Discovering that you or a loved one has cancer can be overwhelming. Not only is there emotional and physical stress, there are appointments, treatments, and paperwork to juggle. Managing life with cancer can be very complicated and can leave you feeling lost and unsure. Our Patient Advocate is here to support our cancer patients and their families and to assist in coordinating cancer care and support resources. This service is available at no cost to our cancer patients.
The Patient Advocate service:
Contact Sue LeGree at legrees@jencc.com or call her at 712-252-9370.
For cancer patients, optimal nutrition plays an important role in quality of life. Cancer can deplete your body’s nutrients, cause weight loss and can also have a negative effect on appetite and your body’s ability to digest foods.
Seeing a nutrition specialist can be very helpful. Our registered dietitian Alisha Sandage RD, LD, LMNT, is dedicated to helping cancer patients support their immune system and counteract possible side-effects of their illness and course of treatment.
Seeing our dietitian can help you have fewer nutrition-related symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and lack of appetite.
She can also help you develop a nutritional supplement program that helps boost your body’s ability to cope with illness.
Most important – getting assistance from our dietitian can help patients feel better, tolerate their treatments better, and have a better quality of life!
For nutritional care information, email Alisha Sandage at sandagea@jencc.com or call 712-252-9425.
Our Patient Advocate, Sue LeGree, can provide a list of various supportive therapies that a patient may choose to use in addition to their medical treatment. These therapies are often referred to as complementary therapies.
Massage therapy or acupuncture can help patients reduce their stress as well as better manage the side effects from cancer treatment. In regards to vitamins or herbs, our Dietician, Alisha Thompson can provide information if you have any questions. It is very important to let your physician know if you are participating in any complementary therapy.
The Cancer Center provides for more than just the medical needs of its patients. We strive to help our patients feel good about themselves during their cancer experience. The Ruth Ellsberg Wig Boutique, located next to Patient Advocate office of the Cancer Center, provides a wide variety of free wigs and hats to our patients. The Wig Boutique is open for your convenience, weekdays from 8am to 4:30pm. You are welcome to bring a family member or friend and try on wigs, to find the one perfect for you. We also have a large selection of stylish hats, turbans, scarves and bandana’s as well as soft knit winter hats. Information and tips on wearing a wig and caring for a wig is available in the wig boutique.
Information and resources are also available in the Wig Boutique area. These resources are free through our check-out library of pamphlets, books, tapes and videos. We maintain expanded information sections on Breast, Colon, Prostate, Lung, Leukemia, Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma cancers. You’ll find information on all types of cancers, treatments, coping, community resources, support care, counseling and a variety of other topics. Resources focusing on children and cancer (either as a patient or coping with a loved one who has cancer) are also available.