Pat’s InspireHealth Story

My wife, Denise, was first diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2018. She successfully underwent surgery followed by six months of chemotherapy. Sadly, in September 2020, her cancer metastasized and was found in her spine and lungs, and the metastases were deemed inoperable. Denise battled through three years of treatment, completing more than 80 rounds of chemotherapy along with other biological treatments.

During Denise’s long cancer journey, I was looking for help navigating everything we were facing and was fortunate to learn about InspireHealth through online searches. Denise and I needed support for many reasons, including emotional, nutritional, and physical guidance. InspireHealth became a beautiful partner in our journey.

We met regularly with a Supportive Care Physician, who became an important source of guidance and support. These visits helped us better understand the medical system, explore supportive and complementary approaches, and navigate difficult decisions. After each appointment, we felt informed, supported, and genuinely cared for. She was a true blessing to us.

We also met with other experts at InspireHealth who provided support with nutrition, physical therapy, meditation, and counselling. More specifically, we worked with the nutrition team to explore different dietary approaches and ways to support Denise’s overall nutrition, including guidance around hydration and maintaining balance throughout treatment. With the exercise team, we developed a program that worked around Denise’s back pain and supported movement that was achievable during her many treatments, helping her keep her body as strong as possible.

Denise passed away August 9th, 2024 after bravely and courageously fighting for 5 years and countless treatments. She lived each day during this battle with so much love, even though the journey was incredibly hard.

Having the care, guidance, advocacy, and knowledge of the team at InspireHealth gave me confidence and reassurance as we faced many complex and difficult decisions that needed to be made throughout Denise’s battle. In the incredibly stressful world of fighting cancer for Denise and I, this “calm in the storm” was needed.

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