The newest walker at WWAD Santa Barbara is the husband of someone who Dr. Hone went to high school with. Her friend wasn’t fond of doctors, and avoided them unless absolutely necessary(!). Last year, she had rapidly worsening abdominal pain and swelling. She thought she had appendicitis, so she finally went to the ER and found out she had stage 4 ovarian cancer.
She and her husband reached out to Dr. Hone via Facebook when she was first diagnosed. As many of us have learned the hard way, navigating the healthcare system can be very difficult. Dr. Hone was honored to support them both through the ordeal of finding help, understanding their insurance (an Exchange plan, that had no providers within 35 miles of their home), then treatment and eventually, hospice.
The happier part of the story is that a few months after his wife passed away, her husband started attending Walk with a Doc almost every week. Initially, it may have been just a good reason to get out of the house. But over time, he’s refocused on his personal health, lost some weight, and made some great new friends. And the Santa Barbara group has been thoroughly entertained by his wit and conversation, so it isn’t clear who is helping who more!
Yet another reason to KEEP WALKING.
Dr. Hone says she is truly honored to lead her Walk with a Doc in Santa Barbara, and help make incredible stories like this possible.
