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Callie Piper is a planner with a capital ¡°P.¡± And nothing thrown her way during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed that.

¡°I¡¯ve always been ultra-organized,¡± says Callie, an event planner with a human resources company. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more rewarding than detailing every step of a project in advance, then seeing it play out perfectly.¡±

Those planning skills kicked in two months ago when Callie was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called Hodgkin lymphoma.

¡°Fighting this disease would involve at least six months of appointments and procedures,¡± she says. ¡°My calendar was about to drastically change.¡±

Callie shared her treatment schedule with her boyfriend and best friend so that one or both could accompany her to every appointment.

¡°I knew I¡¯d need help remembering everything the doctor told me,¡± she says. ¡°And, frankly, it¡¯s reassuring to have a loved one there holding my hand. I¡¯m a strong and independent person, but cancer is scary.¡±

A plan for Callie¡¯s Hodgkin lymphoma treatment

Callie¡¯s first visit to MD Anderson on March 4 was filled with back-to-back tests that began at 6:45 a.m. and lasted until 5:30 p.m. The results confirmed that the initial diagnosis provided by her hometown doctor was accurate.  She had stage II Hodgkin lymphoma.

¡°I felt vulnerable and confident at the same time,¡± she recalls. ¡°Vulnerable because I had cancer, yet confident that MD Anderson ¨C the best cancer center in the country ¨C would help me beat this disease.¡±

During the appointment, Callie met her new oncologist, , who spelled out the next steps.

¡°She laid it on the line,¡± Callie remembers. ¡°I¡¯d have six months of chemotherapy, and if that didn¡¯t wipe out all my cancer, I¡¯d have a bone marrow transplant. Dr. Ahmed had it all planned out ¨C you know, I like that. Never proceed without a plan.¡±

COVID-19 precautions bring changes for cancer treatment

A week later, Callie underwent her first round of chemotherapy. Her boyfriend, Michael, was tied up with a work assignment in Austin, so her best friend came along.

That¡¯s the last time ¨C for a while ¨C that a visitor would be allowed to hold Callie¡¯s hand during chemotherapy. To protect patients and employees from the coronavirus, MD Anderson was no longer permitting visitors to accompany patients to appointments.

¡°The night before my second chemotherapy session, I checked  ¨C MD Anderson¡¯s patient portal,¡± Callie says. ¡°A notice appeared saying that effective the next day, March 24 ¨C the day of my chemo ¨C visitors were no longer allowed due to COVID-19.¡±

Finding another way despite COVID-19 visitor changes

Michael had planned to accompany Callie to her appointment, and she was determined that he would, despite the pandemic.

True to form, she made a plan. She would take her iPad to MD Anderson, and use it to bring Michael into the treatment room.

The next morning, the couple drove to MD Anderson. Because he wasn¡¯t allowed inside, Michael delivered Callie to the front door, then drove to an MD Anderson-designated cell phone lot where families wait while their loved ones are inside.

Within minutes, Callie called Michael to say she¡¯d made it through the COVID-19 screening that checks for fever, and was cleared to enter the building.

¡°Once he knew I was inside, he began driving home, where his computer was waiting to connect to my iPad,¡± Callie explains.

Another person in the room

As Michael drove, Callie arrived at her first stop ¨C the MD Anderson lab, where a technician drew her blood in preparation for chemotherapy. Next, she proceeded to Ahmed¡¯s office and met with the medical team.

And she invited a visitor into the room.

¡°I used my iPad to call Michael using FaceTime video chat,¡± Callie says, ¡°Then I sat my iPad in the exam room chair, exactly where Michael would have sat if he¡¯d been there.¡±

Callie carefully positioned the device to offer Michael the best view of herself and the medical staff.

¡°It was just like he was in the room with us,¡± she says. ¡°The staff talked to the iPad as though it was Michael in the chair.¡±

And Michael talked back.

¡°I listened to what the medical staff said and took notes,¡± he recalls. ¡°I heard the results of her lab tests. I asked questions for clarification. It was the next-best thing to being there in person.¡±

After her doctor cleared Callie for chemo, she proceeded to treatment with ¡°Michael¡± in tow.

He kept her company while four cancer-fighting drugs were infused into her bloodstream for three hours, then drove back to the hospital to pick her up and take her home.

¡°Having him ¡®virtually¡¯ there was a nice diversion,¡± Callie says. ¡°Time just flew by.¡±

The power of technology

The FaceTime experience was so successful that Callie is now expanding her chemotherapy chats to include additional family members.

¡°I have a wide network of family support, but most of my relatives are in Utah and South Dakota,¡± she says. ¡°They had all booked flights to Houston and were planning to take turns being here to support me, but COVID-19 put a stop to that.¡±

During this time of social distancing, Callie encourages patients to use technology to keep family and friends informed and to stay on top of MD Anderson¡¯s latest updates.

¡°Check MD Anderson¡¯s website and social media sites during this time of rapidly evolving information,¡± she advises. ¡°MD Anderson will tell you what you need to know before you even think to ask. When cancer and coronavirus leave you feeling vulnerable, staying informed gives you back some control.¡±

Learn about MD Anderson¡¯s COVID-19 precautions.