Brandee Kaelin

Brandee Kaelin went every year for her annual mammogram, but in December of 2021, she got the results she never wanted to hear.

Coupling her mammogram results with further testing, Brandee was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, which had spread to her liver.

“I couldn’t believe it. I was in denial and shock. No one thinks it could happen to them, but it did. It was awful.”

It was then that Brandee learned the importance of receiving multiple opinions. When she found UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center and Beth Riley, M.D., FACP, she knew that this was where she needed to be. Not only did she trust Dr. Riley, but she knew Dr. Riley truly cared about her.

 “Finding my doctor at UofL Health has given me a lot of hope and light. Dr. Riley is the best and I know that she is always doing what is best for me.”

Brandee quickly began treatment to combat the cancer. Because the cancer had spread to her liver, she was considered to have stage 4 cancer and therefore not a candidate for surgery.

After a year of treatment, scans revealed that the spot on her liver had gone away, and because she had been stable for a long period of time, she became a candidate for surgery.

After the surgery, Brandee celebrated no signs of disease.

Scans every three months confirm that her cancer has not returned. Brandee continues to receive treatment every three weeks at UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center – Northeast, where she sits in a private room and enjoys the nice view.

“I call my treatment days my spa days. I like to think positive, and instead of it being a bad thing, I know that the medicine is saving my life. I enjoy my spa days. Even though it’s what I need, it also makes me feel like I’m doing something to continue fighting.”

Brandee is thankful for a team that is focused on giving her the attention she knows she deserves as they all work to prioritize her needs.

On top of the individualized care that she receives, Brandee feels comforted knowing that her care team always has a plan for her: “If the medicine I get stops working, I already know the next line of treatment. Because of research and my team of doctors that stay on top of research, Dr. Riley already has a plan for me.”

Brandee has learned a lot since she was diagnosed, and she shares with patients with similar diagnoses that there is hope. After all, only 10 years ago, there was no medicine for the type of breast cancer Brandee had.

While Brandee has a strong support team in her husband, daughter, friends and family, there is nothing like the support she has received, and returned, to both of her sisters.

Less than two months after Brandee’s diagnosis, her younger sister found out she, too, had breast cancer. She underwent chemo and surgery, similar to Brandee, though hers was caught early.

In an effort to be proactive and preventative, Brandee’s older sister decided to have surgery to remove her breasts. Later, her surgeon informed her that they had found evidence of disease in her breasts. Thankfully, the cancer was removed early, and she did not have to undergo any further treatment.

While this is not something that any of them ever expected to go through, they all were able to rely on the support of each other, something Brandee is very thankful for, explaining, “We got through it, and we got through it together. All three of us are stronger because of it.”

Now, Brandee works to live as normally as possible. She continues to work as a teacher, the same job she had before she was diagnosed, and has kept a routine so that she can feel like herself. She enjoys every single day as the gift that it is.

“I am very happy. I feel healthy. I feel normal. No one would ever know that I had breast cancer. I am living life to the fullest.”

How can we help you?

Connecting with our team of specialists at UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center is the first step in getting treatment.