Trainer's inspiring outlook ahead of cancer battle
SPOKEN like a true horseman, Adam Kelly's philosophy for the battle ahead is simple, yet inspiring - "I've just got to get on with it".
Kelly recently became one of the estimated 2450 Australians diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma each year after undertaking a string of tests.
Multiple Myeloma is an incurable form of cancer, which attacks the body's plasma cells, reducing its ability to produce healthy white cells in blood marrow.
"It was a pretty big shock when I was told," Kelly said. "I was feeling weak and at first they thought it was my blood pressure, so I was put on tablets which didn't help.
"I then had my bloods done again with a kidney specialist who said it is not my kidney and recommended I have marrow biopsy and that's how it was picked up."
Due to start treatment next week, Kelly will have a course of steroids before a bone marrow transplant performed.
The purpose of the steroids is to aid Kelly in producing the healthy white blood cells while also modifying his body's immune system responses, relieving swelling and inflammation and actively killing myeloma cells.
The extracted marrow will then be used treated and replaced into Kelly's system.
"I'll be on steroids for a month before a marrow transplant," Kelly said. "They are reasonably confident they can use my own marrow as they have picked it up quickly enough.
"Then I will have chemo, but they are not sure how many bouts I will have at this stage.
"There is no cure for Multiple Myeloma, but they're pretty confident they can get on top of it and manage it."
A Group One winning trainer, Kelly's condition has put a stop to his career which began in 1991.
Catching the 'harness bug' as a teenager, Kelly's first job within the industry was with prominent horsewoman, Jean Feiss.
"As a kid I used to go to Logan Park in Warragul and it got me interested," Kelly said. "The first stable worked for when I left school was Jean Feiss.
"I won't be doing any more horses for the time being, so the team has been farmed out.
"I've got three yearlings on the jogger which are about to go and be pretrained then they will go out again and I'll look at them down the track.
"But as far as my condition goes, I've just got to get on with it."
