I work alongside patients to improve communication with healthcare teams, reduce confusion, and support informed decision-making. I provide non-clinical patient advocacy services to help individuals and families navigate complex healthcare systems.

Services include
- appointment preparation
- new diagnosis education and navigation
- care coordination support
- assistance identifying appropriate providers or specialists
- guidance navigating insurance processes
- assistance in communication with medical professionals
- assistance and support in end of life decisions


Patient education and understanding in regards to:
- diagnoses
- treatment plans
- medications
- diagnostic tests
- wound care
- durable medical equipment
- medical documentation
- hospital processes
- hospital and facility safety protocols
- patient bill of rights
- insurance processes and coverage

I have some areas of specialty that I offer. These areas stem from experiences that are not only professional, but also very personal. Those areas of specialty include:

- Type one Diabetes --> I have been a type one diabetic since I was 11 years old. However, my younger sister was diagnosed first, at 16 months old. I was nine and learned to manage the world of T1D as well as any adult (and this was in 1996!). I understand how isolating and stunned feeling this diagnosis can bring, I want to help you manage this scary new world that was just dumped onto you and your family and hopefully help you feel less alone and more confident in taking care of your health.

- Insulin pump therapy --> I have only used Medtronic Minimed pumps since I was 13 years old. However, living in the land of diabetes for almost 30 years combined with 15 years of nursing experience, I have become familiar with many different pump companies. I can offer guidance in choosing the best insulin pump or diabetes management for you based on your unique needs and lifestyle.

- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome hypermobility (EDS, hEDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia (POTS) --> I spent a lifetime being awkward and clumsy, incredibly flexible, tons of GI issues, random fainting and dizzy spells, and pain that was dismissed because there was no cause so I "must be making it up for attention." I have been referred from one doctor to another until I finally found my Obi-Wan Kenobi (my only hope). Finding the right doctor with rare diseases is fundamental. I want to help as many people as I can find that right doctor the first time. No one should have to go through the physical emotional and mental anguish of spending years looking for answers, looking for hope.

- Grave's Disease --> By the time I was diagnosed with this form of hyperthyroidism it had already attacked my eyes. Seemingly overnight, at the age of 13, my eyes bulged out of my head like a goldfish. The mental and physical toll that took on me has lasted a lifetime. I offer support in dealing with disease management and the subsequent manifestations that may arise during that journey.

- Celiac's Disease --> for the last 16 years I have been on a gluten free diet and man, do my taste bud miss gluten, however, my body does not. Let me help you find the right foods, doctors, tests, and lifestyle to improve your overall health and wellbeing.