient. Tony, one of our members, shared the experience of how PinnacleCare and his advisor helped not only him but also his family when he was diagnosed with a liver tumor.

 Two years ago, I found out I had a tumor on my liver. The nurse at the company where I worked connected me with PinnacleCare and said they could help me line up appointments with specialists and get my medical records together and I said, ‘That’s just what I need.’

I talked with PinnacleCare and that day they started gathering my MRIs, CT scans, bloodwork and set up appointments for me with specialists within a week. They provided me with all these different options about which doctors to see and when I could see them. They gave me access to the best of the best but said there was one last doctor they wanted me to see at Columbia Presbyterian who was the best in the world at treating my condition.

I talked with the doctor for 10 minutes and I knew right away that he was the right choice for me and it made all the difference. He and PinnacleCare saved my life.

My health advisor, Amber, was very easy to talk to. She had not only a level of care and compassion, but also a real sense of urgency about getting things done on my behalf. And her care and outreach didn’t just stop after I got connected with the specialist and started treatment. She was with me all the way through recovery after treatment. That follow up makes a difference.

Her help wasn’t just important to me, it also important for my family. When Amber jumped on board, my family’s level of anxiety decreased. Of course, they were still concerned, but the uncertainty was tempered. They knew I was being shepherded through my diagnosis and treatment. That made a big difference in my family’s approach to my illness and you can’t put a price on that peace of mind.