Tip for Mams: Ask for Help When You Need it! with Amy Lacopi, MPH
My advice to Mamas – ASK FOR HELP! Whether it’s a professional patient advocate, postpartum doula, lactation consultant, your doctor, therapist, neighbor, or best friend – there are always people willing to help but they often don’t know what to do. If someone offers assistance, don’t be afraid to give them specific guidelines; for example, “Thank you for your offer to help our family. We would absolutely love a plate of lasagna if you could leave it on our doorstep tomorrow night.”
I started Iacopi Health Research after my mother was diagnosed with an unusual subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The oncologists did a wonderful job taking care of my mother, but I noticed something missing: there was no one dedicated to addressing my mother’s-or both my parents’-needs and concerns beyond the medical aspects of the cancer.
As a patient advocate and ally, I support you and your family logistically and emotionally by acting as your medical research assistant. I will be your facilitator of communication with clinicians and family members, your referral specialist, hand holder, note taker, and so much more.