Thanks to
advanced care,
Kelly’s cancer-free
Kelly Farley’s initial symptoms were mild. “Other people
would chalk it up as nothing,” she said. But her father had
died of colon cancer, so she talked to her doctor and had
a colonoscopy, even though she was only 38.
“It’s always scary to hear ‘cancer,’” she said, “But hearing
stage 3 colorectal cancer was a big shock.”
Within two days, Kelly and her husband, Josh, had met her
surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists and knew how
her journey would proceed. Having a personal nurse navigator
was also comforting. “We always went in to see Elaine with a
full list of questions and she answered every one,” Kelly said.
Though she would need surgery, Kelly had chemotherapy and
radiation treatments fi rst, to improve long-term prospects of
remission. She trusted her medical team, faith, family, and
friends to see her through the months ahead.
At Forbes Hospital, James McCormick, DO, performed robotic
surgery to remove 9–10 inches of her rectum and one of her
ovaries, where the cancer had spread. Once her colon healed,
Dr. McCormick reversed her ileostomy and reconnected her
digestive organs. Her physicians will continue to monitor her
health with periodic exams.
On January 15, 2019, Kelly had her fi rst cancer-free scan.
“We celebrated with a trip to Mexico in April,” said Kelly.
“But really, we celebrate every day.”
“During my care,
everyone was
wonderful, positive,
and optimistic.”
KELLY FARLEY, CANCER SURVIVOR
3
MOST COMMON
CANCER IS
COLORECTAL
CANCER*
50
AGE TO BEGIN COLORECTAL
SCREENINGS*
* cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html