When someone receives a cancer diagnosis, a lot goes into their care plan. Steve Powell was losing weight and hope while he was going through a cancer diagnosis.

Along with receiving cancer treatments at the Goshen Center for Cancer Care, his diet was a big focus on getting him better.

“Nothing against Fort Wayne, nothing against Indianapolis. But Fort Wayne sent me home, 4 to 6 months to live. You know, said that’s it,” says Steve.

That was over 2 years ago, when Steve was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Looking for another option, a friend recommended him to the Goshen Center for Cancer Care from his experience.

“It’s 50 miles, but I’m so thankful the good lord blessed me to meet with Tiffany and all the rest of them up here.”

Tiffany is an oncology dietitian at the Goshen Center for Cancer Care. When she met Steve, he was only 127 pounds.

“We wanted to get his muscles up, his strength up, keep his weight up,” says Tiffany Swartzentruber.

The problem, food was hard for Steve to eat.

“It’s one of those things all cancer patients have to go through, you gotta find at that particular day actually tastes good,” says Steve.

Tiffany and Steve worked together to come up with a plan to get Steve’s weight up, despite food not always tasting the best.

“With cancer, with cancer treatment, most things are out of your control. What you’re going to get, what’s going to happen, but eating is one thing you can control. So, maximizing putting the good things in, giving your body the foods that it needs to help recover, keep muscle up, fight the cancer, that’s our goal,” says Tiffany.

Working with a dietician is included with the comprehensive care plan at the Goshen Center for Care, looking at each individual patient’s needs. That’s why Goshen won Steve over.

“It all takes all of us, you know, to make everything work to where my life has been saved, been spared so to speak. You know, this hospital up here is small enough, but yet accommodating enough, will to try different things that that’s the reason I’m here,” says Steve.

Steve received immunotherapy at the Goshen Center for Cancer Care, and he and Tiffany are happy to report he’s successfully gaining weight.