Jerry Morris – Cancer Care

Diagnosed with cancer, Jerry Morris is grateful for his team of Riverwood Healthcare Center caregivers.

“When I was in Arizona for the winter, my shoulder locked up and was causing me pain,” Jerry explains. “Upon my return to Minnesota I saw Dr. Austin Krohn and a CT scan revealed that I have stage 4 cancer.”

Jan Hegman, nurse practitioner and oncology care coordinator, contacted Jerry immediately after his diagnosis to offer information and support.

“When you’re sick with cancer, you need someone to be there for you,” Jerry says. “Jan calls me just to see how I’m feeling and has been on top of my care from day one. She told me that with cancer all through my body, they couldn’t cure it but they could help me manage it. When I have a problem with pain pill, she helps. When I need information about my care, she advises me.”

Shortly after he got his cancer diagnosis, Jerry was very impressed when Jan offered to help him get a second opinion if he desired. But he was confident that he was getting the best care from Dr. Aby Philip, oncologist, and the entire Riverwood oncology team.

As Jerry has undergone immunotherapy treatment, the infusion nurses have played a big role in his cancer care.

“The infusion nurses are very pleasant and focused on you as a patient,” Jerry says. “They go the extra mile for the patient, as do many others coordinating my care. When I had a scan to see how the infusions were working, it normally takes three days to get test results. However, I got a phone call from Jessica Nybakken, oncology nurse practitioner, later the same day on a Friday so I wouldn’t have to wait through the weekend. I learned that the cancer in my lung had shrunk to half the size and my bone cancer had been reduced by 20 to 30 percent.”

When Jerry and wife, Carolyn, return to Arizona for the winter, Riverwood has arranged for his infusion and oncology care to continue seamlessly until his return to Minnesota.

 

 

 

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