OKC, OK - Christian Brown had her life all planned out. The Enid native had been traveling for work and had been a licensed practical nurse for five years. Suddenly, she began experiencing extreme abdominal pain and ended up in the emergency room. What she thought were menstrual cramps turned out to be a mass obstructing her bowels and stage three colon cancer in June 2019.
She will be honored during the fifth and final INTEGRIS Health “Home Run For Life” of the 2022 OKC Dodgers baseball season Sat., August 27 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
“Home Run For Life” recognizes individuals in the community who have overcome a significant medical event with the help of their families, physicians and health care professionals. To symbolize the end of their battle against adversity, honorees take a home run “lap” around the bases during a pre-game ceremony.
The diagnosis caught Brown, then 27, by surprise. “It was emotional,” she said. “I’d always been healthy prior.” She had no family history of cancer.
Colorectal cancer numbers are rising in young people, but the reason why remains a mystery, said Sumbal Nabi, M.D., with the INTEGRIS Health Cancer Institute in Enid. “When someone is diagnosed with cancer at a young age, people automatically suspect genetics, but experts still haven’t been able to use genetics to explain the surge,” Nabi said.
Early detection is key and regular screenings are encouraged based on age and family history.
Brown was diagnosed and had surgery at INTEGRIS Heath Cancer Institute in Enid, then traveled to INTEGRIS Health Cancer Institute in Oklahoma City every other week for treatment and chemotherapy.
Angered but determined, Brown put her head down and got to work. She enrolled in the nursing program at Northern Oklahoma College and attended classes between eight rounds of chemotherapy. She even carried her medicine pump with her around campus as she studied to become a registered nurse. She would attend classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and make trips to Oklahoma City for treatment Wednesdays and Fridays. “Going to school really helped me,” she said. “It gave me motivation to get out of bed.”
What made balancing class and treatment a bit easier for Brown was the care she received at INTEGRIS Health. “The staff was amazing,” she said. “There’s nowhere else I would’ve rather gone for my treatment.”
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Her life has changed drastically. Despite the initial setback and shock of the diagnosis, Brown is grateful for the experience as it led to her meeting her husband, Deven, on a dating app. “In weird ways, I’m very thankful for my cancer diagnosis,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.”
Brown graduated nursing school in May and is now a registered nurse. She said her experiences have aided her in empathizing with her patients. Brown is now cancer free and is expecting a baby.
