Kelly Ryan

Kelly Ryan, a mother of three has lived in Ocala for 30 years. Kelly considered herself to be a pretty healthy woman as she was a runner and spent time kayaking and travelling with her family. That’s why following a seizure episode on March 27, 2020, Kelly thought it was just dehydration. “We had just got done with a five-mile walk and I had jumped in the pool. When I got out, I started seizing and spinning.” Kelly laid down and took some fluids but after some time, she was not feeling any better, which is when 911 was called and Kelly was transferred to Ocala Hospital.

After her initial stay at Ocala Hospital, Kelly was asked to follow up with her general practitioner, which she did. Kelly spoke with her provider after talking about her recent experience and explaining that she was having headaches on one side, the physician recommended a Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) test. A MRS is a noninvasive diagnostic test used to detect and measure the concentration of specific chemicals in tissues of the brain and other parts of the body. After a stat order of the test, Kelly then received a call in which she was told she had Glioblastoma. Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord. Glioblastoma can occur at any age, but tends to occur more often in older adults and can cause worsening headaches, nausea, vomiting and seizures. Kelly had a career in the healthcare industry but was not familiar with this type of diagnosis. After speaking with a colleague, Kelly was referred to Dr. Reddy with Ocala Neurological Specialists. After a telehealth visit, Kelly was scheduled for surgery the following day to have the tumor removed.

On the day of Kelly’s craniotomy, she was brought into the OR suite, met the team, and then received general anesthesia for the procedure. Dr. Reddy was able to remove the entire tumor during the procedure. After the surgery, Kelly woke up in the ICU at Ocala Hospital. Kelly began physical therapy and started walking with the help of the PT team and was discharged home after two days.

Once Kelly was home, she started a 42 day treatment of chemo and radiation and began a clinical trial program. While Kelly is still going through treatment, she is very thankful this diagnosis was caught early and for Dr. Reddy and team for removing the entire tumor. “People travel all over the nation for the kind of care Dr. Reddy can provide and he is right here in Ocala. This is a blessing.” Kelly would advise anyone who may have received the same diagnosis to “call Dr. Reddy.”

This experience led Kelly to make the decision to retire from her career in healthcare and while she is no longer working, she says she is now “living each day to my fullest.” Kelly and her husband are spending more time travelling, reading, and with her family. “My husband and children have been an amazing support system and I am trying to keep everyone updated with my progress through social media. I want people to know that if this happens to you, it doesn’t have to be the end. It could just be a bump in the road.”