If you’re helping your family member or friend through cancer treatment, you are a caregiver. This may look like helping with daily activities, visiting the doctor, or making meals. It could also mean providing care and giving emotional support. Caregivers play a very important role in a cancer patient’s journey. We hope these resources, guides, and videos provide helpful information.

Caregiver Class

Please visit our YouTube channel to find a helpful video created by Steve Krisfalusy. This video helps to provide important information on communication, caregiver roles, and what to expect. Please call us at 419-626-4548 if you want to see Steve cover a specific topic. Thanks for watching!

Steve’s Story:

I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Follicular Lymphoma on May 16, 2018, a date I will never forget. The cancer was already in my bone marrow, and when I asked my doctor how long I would live if I did nothing, she said about 90 days. Dr. Amy is scary smart, and I told her I needed to attend my son’s wedding in a few months; let’s see if you can get me there, even if it is in a basket. I started R-CHOP chemo treatments almost right away. The side effects, discomfort, and pain were a 9 every day. Shockingly, for the weekend of the wedding, my pain & discomfort dropped down from a 9 to a 1. Amazing! It returned to a 9 following the next treatment. After my chemo treatments, my scans showed no cancer at all.

I felt like I survived for a reason but did not know why. I started following a crumb trail, and I believe that led me to the why at least so far, since the crumb trail is still dynamic. I created a Cancer Patient Advocate program at the Seidman Center in Sandusky, Ohio, with the wonderful cooperation of the management & nursing staff. After just 4 months, we made a great impact on the emotional wellness of 86 patients. The oncology nurses loved it, also. I am still getting maintenance treatments, but many patients told me I gave them hope, even though I had no clue what I was doing. Then the Covid-19 virus hit, and everything stopped. We have 5 different new initiatives to implement once things return to the new normal. The feedback from the patients I connected with in my visits & chats was deeply touching, and all along, I felt there was more that could be done to help cancer patients, especially the newly diagnosed. I am anxious to return to following that crumb trail and volunteering as a cancer patient advocate. One journey has led me to another, and although I am just a passenger, I look forward to seeing what comes next. Be Strong – Stay Strong!