CancerAid: Support for Cancer Patients & Caregivers

Cancer Patient Support

When you get diagnosed with cancer, it can be isolating, hard to manage, and very challenging to get by day to day. What I found most helpful throughout my experience with cancer is the amount of support I had. My husband, my family, and my close friends were constantly there for me. If it wasn’t for them, the whole cancer thing would have been much harder.

My husband was there for every appointment, he kept track of my medications, doctor’s notes, test results, symptoms, side effects, etc. On top of that, he provided me the emotional support.

Another place where I got the most support was from my breasties. I found my community where I know I’m not alone with my struggles. This is a new life I am going through and it is hard for an individual who has never experienced living with cancer to relate. I am so thankful to have this bond with my breasties. We understand each other’s struggle and the best part is that there is no judgement.

I have been so blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people, but I keep thinking about those who may not have the same support as I do. For instance, what if trying to find a community of people similar to what I have with breasties was not as easily attainable due to location, convenience, etc.? Or, what if the caregivers need additional support?

CancerAid

CancerAid is an app meant for those who are looking for support (or additional support). It has been voted as the No. 1 cancer app in the US, UK, and Australia!

CancerAid was designed by patients, doctors, and co-survivors (caregivers) and is endorsed by leading cancer hospitals and charities. This app is user friendly and is tailored towards cancer patients’ needs.

This app provides additional support for anyone that is diagnosed with cancer or for their co-survivors. Because, as I mentioned previously, co-survivors go through cancer too even if they are not the ones diagnosed. They go through so much and they need just as much support. The app is a digital companion traveling with patients and c0-survivors.

Why CancerAid?

Community

CancerAid provides a sense of community so that you don’t have to feel alone or isolated. It connects you with other patients (survivors) and co-survivors that are going through similar experiences. In the newsfeed, you can read blog posts from cancer patients about what they’re going through, what survivorship is like, and in general just a sense of what life is now. Some of the blog posts are from co-survivors (caregivers) too. You can also keep up with the latest medical news.

Track Medical Information

When you are diagnosed with cancer, there is a lot you need to keep track of. From test results to doctor’s notes and everything in between, this app lets you keep all that information in one place. That way you never lose it and you know where to look for it. And since this information is private information, CancerAid makes you enter your 4 digit numerical passcode when you enter the app. This app is meant for your eyes only.

Journals

Personal

The app has a personal journal where you can document your experience and progress. You can utilize texts or video to express your personal journey.

Symptom/Side Effect Tracker

There’s also a second journal known as a symptom journal. Not only do you go through symptoms and side effects, but you also need to track them. I know I did and I would have to report them to my oncologist. The CancerAid app has a tracker so that you can keep track of your symptoms or any side effects easily. So when you go to your doctor appointments, you have all that information readily available. I also know that tracking these symptoms makes it better for the patient because you become aware as to when you will get certain symptoms and you can prepare for them and know when to take the meds to prevent them.

Advice

It can provide advice on your treatments such as what to expect, side effects you may encounter, and the likelihood you will encounter them. Learn more information about your treatments so that you can make an informed decision about what your next steps are.

Champions

This is a neat feature. A Champion is anyone that is a family member, friend, or medical team member that can view aspects of your CancerAid profile. They can monitor your progress by looking at your symptom journal or other information that you may have inputted in the app. That way they are aware of what is going on. You have the control to nominate who you want to be a Champion(s). I think it is great that a doctor can be a Champion because they can pretty much get updates real time. Champions can also provide advice and support.

A Virtual Companion

What I love about this app is how convenient it is. Nowadays, we have our phones with us no matter where we are. Which means this app is available any time. Having cancer is a lot to handle and deal with. It is more than just hearing the words ‘you have cancer’. It’s everything that goes along with it during the cancer experience. It is a process and it is a lot for one person to handle. This app provides assistance and tries to make it as easy as possible.

As I mentioned, the cancer patient (survivor) is not the only person that can benefit from the CancerAid app. Co-survivors can utilize this well and receive the same support and benefit.

Additional Information

As I mentioned above, every time you go into the app it will require a passcode. The reason behind this is to protect you. You are storing medical and personal information which is considered to be private. That way only you can view and see it.

The app is completely free to download and use. So there isn’t any financial commitment on your end. CancerAid is constantly thinking of innovative ways to provide additional assistance. They are working towards more enhancements to make things easier for the cancer patient and co-survivors.

If you just downloaded the app and need more assistance with setting up, check out this user guide.

I hope you all find this to be very helpful! If I had known about this app a couple years ago, Tre and I would have started using it from the beginning. For now, we are using it to connect with others, read more on medical updates, and track my symptoms.

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xo RD