You have cancer.

In the span of three short words, life as you know it has changed. Your scale of “good news” and “bad news” is about to shift. You are about to become familiar with a whole new world of medical terms and procedures. And you are about to learn that you are more resilient than you ever could have imagined.

For Camden resident Kelli McGuire, that journey began with a phone call from her primary care provider in early 2023, after routine bloodwork came back with some concerning results. Now, with her smiling eyes and kind face framed by lovely silver-white hair, you’d have no idea she’s been undergoing chemotherapy treatment for the past 15 months.

Her personal experience makes the upcoming Midcoast Community Chorus “Hope Sings!” concert all the more meaningful to McGuire, who joined the chorus as a second soprano in January of this year. Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital are the presenting sponsors of the event, which will feature selections from “Sing for the Cure,” a song cycle that explores many perspectives of a breast cancer patient’s journey.

For McGuire and hundreds of other cancer patients in our coastal communities, that journey from diagnosis through treatment and beyond is a familiar one. She recalls getting the phone call that changed everything while she was navigating her way through noonday traffic in New York City, on her way south to visit her son in Virginia, the first stop on what was supposed to be a road trip around the country to visit family. Her PCP was calling to let her know that her bloodwork was concerning and advised her to cut her trip short to come in for more tests.

“My initial reaction was panic,” McGuire said. She soon learned that she had a form of kidney cancer and began a 24-month course of chemotherapy shortly after. “I figure if they think I’m still going to be here in 24 months, that must be a good sign!”

McGuire travels to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston every three months for testing, while the treatment and day-to-day management of her cancer is done locally at the Pen Bay Cancer Care Center. She started out receiving weekly chemotherapy through a port in her chest, a procedure that takes between two and four hours to complete. She recently transitioned to oral chemotherapy, which she said is showing promise and has helped reduce the amount of time she spends in medical appointments. And while many days she feels “crummy” as she copes with what she describes as an “overwhelming list of side effects” from her treatment, McGuire has also experienced a great deal of gratitude since her diagnosis.

“I am grateful for all the nurses and specialists who care for me, and especially for my local oncologist, Dr. Roger Inhorn,” McGuire said. “He has been entirely positive in his treatment of me, which is the one thing that a cancer patient needs: feeling like someone who knows what he’s doing is in charge and is going to take excellent care of you.”

McGuire said she takes things one day at a time, focusing on getting enough sleep, taking her medications, trying to drink enough water and getting some exercise if she has the energy for it. Some days she doesn’t feel like getting up and taking her medications, and some days she doesn’t feel like herself. She can’t just get up and go in the morning the way she’d like to, and she gets tired of dealing with side effects like an upset stomach, thinning hair or dry eyes.

Despite all this, McGuire exudes a kind of positivity that can only be described as vibrant. She is playful and obviously enjoys making people laugh. Her cancer diagnosis hasn’t stripped her of her personality, and it hasn’t stopped her from living her life. She continues to travel around the country to see family, and she just recently returned from a long weekend in Montreal, visiting friends. She loves her “pretty little house” and the Midcoast community. She enjoys music and is now part of two local choirs—in addition to the MCC, she recently joined her church’s choir as well.

When she first found out that MCC planned to perform a concert based on the journey of a cancer patient, McGuire admits her first thought was “how depressing!” But she believes the concert will be very moving, and she said she hopes attendees walk away feeling hopeful.

“I’ve always had such hope. And faith. I know people don’t always give that much credence, but it’s been a comfort to me. Plus,” McGuire said with a smile, holding out her hand as if her palm was being read. “I’ve got a long life line.”

“Hope Sings!” will take place Sunday, June 16, at 4 p.m., in the Strom Auditorium at Camden Hills Regional High School, 25 Keelson Drive, Rockport. Tickets are on sale now at mccsings.org/tickets.

About Pen Bay Medical Center

Pen Bay Medical Center is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit pbmc.org.

Waldo County General Hospital

Waldo County General Hospital is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit wcgh.org.