Resilient Cancer Patient grateful for Houston VA Cancer Center
Navy Veteran Greg Kelso was working as a dispatcher with the Humble, Texas Police Department when he started to get very sick.
After testing at a private hospital, he was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer at the age of 37.
“It was a complete shock,” said Kelso, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1991-1995 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln. “Colorectal cancer never ran in my family.”
For the past 13 years, he has battled and beaten cancer three times. Five years into his journey, he was no longer satisfied with his care in the private sector, and switched to the Cancer Center at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
“I will say the VA has treated me a lot better,” said Kelso, who is 50 years old. “The doctors and infusion nurses are wonderful. They really do care about everybody. You can just tell by the way they treat people. If someone asks for something, they’ll get it the best that they can. They always check up on people. They ask when you get there if you need anything.”
Dr. Yvonne Sada, an oncologist with the Cancer Center, has cared for Kelso since he first arrived at VA. Kelso said Dr. Sada puts the needs of the patient first.
“She listens to the patients,” he said. “She listens to me with what my body is saying because chemo can really put a strain on you. Sometimes I feel I can’t go in for a session because it’s too much and I think she understands that.”
Kelso is once again in the fight for his life. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed a fourth time with stage four colorectal cancer
“I refuse to give up or give in,” said Kelso, who has written three books and a runs a Comic-Con podcast.
Neither will the VA staff in the Cancer Center.
“Veterans show tremendous resilience and bravery in their fight against cancer, and it is a privilege to go on this difficult journey with our patients and their families,” said Dr. Sada. “Our wonderful team of medical staff, infusion nurses, palliative care specialists, psychologists, social workers and dieticians works closely together to provide the multi-disciplinary support our patients deserve.”
Get Screened for Colorectal Cancer
Each year, VA diagnoses 4,000 new cases of colorectal cancer in Veterans.
Colorectal cancer doesn’t care about race, gender or economic status: If you are 45-75 years old, you need colorectal screening. This most commonly comes in the form of a colonoscopy every 10 years. Other options include a home-based fecal immunochemical test that checks for blood in the stool that you can’t see.
"Most colorectal cancers can be prevented or detected early with standard screening," said Dr. Sada. "If a patient ever has concerns about their risk of cancer or symptoms, they should always discuss this with their doctor because colon cancer can happen at any age. If a patient is worried about a colonoscopy or having a hard time with the home stool test, they need to talk to their providers so that we can help overcome any barriers. We strongly recommend that all patients have cancer screening done, because these tests save lives."