Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer last week.
It was caught early, but she's still in shock and needs to figure out what to do next.
Luckily, Sarah remembers that she has a health advocate.
I helped Sarah understand her diagnosis.
I booked an appointment for the next Monday with an oncologist who specializes in breast cancer.
I added John to the call, a health advocate familiar with Sarah's benefits to answer all her insurance questions.
They each gave Sarah their personal extensions.
Over the next few weeks, Sarah completed her tests and met with her doctor.
They decided a lumpectomy is the best way to go.
The procedure was scheduled, and two days before the surgery, I called Sarah.
I wanted to make sure she felt comfortable with her treatment plan with Dr. Lee.
We talked about what to expect during the procedure, and I checked that she had help at home with the kids and time to focus on her recovery.
I also reminded her to have her husband pick up any prescriptions she would need before she arrived home after surgery.
Sarah's surgery went well, but it appeared she needed chemotherapy.
I called Sarah once she got home from the hospital, a post-discharge call, to make sure she was doing okay and had everything she needed to recover from the procedure.
After Sarah began chemo, it was a pretty rough start for the whole family, especially her husband, Nate.
On a particularly difficult day, Nate reached out to me through chat.
Sarah had told him about the help I'd been providing, and he wanted to know how he could better support her.
He told me he felt overwhelmed trying to take care of everyone and everything.
I listened and asked a few questions.
It was clear that Nate needed some support, too.
He was dealing with the stress of caregiving, and it sounded like he might also be experiencing anxiety and depression.
So I connected Nate with a social worker who helped arrange regular respite care, giving him time on Saturday mornings to step away and watch the kids' soccer games.
I also connected Nate with a therapist who offers online video sessions so he could deal with some of the challenges he was facing in getting his family through this.
After completing her treatments and going to her doctor, Sarah learned that she was currently cancer-free.
Remember, no matter what health issue you or your family is dealing with, health advocates are here to help.
Your health advocate is there for you every step of the way.
You can talk to or live chat with a health advocate.
