A Cancer Care Connection Years in the Making

When she was placed under the care of Medical Oncologist Kelli Cawley, MD, of Memorial Health System (MHS) back in 2016, three-time cancer survivor Kim Bollinger was shocked to realize that her new oncology provider was someone she already knew.

“This wasn’t my first cancer experience,” Kim explains. “I was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 1998 and received care outside of the Mid-Ohio Valley, so I could hardly believe my eyes when the provider who helped take care of me then was now my oncologist at Memorial Health System.”

Back in 1998, Dr. Cawley was new in her career—a resident completing her fellowship training with The Ohio State University—and Kim was a patient recovering from a tumor removal.

“She was just a resident removing a drain for me back then,” Kim recalls. “So you can imagine my surprise when she walked through the doors here at Memorial Health System to take over my breast-cancer treatments.”

“It felt like a full-circle moment,” she continues. “I wasn’t originally even going to be seen by the health system for this cancer diagnosis, but the providers here changed my mind—and probably saved my life too.”

Diagnosed with breast cancer after an abnormal mammogram at another hospital in 2012, Kim originally came to MHS just for a second opinion and was seen by former health-system oncologist Vivek Abhyanker, MD.

“Dr. Abhyanker was concerned when he realized that my previous testing didn’t involve checking my lymph nodes, so he was incredibly insistent that I have more tests to make sure my cancer wasn’t there as well.”

Kim was hesitant about undergoing additional testing at MHS since her care was already established elsewhere, but Dr. Abhyanker convinced her to meet with the newest surgical oncologist to join the health system, Rajendra Bhati, MD.

“He actually texted Dr. Bhati right then and there,” Kim recalls. “I already had surgery scheduled somewhere else, but he asked me if I would humor him and see if Dr. Bhati could fit me into his schedule that day—and I agreed.”

According to Kim, that encounter not only changed the course of her life—it saved it. When Dr. Bhati ordered additional testing, they discovered her cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. That’s when Kim made the decision to transfer all of her care to Memorial Health System.

A devout Christian, Kim describes that moment as “a spiritual connection,” saying, “It felt like the Lord spoke to me. I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be—this was where I needed to continue my cancer journey.”

With the cancer now confirmed in her lymph nodes, Kim’s care team began treatment with chemotherapy to shrink the tumor and target the cancer that had spread, before scheduling her for a double mastectomy with Dr. Bhati.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Kim shares, “but it was my choice to do the double mastectomy, so I prayed a lot about it and spent a lot of time discussing it with my family before ultimately deciding on that course of treatment.”

A double mastectomy is surgery to remove both breasts, including most or all of the breast tissue. For patients like Kim, it’s an incredibly personal decision—especially when cancer is present in only one breast. At just 56 years old, Kim chose the procedure to be proactive, wanting to give herself the best chance of eliminating the cancer completely.

And she did. Kim was given clear margins from Dr. Bhati and his team and then moved on to the next step in her journey: 37 rounds of radiation to ensure that no micro-cancer cells remained in her body.

“It’s a long process,” Kim says, “and I’m not patient! But things like cancer teach you not to sweat the small stuff.”

After completing breast cancer treatment, Kim kept up with regular wellness visits and bloodwork, and in 2016 began care with her new primary oncologist, Dr. Cawley. For the next year, everything looked normal—until 2017, when Kim noticed a small spot on her skin and decided to mention it during an appointment.

“Dr. Cawley was immediately suspicious, so she scheduled for me to be seen by a dermatologist. It was from the dermatologist that I was told I now had a basal cell carcinoma—my third cancer diagnosis.”

Fortunately for Kim, basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer and, when caught early, is very treatable. After a visit to the dermatologist and a simple removal procedure, the skin cancer was gone—and Kim was once again cancer-free.

“My cancer walk was a long one,” she shares, “but the Lord led me here, so I needed to do something to make a difference.” She did just that by joining MHS as a Cancer Center volunteer from 2018 to 2023, contributing a total of 543 service hours.

“I wanted to give back,” she explains, “but I also didn’t advertise that I was once a cancer patient myself. If I saw someone who was really struggling during their treatment, I would mention that I used to sit in that same chair—I wanted to open up that conversation and give them a little bit of hope at that moment. I wanted them to know that you can get better and you can heal—that you’re more than your scars.”

Today, Kim is still cancer-free and finding ways to enjoy every day to its fullest—whether she’s spending time with loved ones, exercising regularly with her husband, traveling, or volunteering with her church and local senior center. She truly views each day as a gift, sharing, “I thank God for today and look forward to tomorrow.”

Featured From This Issue

More From This Issue

•  

  Letter From the CEO: Caring For Our Community, Season After Season

•  

  Progress in Motion at Our Women and Children’s Hospital

•  

  Breaking Ground on Sistersville General Hospital

•  

  Funding Vital Therapy Equipment: Judy Heinrich’s Story

•  

  Gather ’Round for Good Health