Cancer Support
Get essential support against cancer at the START Center
In our effort to best support the medical aspects of your cancer treatment, we offer you access to a number of complementary — and essential — services designed to make your cancer care easier.
Breast cancer recovery doesn't stop when the cancer's gone
If you need to undergo or have already undergone a mastectomy, there’s a wide range of mastectomy products that are covered by Medicare. Often, women who have had one or both breasts removed understandably feel like they stand out. With mastectomy products, you will feel some return to the normalcy of the days before your breast cancer.
Some of the products that can help in your recovery include:
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Mastectomy bras
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Silicone breast forms
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Specially-made camisoles, tanks & nightgowns
Treating chemotherapy side effects goes beyond medication
The most common and visible side effect of chemotherapy is hair loss. In order to combat this and allow you to feel a greater degree of comfort in your day-to-day life, we’re happy to refer you to a provider who offers a variety of wigs, nightcaps, hats, and swim caps. Designed to help bring back the social and sensory comfort you had prior to your diagnosis, many of these hair products are also covered by Medicare and are designed with your specific needs as a cancer patient in mind.
Counseling and support: don't face cancer alone
The mental toll of cancer and treatment is often the unsung burden of the entire ordeal — but not here at START. We know what’s going on mentally and emotionally because of the thousands of people we’ve cared for over the years, and because some of our employees are cancer survivors themselves. We also have many professionals as well as fellow and former patients who are here to help you cope with the stress of cancer.
Cancer support groups in the community meet on a regular basis to give you the chance to talk with others who are, or have been in your shoes about the aspects of cancer treatment that only your comrades will understand. Knowing there are other people out there experiencing similar hardships will inspire you with a sense of community and help combat anxiety, stress, loneliness and all the other emotions that may come with cancer and treatment.
In addition to (or instead of) speaking to other cancer patients, many people see benefit in talking to a professional counselor about their concerns. We can refer you to a counselor who is well versed in the common psychological struggles of cancer patients and can give you practical, tested advice on how to keep the optimistic attitude necessary to beat your disease.
At START we strive to minimize the mental energy you spend on finances
Cancer care can be costly. We will sit down with you for a separate financial counseling appointment to discuss your benefits and fascilitate connections to assistance as needed. For more information, click here.
Along with our financial planning assistance, we also offer you drug-replacement plans: if one type of medication isn’t compatible with your budget (or your medical reality), we can work with you to find alternative treatment paths.
We have every aspect of cancer care planned and ready. For more information about our support services, or to schedule an appointment, call 210-593-5700. You can also schedule an appointment using our easy online form.