MedWatch: Otsego Memorial Hospital

When someone is diagnosed with any disease, finding the best treatment is crucial.

But so is trying to maintain some sense of normal life, if at all possible.

That’s why being close to home can be a big part of healing.

We meet a man who is a perfect example in today’s MedWatch.

Mike Andrews got the news no one wants to hear a year ago.

His doctor told him he had stage three colon cancer.

"He delivered the worst news of my life, but he also delivered the best news after my last follow up and told me I was now cancer free. The whole experience went full circle from the worst to the best," says Mike.

And for mike, what happened in between those two points almost all happened just a few miles from his home, at .

"Doing it locally was the only way I wanted to go, because I was able to maintain a full work schedule, it didn’t interrupt that other than the appointment time, so I was able to continue working right on through. Which really helps because, you don’t’ have, you’re busy, you don’t’ want to have that dragging you down, you gotta keep going the next day," explains Mike.

He said for him, chemotherapy and radiation truly weren’t that bad — and he really did keep going.

"They were able to infuse me, and I was able to take a pump home with me, and I would be plugged in and pump for another 3-4 days and then come in and have a week off, and then that routine kept going," says Mike.

Doctors say being close to home is the best option for patients.

"Diagnosis of cancer is emotionally draining and also physically draining, the treatment they have to go through can be intensive, it can be long days of needing chemotherapy infusion, so to add on a 1.5-2 hour commute one way can be really stressful and exhausting for patients,” says Dr. Jennifer Lawhorn, Otsego Memorial Hospital oncologist.

The facility is here for the Gaylord area, because of the people who live nearby.

"In 2007 the renovation project was totally funded by the community. Recent renovations were funding by the community. It really demonstrates that our community and supporters want to see this building here and want to be able to offer cancer services close to home," says Christie Perdue, foundation and marketing director at Otsego Memorial Hospital.

And those most recent changes are to make this place feel more like home.

"New flooring, new lighting, new countertops and such, and it sounds like simple renovations but we really did it in hopes of making it more homelike. Simple sconces on the windows and the lighting so patients can really feel comfortable when they’re getting the treatment," explains Christie.

For Mike, he felt surrounded by friends in a comfortable environment.

Just one more reason to have treatment where you live.

"Four miles from home, that’s where I’m going for my treatment, because I gotta see these guys at the grocery store, so if they do something wrong I can run a cart over them or something," jokes Mike.