After my first mammogram at 40, I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. In January of this year, I began chemotherapy at the Cancer Center. I was introduced to Kelly Hagner through a mutual friend - just days before my initial consultation with the doctor. Kelly offered to come to this consultation and take notes for me. She also did my chemotherapy education. She assured me that I was in excellent care and showed genuine compassion for what I was about to walk through.
There are SO many examples of how Kelly made a difference in my life. She always has a smile on her face! Kelly spent time with my family to answer their questions. She made us laugh when we needed to but also held my hand when I was anxious. While there are so many things I could say about her extraordinary skill attentiveness personality and kindness there is one story that I believe sets Kelly apart from MANY amazing nurses. Kelly saved my life!
I was given a very common schedule of chemo treatments - (4) AC and (12) Taxol. With God's grace, I got through the first (4) rounds without any major issues. Of course, I had the common side effects and it wasn't easy. Kelly wasn't always my Oncology Nurse, but if she was working she would make an effort to check on me. When I switched to the (12) weekly Taxol treatments the wheels started to fall off the bus. I developed a fever that I had every day for weeks. I quickly declined. I was working 32-40 hours a week during the AC treatments and this dropped to 8 hours a week. I developed shortness of breath. I had severe bone and joint pains. After my second treatment, I came in to get a Neupogen shot. Kelly could see I wasn't doing well. She communicated with the doctor and he agreed that it was important to see me that same day. The doctor did an exam and sent me for a lung CT. The results of this were positive - no blood clot or pneumonia. During this time my counts took a huge dip and they would need to wait a couple of days or until the next week to try chemo again.
Unfortunately, the two rounds of antibiotics didn't have any impact and I continued to have fever and shortness of breath. At my 5th treatment, I asked my nurse if she could talk to the doctor about prescribing Nebulizer medication because my breathing had gotten extremely bad. It was so bad that just walking from the living room to the bathroom would make it almost impossible for me to catch my breath. Kelly was there when my nurse was discussing this with the Oncology Pharmacist. Kelly insisted that something was very wrong. I didn't have any of the common Taxol side effects and the ones I was experiencing were getting worse every week. Kelly persisted with the pharmacist that she feared pursuing any additional treatment may be detrimental to my health.
Everyone I talked to during this time collectively said the same thing - they had never seen this kind of a reaction to Taxol. They reviewed a few case studies with patients having a similar response and called the doctor. Prior to this, the doctor had given the green light to proceed with treatment that day (blood work showed my counts were just above the line). The pharmacist shared the situation and how strongly he and Kelly felt that I shouldn't receive treatment. Together they decided that it was not in my best interest to receive treatment that day. The pharmacist told me that in these case studies the patients developed interstitial pneumonia (or pneumonitis) as a result of a reaction to the Taxol. I was fired from chemo, put on a potent dose of prednisone and referred to a Pulmonologist.
When I met with the Pulmonologist, he forewarned me that I could have permanent damage to my lungs. However, I am blessed to say that stopping the Taxol and going on that temporary dose of prednisone breathed life back into my body! I have no doubt that Kelly saved my life! She was competent in her job to understand when something was wrong. But she also took the time to understand me and listen. I wasn't really a lot of help because I just assumed what I was going through was normal. The lung toxicity that I developed could have taken my life. No one knows if that 5th treatment could have been fatal. But I DO know that she advocated for me in a way I could have never done for myself - as sick as I was in that place. Kelly is an AMAZING nurse that God is using to change the world.