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Guest Column | Cancer survivor shares gratitude for local support after diagnosis

By Staff | Jun 7, 2024

By Julia Kellberg

When you’re diagnosed with stage 4 blood cancer, your world changes in ways you never could have imagined. Today, I am cancer-free, and I am thankful for every day that I feel stronger. 

Nearly 40% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes, according to the National Institute of Health’s National Cancer Institute based on 2015-2017 data. 

It will touch all of us in some way, and if it hasn’t yet, you might not have considered its impact. This is about my journey and the local resources that saved my life and helped me get back to what I love.

With support and care, the cancer journey doesn’t have to be dark, regardless of how difficult. 

The Beginning

I am an avid golfer who plays three or four times a week. In May 2022, I was on the 16th hole, and I hit the ball really poorly. Something felt off and I felt a pain in my upper back. 

I didn’t think much of it, attributing it to a pulled muscle, so I continued to play the round. Three or four days later, I knew something wasn’t right. I was in significant pain in my upper back and rib cage. I went to the Urgent Care and eventually to the Emergency Department, and the doctors told me they found a cyst on my ovary.

They took it out and three days later, I was still in intense pain and I couldn’t sleep. Over nine days, I had a lot of tests done. They came back negative for cancer, but an MRI found two tumors. This was a significant turning point. I’m so grateful that I recognized the severity of my pain and the medical team kept looking further to find me an answer. 

I was an inpatient at Gulf Coast Medical Center on the seventh floor, and two to three hours after a biopsy came back, I had an oncologist, physician assistant, nurse navigator, and social worker at my side. A whole army rallied around me, and they never stopped.

They told me I had lymphoma. 

I quickly learned everything I never wanted to know about lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. It occurs when abnormal white blood cells multiply and overwhelm your lymphatic system. The survival rate varies by age.

Moving into the Hospital

I began six cycles of inpatient chemotherapy and four cycles of preventive chemotherapy through the Lee Health Cancer Institute.  

The seventh floor at Gulf Coast Medical Center is dedicated solely to inpatient cancer care. The “hospital within a hospital” is outfitted with specialized patient beds for the various treatments my 72 roommates and I were there to receive. I got to know each member of my cancer care team, and we became like a family.

Each cycle was four days of continuous chemo, and I was there for a week at a time. 

I asked many questions, and my team showed me patience and kindness, explaining every nuance I wanted to know to adjust to my new life. I spent 64 days in the hospital and got to know the team very well. I walked the floor when I felt well enough, accompanied by my friends in their matching t-shirts with “Lymphoma Support Squad” emblazoned on the front. Those visits from friends, alongside the medical team rooting me on, made the weeks of inpatient treatment possible with smiles, laughs, and so much love. My family in California also made sure to keep up with my journey and support me from afar. 

My nurse navigator, Rhonda, called me regularly to check in, asking if I had questions about my medication, learning how I was feeling, and detailing new layers of support I could find through Lee Health as I stepped forward in my cancer journey. I appreciated that, too.

Nurse navigators provide one-on-one encouragement and education, explain treatments, connect patients with services, and help guide patients and their families on the cancer journey.

Getting Back to Myself

Palliative medicine supports the mind, body, and spiritual needs when someone has a severe illness, such as cancer, stroke, or dementia. Cancer treatment can do a number on the body, and Palliative Care was there to help me manage pain and symptoms during and after chemotherapy. 

The team includes social workers, nurse practitioners, and physician specialists who work to understand what patients are going through so they can assist in improving their quality of life. Palliative Care can make a massive difference in treatment and recovery by explaining complex issues simply, coordinating all aspects of treatment, and helping patients manage their symptoms and pain.

I used Palliative Care for almost two years as I worked through my journey. They made a world of difference for me, from something more minor, like chemo-induced mouth sores, to making strides in my neuropathy. 

My Golf Game

The game of golf, in so many ways, led me to my cancer diagnosis, uncovering what my body was telling me was happening inside. While progress was slow, I knew I needed to get back on the golf course to feel like myself. 

After treatment, I had a lot of muscle deterioration. Even the golf club weighed a lot, making it difficult to hold and swing at first. 

While your body is busy fighting cancer, all your energy is used for the battle. Cancer Rehab was critical to getting me back on a golf course. Every little victory and sign of normalcy gave me hope and helped me keep going.

I fell into a different way of doing things while my body battled a disease and adapted to a new normal. I sought out physical therapy, and they helped me learn how to walk, climb stairs, and many little things I often take for granted. Cancer Rehab helped me do things correctly and with less pain. I wanted to regain my strength, and my rehab team was just as passionate as I was about getting me there.

Cancer rehab is a complementary part of cancer care offered to cancer survivors and patients undergoing treatment at Lee Health. In addition to physical therapy, they also provide occupational therapy and speech therapy. Cancer Rehab navigation consults are free, and appointments can be made in person or by phone. They do not require a physician referral.

After three months, I could play golf again and am almost 100% back to normal. 

I wouldn’t have known how to do a lot of things if it weren’t for the team surrounding me, holding my hand, directing me to my next phases of life with cancer, and showing me the way through it.

My friends, family, and cancer care team at Lee Health helped me through my diagnosis to my survival. It takes a village, along with a positive attitude. 

As I get stronger, my whole outlook gets better. I’m returning to who I was before cancer came into my life, closing my cancer chapter. 

I am a survivor, and cancer does not define me.

Julia Kellberg, stage 4 lymphoma cancer survivor and Lee Health Cancer Institute patient.