At first, the signs of ovarian cancer were easy to ignore for former Symetra Tour golfer Brittany Kelly.
The bloating, fatigue, frequent need to urinate and abdominal pain are symptoms many women learn to tolerate, so cancer didn’t initially cross her mind.
The 2019 Indiana PGA Women’s Player of the Year started to experience the symptoms last November during a tournament in Florida. The discomfort didn’t affect her play, as she battled her way to a 15th-place finish among other top assistant professionals.
When the former Ball State University star and two-year Symetra Tour player returned home to Indiana and the symptoms continued, she knew she had to see a doctor.
“I didn’t know much about ovarian cancer,” Kelly said. “Ovarian cancer is what they consider a silent killer. It happens so fast and as soon as you get it it’s typically a later stage and the survival rate isn’t very high.
“The symptoms are the biggest thing. You can’t just go and get a test for it. It’s based off of how your body is feeling. It’s normal symptoms, I think women kind of brush them off.”
An MRI in early December revealed a mass on her ovary. She returned for more tests on Christmas Eve and surgery to remove the mass was scheduled Jan. 9.
The tumor was removed and sent to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to determine if it was cancerous. After a grueling three-week wait, Kelly learned that the tumor was cancerous.
She was diagnosed with Stage I clear cell ovarian cancer. Stage I means the cancer is limited to the ovary/ovaries or Fallopian tubes and has not spread, but it was also Grade III, meaning the cancer cells were abnormal, making them more likely to spread and come back.
Chemotherapy was the recommended plan of action. She had her first round of treatment Feb. 28.
“I’m doing a lot better,” she said. “It’s usually a week right after treatment that I don’t feel very well. Other than feeling a little tired and not being able to do what I used to do, it’s not too bad.”
The stagnation and days spent on the couch recovering have been hard for Kelly. The former three-sport star is used to being active and spending hours on the golf course perfecting her craft. Her weakened immune system, coupled with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic created added responsibility to not push her recovery too hard.
She listens to her body and does what she can on a given day. The extra time inside has allowed her to focus on cooking — she’s a whiz on the grill — she’s also spent more time reading. She enjoys self-help and motivational books like “Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World” by Bob Goff and Donald Miller.
One unexpected side effect of chemotherapy has been weight gain. The steroids she’s taking for recovery can lead to increased appetite and added water weight.
Taking advantage of the days that I have enough energy to figure out my golf game ⛳️ I can’t wait to play a round of golf someday ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lPhAImLUc8
— Brittany Kelly (@BrittTheGolfer) May 12, 2020
“I’m used to being up and doing stuff constantly,” she said. “I have to keep reminding myself I need to take it a lot slower than usual. I’m trying to do workouts and go on walks and runs when I feel well, but I notice my body can’t take as much. Even when I’m practicing my golf game at home, I can’t do the typical long practices, I get a little winded, out of breath.
“It’s a little bit harder knowing that I have to take it slower to work myself back up to where I used to be. I know that’s not going to happen until a few weeks after my last treatment, I’ll work my way there eventually.”
Kelly underwent her penultimate chemo treatment May 22. Her final treatment is scheduled for June 12. If her blood count numbers look good, she’s hoping to be back at work at Woodland Country Club in Carmel within three weeks.
“I always saw the end date as June 12th. I guess (I’ll feel) excitement that it’s over,” she said. “I’ll be able to finally ring the bell, but cancer is always going to be a part of my life. Whether or not you’re thinking about the possibility of it coming back or reoccurring.”
Returning to work will be a big milestone for Kelly. She considers the Woodland staff one big team, and she’s eager to return to her role as assistant golf pro.
She’s been able to stay involved remotely via video calls. Other daily duties include answering emails, setting up tournaments, and working with the PGA and other organizations.
Head golf professional Patrick White calls Kelly the glue that holds the club together.
“She has her hands in everything, whether that’s merchandising or tournament operations,” White said. “She’s always the one that understands where everybody is and what the game plan is.
“It speaks volumes to her personality and her drive to be successful in everything, whether it’s golf, life, beating cancer. It’s who she is, she’ll never give anything but 110% in whatever she does. … It’s awesome to see her have that mindset and mentality with everything that’s going on right now.”
Another milestone Kelly is hoping to achieve is her return to competitive golf.
She helped Team USA top Team Canada in the PGA Cup at Barton Creek in Austin, Texas, last year. She hopes to return there in July to play the PGA Professional Championship. By then, she’ll be just more than a month removed from her final treatment.
Every participant must get tested for coronavirus before coming to the event and each participant will get tested upon arriving at the event. Still, the looming uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic could force Kelly to alter her plans.
She’s preparing herself for the wave of emotion she’ll feel once she’s finally able to tee off at a tournament again. She credits her family and partner Gretchen Lulow, a former Ball State field hockey player and current ICU nurse, for giving her strength through the difficult parts of her journey. She knows returning to the course is bigger than just pars and birdies.
Kelly hopes her return to the course can help spread awareness about ovarian cancer. She sports a teal band on her wrist for ovarian cancer awareness with the phrase “BK Strong” on it.
She stresses the importance of early dedication and hopes her story can help women who may be experience symptoms but or not sure what they cause may be.
“It’s not the score I shoot or anything like that. I just want to play competitive golf,” she said. “I enjoy playing the game, my perspective has changed tremendously.
“I still have high expectations but my body has been through a lot, so I can’t expect too much at this point other than to get back and compete again. I’ve got four or five other tournaments on my radar that I’d like to compete in as long as my body lets me and COVID doesn’t get involved too much.”
Akeem Glaspie works for the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA Today Network. Follow Akeem on Twitter at @THEAkeemGlaspie.
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