Testimonials

Patients

“I contacted Allison shortly after a tumor was discovered on my kidney. Over a four month period Allison’s advice and knowledge were invaluable as I went through the initial discovery of the tumor, underwent surgery and tried to understand my surgical pathology. I believe it very well could have saved my life.

After being advised to "just wait because the lesion was small" by a doctor in another field, Allison looked at and explained the radiology reports and told me not to wait. She recommended that I get an oncologist immediately and she told us exactly what to look for in the oncologist. Allison helped us understand what we were told at the doctor visits and she left me with simple action items after each visit. She also offered to help find specialists, come to appointments or just give me some questions to ask. When we received the pathology reports after surgery, we did not fully understand what it meant. She read it like it was English - from terms and letters/numbers to colors and explained it in very simple terms.

I am certain there is no way this process would have gone this well if we tried to navigate it on our own. Allison had us informed and prepared. She was such a gift from God!”

Diane D.

"I was extremely fortunate having Allison by my side when my difficult cancer surgery and recovery occurred. She became the anchor for both myself and family, providing us with her professional guidance as well as her compassion when we most needed it. Even with my surgeon, oncologist, radiologist and nurses, Allison was the one person that gave me strength. Her expertise and sincere understanding of exactly what I was going through reinforced my success in a life-changing event.

There is no question that Allison’s knowledge and professional background will be a gift you will want with your team from the beginning to recovery.”

Nancy Murgida

Allison was instrumental in helping me to navigate the complexity of a very unexpected breast cancer diagnosis. My story starts with an abnormal mammogram and biopsy at the age of 49. I was shocked to receive the news that I was part of that 10% that came back positive for breast cancer. I felt as though my body had somehow betrayed me. I met with one oncologist without Allison and the information I received was very upsetting. I could barely remember everything that she told me and my friend that came with me was just as overwhelmed by the news. I was encouraged by a friend that had breast cancer to get a few different opinions on treatment plans. I surfed the web on my diagnosis and sat in my home office and cried. The more I researched my diagnosis the more it depressed me. I was then introduced to Allison from a friend of a friend. A breast cancer diagnosis is very overwhelming and there are many decisions you need to make quickly. I had an aggressive form of breast cancer; I managed to make all my decisions quickly and was in surgery in four weeks. While family and friends are trying to help support you during a difficult time — it can also be very overwhelming to deal with their discomfort and opinions on what you "should do.”

Allison quickly became a trusted advisor and friend in helping me to sort through a lot of medical information and make decisions on my treatment plan. Allison accompanied me to few doctor visits with my future oncology team at Mass General Hospital (MGH). She helped me to take notes and asked questions on my behalf that I would never have thought to ask. I was able to explore treatment options with the MGH oncology team that were not offered at other hospitals. This was all thanks to Allison, her experience as an oncology nurse practitioner and her network. Initially, my family was not exactly on board with my decision to have a double mastectomy. In some ways it seemed like they were more afraid than I was. I talked to Allison, and she helped me to feel confident about my decision and not succumb to the opinions of others. I will also note that there is no history of any type of cancer in my family. The about a week before my surgery I had an MRI (standard protocol), and the results revealed that I had cancer in both breasts! My surgeon was surprised, but since I had already made my decision for a double mastectomy it didn’t impact the surgery or treatment plan. Allison helped me to know what to expect before and after the surgery as well as during my treatment. I asked her lots of questions especially on diet and managing the side effects of chemo. Allison offered great advice based on her experience. My two surgeries went very well, and I am very pleased with how I look today. My chemotherapy treatment lasted four months and I had a year of Herceptin infusions. Allison accompanied me to my first infusion treatment for moral support as my family lives almost three hours away. My treatment was going well, and Allison would check in with me periodically. I cannot say enough wonderful things about how Allison helped to make a challenging time a lot less overwhelming. It has been almost a year since I completed all of my treatment and I am happy to say that my life is “back to normal.” Allison made the entire ordeal so much easier to manage."

Warmest Regards,
Heidi Ramich

Professionals

"I worked very closely as a collaborating physician with Allison for several years as the Chair of the Department of Hematology Oncology at a local hospital. She is a smart, experienced person who understands the complexities of our health care system and she excels at helping patients and families on their journeys through cancer care. She is compassionate, a good listener and can patiently help those in need with difficult decision-making. Allison is a strong patient advocate and is always supportive of the patients and families for whom she cares. I would welcome her support and guidance if I were seriously ill."

Leslie Martin, MD

“It has been tremendously helpful having Allison involved in my patient’s care. She plays a crucial role in medical information/history gathering both as the patient’s advocate and in assisting with the patient’s understanding of her medical illness and treatment plan. Allison’s presence makes the visit more productive because I am better able to address all of the patient's needs.”

Doja Chi, MD
Hematology Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute SSH

Family

"When my sister Dianne, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, my life was changed forever. The prognosis was not very good. She would be lucky to live another 5 years. They say with every cloud there is a silver lining and I consider myself and my sister blessed to have met Allison Morse. Allison was Dianne's nurse practitioner. She was an NP who came from a place of compassion and understanding. I can't ever remember a time when Allison wasn't there for us. From treatment days, to doctors’ visits to surgeries, Allison always kept us informed of what was going to happen and why it was happening. What I was most grateful for while my sister was being treated was Allison's concern about my sister's quality of life. Dianne wanted a good quality of life for whatever time she had left here on earth, and those words where heard.

There is no doubt in my mind the care Dianne received with Allison by her side extended her life. Dianne remained with us for 6 1/2 years. The quality of her life was beautiful and fulfilling for most of the time. My sister was able to enjoy her life; one that was cut short far too soon. With Allison, we laughed and we cried, but mostly we lived and enjoyed my sister’s beautiful life. I was there with my sister through every surgery and every scan and 98% of her chemotherapy treatments and doctors’ visits.

I know Allison Morse as a nurse practitioner perhaps as well as anyone that she has ever cared for. If we are all in God's hands, then surely with Allison we were touched by one of God's Angels."

With Deep Appreciation,
Cynthia Lanciloti