Friend with Cancer

[ACG]

I have a dear friend, he is one of my cycling friends. We haven't seen him on rides for a while, he said it was too cold to ride. Turns out he has a mass in his thigh, sarcoma, lung cancer, prostrate problems, maybe cancer there too.

He has no medical insurance, so getting tests run and treatment is a red tape nightmare.

I've offered him help, meals, driving him around whatever I can and my family can do for him. So have many of my biking family. We are all here for him.

My question: How could a group like Livestrong help him? What we are needing is someone or some entity to help get him treatment. To date no treatment, just lots of tests but no one (at the hosipital) together to organize his treatment in the right order or give him treatment.

Frustrating.

[spokewench]

l would think that Livestrong could help. If you go to their website, Livestrong.org, you will see a box that says one on one support, click on that; they have numbers, and other ways to contact them. One of the things they list that they help with is helping the uninsured get treatment.

Have your friend or help your friend get ahold of them. It sure can't hurt to try.

[azfiddle]

I have no answer for you regarding Livestrong, but anything you can do to mobilized a network of people to help with food, chores, errands, appointments etc will be of real value to your friend.

I hope you are able to find the needed resources in your community and through Livestrong or some other agency.

[malkin]

Try contacting the social workers at a local hospital, sometimes they can be really helpful.

[roadie gal]

Try contacting the social workers at a local hospital, sometimes they can be really helpful.

Hospitals also sometimes have people who's job is to help people get Medicaid or other insurance assistance. He should call the social work or the billing office. He may have to make a bunch of calls to get to the right person, but it's worth it.

[Biciclista]

livestrong can point him to some resources; but you should know he has prostate cancer, not prostrate.

Cancer is horrible and so is its treatment. This is a ride I wish we'd never gone down.

[ClockworkOrange]

How sad to read this.

I frequently get annoyed that there are so many items that we cannot get in the UK, or otherwise they are very boring compared with you guys in the US.

However, one thing we are so very fortunate with is having free medical treatment.

I so wish you can find some medical help for your friend and soon too.