Connecting the dots, Finding hope.

PART TWO - How I was connected with Candy:

My best friend, who I met through rowing on my community college crew team, knew Candy. Danielle went to grade school with Candy’s daughter, and they knew each other quite well. When I was getting the brush-off by my doctors in my first healthcare system, Danielle tried to advocate for me to get into a local hospital, knowing they found masses on my scans.

It wasn’t until an “aha” moment that Danielle remembered what Candy did for a living, and she reached out right away. That day Candy had Danielle give me her number. I texted Candy on January 10th, 2022, at 12:51 pm. Thus began our relationship and her fighting for my life and care. Within 3 minutes, Candy texted me back, saying, “good to be connected,” and she told me about the doctor with whom she began discussing my case in hopes of getting me immediate care. The whole time, Candy was accessible by text or called if needed. I gave her my insurance information; she told me exactly what I needed to be seen. The following day I got a call from UCLA Health to make an appointment with an oncologist. Four days later, I was being seen by an oncologist at UCLA about my predicament. The communication did not end there. Daily I would have chats with Candy. With my permission, she spoke to my care team, and they kept up with one another through the process. Candy managed my expectations, saying, “Things will begin to move fast, and we’ll stay in close contact. How are you holding up?” Candy not only worked diligently behind the scenes navigating the healthcare system on my behalf, she always checked in with me. Candy made me feel as if I was her only patient, and she would go to the ends of the earth to make sure I was taken care of. Candy has worked with thousands of patients and simultaneously with up to twenty cancer patients. Regardless of how many patients Candy is involved with, each experience is personal and individualized, no matter what.