YORK, Pa. — Keeping track of appointments is just one thing Ashley Sheaffer does as a cancer navigator for Wellspan Health.
"I have around 60-65 patients that I follow," Sheaffer said.
From helping with transportation and child care, to helping a patient understand their illness and treatment options... they find the answers to the questions patients have.
"Every patient is different, every journey is different, their needs are different and I have to figure out what each person needs individually," she explained.
For Breanne Gruver, that meant quite a lot. "When you get that diagnosis, your head's spinning, you can't think straight, you can't even comprehend what to do, what to say, what to ask. I mean, I could have just sat in my room and cried all day long and been content to do so."
That's where a navigator steps in, as vital support.
"I depended on her so much to make sure everything was in line because I just wasn't strong enough," Gruver continued, the wife and mother of two was just 38 when she was diagnosed with Stage 1 ductal carcinoma.
"It's just been nice to have that to completely rely on for all aspects of care, having her show up on my first day of chemo for support and offering to go to appointments with me if my husband couldn't be there," Gruver said.
"The relationship that I build with a patient, I love being able to meet them at their initial consult and then follow them through their journey," said Sheaffer.
It's a relationship that goes far beyond what you typically expect from a nurse and her patient and one that Breanne says she will forever be grateful for.
"Just her as a person and just the way she makes me feel. I never feel stupid for asking anything," said Gruver.
For more information on nurse navigators at Wellspan Health, click here.