"Dr. Ko and Dr. Ford are kind, compassionate physicians. They treated me like a partner in my healthcare plan. They gave me the reassurances I needed to know that I could survive this.”
- Karen Smallen
Karen Smallen enjoys a good vacation as much as the rest of us. However, her digestive issues can often make the act of travel a little uncomfortable.
So in the summer of 2019, during a few weeks of busy travel to Maine, visiting family in upstate New York, and a long-awaited trip to Scotland, Karen wasn’t surprised when she started to feel unwell. She thought when she was home and settled, her stomach would follow suit.
When she returned home, she experienced some familiar aches — but also noticed a bloating that was new and persistent. Reflecting on her time in Scotland, Karen recalled feeling more winded than normal while walking the hillsides. However, at the time, she wasn’t overly concerned and chalked it up to stress. After all, besides diverticulitis and digestive troubles she had always been very good health. She ate well, never missed a doctor appointment, and between being a teacher and mom to two boys, she had always stayed active and fit.
Erring on the side of caution, Karen made an appointment at Penn Medicine Yardly with her nurse practitioner to discuss these symptoms. The appointment was helpful, but it still seemed as though her symptoms — very similar to what she’d experienced in the past — could be related to her existing issues.
In the days that followed, Karen couldn’t ignore the feeling that it was something more serious. Luckily, she followed her intuition. After another follow-up appointment with her primary care physician, her nurse practitioner sent her to the emergency room recognizing that these symptoms were much more serious. From there, Karen was taken in for a CT scan which revealed a tumor. She had stage four ovarian cancer. Finally, after all the seemingly innocuous symptoms, she had her answer — and while it wasn’t the one she was hoping for, she was ready to take her diagnosis head-on.
“I am glad that I persisted. I didn’t want to go Googling anything and freaking myself out, but I knew something wasn’t right and that I needed to get to Penn.” Karen remembers thinking, “My family did do their own Googling, but I told them to save their questions for the doctors. I trusted them entirely. And rightfully so: My team at Penn saved my life.”
Karen was referred to Emily M. Ko, MD, MSCR, and Patricia Ford, MD, for her treatment, which included a year of chemotherapy as well as a trial oral chemotherapy. "Dr. Ko and Dr. Ford are kind, compassionate physicians. They treated me like a partner in my healthcare plan,” says Karen, “they gave me the reassurances I needed to know that I could survive this.”
Due to COVID-19, Karen had to go through her treatment sessions without her family. Still, she took it in stride — and is grateful to the warm, welcoming staff that was there with her along the way, “I feel very fortunate to have access to Penn Medicine. Because you are in such capable hands the ACC is a place to concentrate on one's physical and emotional needs while going through treatment.”
Unfortunately, Karen’s experience is all too common. Ovarian cancer is often called a "silent killer" because the symptoms are so mild and similar to digestive issues or other common, less serious conditions. When caught early enough, ovarian cancer can be treatable. Karen is proud that she was persistent enough to not ignore the warning signs — and that she came to Penn.
“They listened to me when I knew something was wrong and even thanked me for not backing down. I am so grateful,” says Karen.
Today, Karen is feeling great with no evidence of disease. While in treatment, she was overjoyed to watch her family grow: Her son and his new wife welcomed their first child, making Karen a proud grandma of three. Grateful to have her health back, feeling well and hopeful for the future, Karen is grateful to have so much to celebrate.