Mom of Two Says ‘Hemorrhoids Saved My Life’ After Learning of Her Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis

Like many moms-to-be, Kristina Kelly developed hemorrhoids while pregnant with her second daughter.

They are a common side effect of pregnancy, often due to fetal pressure, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

But after giving birth to Sienna, the Atlanta mother of two decided to mention persistent hemorrhoids when she returned to the doctor for a follow-up appointment.

“They were just bored at that point,” Kelly, a publicist, tells PEOPLE. “They weren’t necessarily painful. It was something that never went away. So I wanted to label it — and my doctor said, ‘Oh, well, let’s remove them.'”

With a family history of colon cancer, Kelly decided to request a colonoscopy.

Kristina Kelly with her husband Sean and daughters Wren and Sienna.

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“I just wanted peace,” Kelly tells PEOPLE. “I didn’t really think anything would be found.”

Because Kelly was 36 at the time — much younger than 45, the age at which insurance companies typically cover colonoscopies — she said she had to pay $600 out of pocket for the procedure.

“I didn’t expect it,” Kelly, now 37, tells PEOPLE. “Luckily, I had the money to pay for it.”

And during the colonoscopy, the doctors made a life-saving discovery.

“I woke up after the colonoscopy and was told a mass had been found,” she tells PEOPLE.

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“They think the cancer probably caused the hemorrhoids because of the tumor blockage,” she tells PEOPLE, adding that she was diagnosed with stage 3B colorectal cancer.

“Literally, hemorrhoids saved my life. The cancer itself never gave me any symptoms.”

That’s why she’s coming forward with her story to encourage others to stand up for themselves — especially as colon cancer rates begin to rise.

Christina Kelly.

Courtesy of Kristina Kelly

Colon cancer cases in people younger than 55 have nearly doubled, accounting for 11 percent of all colorectal cancers in 1995 to 20 percent in 2019, according to the American Cancer Society. However, as Kelly points out, the screening age has not been adjusted in light of these new cases.

“I would like to do more, try to lower the screening age and make sure insurance covers it because of the cost barrier for so many people,” she says. “As hard as it is to see the headline with ‘hemorrhoids’ and my name, at this point. it’s worth it…I can save someone from going through this.”

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Kelly continues, “The hardest part of this whole journey was not knowing how far it had spread. I would just watch my daughters [Wren, 3, and Siena, 18 months] and cry.” Kelly says, “I would look at my husband and cry. I didn’t know what my future was.”

But thanks to a colonoscopy, Kelly tells PEOPLE, “I’m one of the lucky ones.”

Christina Kelly.

Courtesy of Kristina Kelly

She just finished chemotherapy on December 15th and is about to start radiation – and her prognosis is positive.

“We caught him at a time when the cure is what we’re looking for.”

In addition to sharing her story, she started a TikTok account about managing her skin care while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, which she says is “about taking care of myself and finding a little joy and confidence with my new warrior body.”

“If I can share my story and someone reads it and gets them to go to the doctor and get checked and it saves their life, then it’s worth it.”

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Source: HIS Education