- Terry Kelly was 62 years old when he was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2019.
- She had to travel an hour for treatment.
- After radiation began, Kelly spent more than $2,000 on hotels because she could no longer bear to drive.
This told essay is based on a conversation with Terry Kelly. Edited for length and clarity.
At the beginning of 2019, I felt an unpleasant throbbing sensation near my butt. I had suffered from hemorrhoids and anal fissures in the past, and I thought I was facing them again. I went to see a doctor and she discovered something more serious. It turned out that I had a cancerous tumor in my anus.
Hearing the word cancer is scary. You would never think it would happen to you. But there was good news. 83% of people People with localized anal cancer are still alive five years after diagnosis. Effective treatment protocols exist, but they are very intensive. 6 weeks of anal radiation and additional chemotherapy for her first week and her fifth week.
I contacted Cancer Hope Network Then I found a mentor who battled anal cancer 14 years ago. She said to me, “This is terrible, but it’s doable.” She wasn’t kidding.
The hour-long drive to treatment was excruciating.
I live in a really beautiful part of Washington state and my boat is docked in a part of Puget Sound right behind my house. One of the downsides to living here is that it’s rural. We have to drive 10 miles just to go to the grocery store. There is a small clinic about 15 minutes away, but it is not equipped to treat cancer at all, so I had to drive to a town an hour away for treatment.
An hour may not seem like a lot, but the entire journey was a really grueling journey. Imagine the worst hangover of your life times 20. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments made me feel that way. I retreated into myself the entire ride, just trying to get through it. But I knew I would have to drive home after the treatment and do it all again the next day and the following week.
Three weeks into treatment, my husband realized how much driving was taking a toll on me. He contacted the hotel directly across from the radiology clinic and gave us a huge discount. Still, he spent about $2,200 on rentals for his last three weeks of treatment.
I named the radiation machine to help me cope mentally.
During the radiation treatment, I had to pull down my pants and expose my buttocks. There was a huge machine behind me and I didn’t want to think about what it was doing to me.
Instead, I decided to befriend it. I named this machine Eddie the Eradicator. Every day I carried trinkets such as photos of loved ones and meaningful jewelry in my pockets. I might even be able to tell the machine what I had by saying, “Hey, Eddie, be nice.” It has allowed my mind to focus on the good things in life.
The end of treatment is a time for celebration, but the three weeks after radiation were the hardest. My entire groin and buttocks were rough and blistered. I had to lie in a recliner with my legs spread apart. I couldn’t wear underwear and it was painful to go to the bathroom.
I am now cancer free and helping others
A month after treatment ended, I was finally able to walk again and go out on my boat. Two months later, her husband and I took her on a short three-day road trip. A year later, doctors declared me cancer-free. It was music to my ears.
In the four years since then, I have become dedicated to sharing my story.like 90% of anal cancersmine was tied to Human papillomavirus (HPV), is the most common sexually transmitted disease in America. I might be a representative for the HPV vaccine. I’ve done some advocacy work. HPV Cancer Alliance To help people understand why vaccines are important.
I try to talk to my patients as well. Advice from people with experience in treatment was very helpful. Check-ins from friends and family were similar. Cancer is a very big disease, but small acts of kindness can help you overcome cancer every day.