Sandy’s story

Sandy P.‘s health got so bad she couldn’t walk. With health insurance through her husband’s work “too expensive to buy”, she resorted to visiting the Rosewood Family Health Center where certified physician’s assistant Gina Rao recommended she enroll in Project Access.

Sandy makes the ensuing 18-month battle with skin cancer sound almost easy. She saw a dermatologist, who did a biopsy; then she saw a gastroenterologist who had her in for a colonoscopy. Finally, OHSU’s Dr. Daniel Herzig performed a surgery to remove the growth.

“In between all this,” Sandy said, “Project Access helped me with medications.”

Sandy has been cancer-free for four months. The experience was unforgettable:

“I saw nothing but top doctors. I was shocked when the dermatologist personally called me to tell me the test results. Everyone was as wonderful as can be. Now I can wear pants again. And walk.”

(March 2010)

Photo credit: Andie Petkus Photography