Kellie Finlayson, the wife of Port Adelaide star Jeremy, has delivered an update on her cancer battle having undergoing surgery in recent weeks.
Finlayson is fighting stage 4 bowel and lung cancer and revealed on Instagram earlier in the week that she had undergone thoracic surgery but appeared to be recovering well.
Three days ago, the young mum published a clip of herself lying in a hospital bed, writing: ‘Me a week ago’.
In the next frame, Finlayson looked bright and well, sharing a brief clip of two scars on the left side of her rib cage following the surgery.
‘Just over a week ago I was having a VATS wedge resection on my right lung to remove Mets and send off tissue to pathology in hope for more answers/better treatment plans,’ Finlayson captioned the video.
‘I’ve had soooo many people checking in to see how I’m doing, thank you!!! And honestly, I’m so fine. Which I know is incredible given the major surgery I’ve just undergone and I know not everyone is as lucky. But hey, I’ll take the wins when I can get them in this never-ending experience.’
Kellie Finlayson (pictured) has returned home from hospital, providing a health update amid her four-year cancer battle on Monday
Finlayson published a Q&A on her Instagram account on Thursday where she revealed that she had ‘surprised herself’ with her recovery following the surgery
Finlayson also responded to questions from fans about the procedure on Instagram
Finlayson had confirmed the sad news last July that she would have to resume chemotherapy after her cancer had begun to grow again. It came after she had stopped chemo and radiation therapy for alternative treatments.
On Thursday, Finlayson took to Instagram for a Q&A with her followers.
She wrote: ‘Let’s catch up. Ask me a question.’
Multiple fans wrote to express their admiration for the brave mum.
‘You’re amazing!’ one wrote. ‘Apologies if you have already mentioned it but what was your recent surgery for?’
Finlayson replied: ‘Thank you,’ with two ‘teary-eyed’ emojis.
‘I had a VATS wedge resection on my right lung and removed five mets (metastatic tumours),’ she replied.
VATS stands for Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery and is a form of keyhole surgery. A VATS resection involves the removal of a small piece of tissue from the lung.
Kellie was diagnosed at age 25 in August 2021, just three months after giving birth to her and Jeremy’s daughter Sophia
The young mum revealed doctors had metastatic tissue – tumours that occur when cancer cells from a primary tumour spread to other areas in the body forming new tumours – removed.
Finlayson was first diagnosed with cancer in 2021, three months after she had given birth to her daughter Sophie.
She later revealed in December 2022 that her cancer had spread to her lungs.
During the Instagram Q&A, Finlayson was asked if she was in remission by another fan and whether she could be restaged – a process whereby oncology doctors re-assess the stage of cancer a person has following certain treatments.
‘No I’m not in remission, nor can I be restaged, I still have Mets in my left lung,’ she wrote.
She was also asked about how she was recovering from the surgery, writing: ‘I’ve actually surprised myself, I was so nervous for this one.
‘I’ve heard horror stories but I was mobile one-day post-op – which compared to my bowel resection is miraculous.’
Finlayson had experienced symptoms of discomfort in her stomach since she was 23. But after the birth of her daughter, her symptoms had persisted. She was subsequently diagnosed with the illness, which came as a shock, leaving her angry and confused.
Brave and her footy star husband Jeremy (pictured together) chalked up a life milestone in recent weeks – their two-year wedding anniversary
The couple were married at Tennyson Beach in South Australia in March 2023 (pictured)
Her story is a truly inspiring one, with Finlayson now set to release a book in April which is entitled ‘There Must Be More’.
Another social media user posted a heartwarming comment on her Instagram Q&A writing: ‘No question, just letting you know you’re amazing and you’re my idol. You’re so strong,’ adding a ‘heart emoji’.
Finlayson responded: ‘Messages like this make me so awkward because what do you mean I’m your idol? I’m just a girl doing my best. But I appreciate this so much.’
Earlier in March, Finlayson and her husband Jeremy celebrated their two-year wedding anniversary, sharing multiple pictures from their wedding on Instagram.
Speaking on the release of her book in April she said: ‘I’m so incredibly proud to share this piece of me with the world, and still so confused every day as to why my story is worthy of being literally printed in a book.
‘Imposter syndrome is screaming, but deep down, I know this is bigger than me.
‘This is for those who have faced devastation, for those who feel alone, for those who no longer have a voice to share their story.
‘For those who are stuck for words, for those who feel helpless.
‘I feel like I’ve lived a dozen lives, and somehow, beyond motherhood, becoming an author might just be the most surreal one yet.
‘This is hope. This is me – the rawest version of me.’
