As a nurse in Riverside Regional Medical Center’s medical intensive care unit, Sabina Ferrell routinely provides lifesaving care. But her care for others isn’t confined to her patients — it overflows into her personal life too. In an amazing turn of events, it was actually Sabina’s concern for a neighbor that may have saved her own life.
When Sabina’s neighbor confided to her in the back yard that she’d been having some digestive issues, Sabina listened and strongly encouraged her to schedule a colonoscopy to have it checked out. After easily completing the procedure and receiving good results, the neighbor then encouraged Sabina to have her first colonoscopy, since she had recently turned 45, which is the recommended age to begin colorectal cancer screening. “It’s your turn!” she said.
Despite Sabina’s medical knowledge about the importance of cancer screenings, she admits she was hesitant about having a colonoscopy, like many people are. “I’m a very private person,” she says. But she decided she should take her own advice. So, on October 16, 2024, she went in for an outpatient colonoscopy performed by Dr. Jamila Wynter, a gastroenterologist with Riverside Gastroenterology Specialists, expecting to leave with a clean bill of health, with no family history or symptoms of colorectal cancer.
However, when Sabina woke up after the procedure, she was surprised to hear that Dr. Wynter had discovered a very large, 35-millimeter colon polyp (an abnormal tissue growth) in her lower colon.
She would need a second colonoscopy, this time an inpatient procedure with an advanced endoscopist and gastroenterologist, Dr. Paul Kroner, who would remove the polyp and send a sample to the lab. Although it was surrounded by a large blood vessel, which increased the risk of bleeding during and after the procedure, the entire polyp was successfully removed just two weeks after Sabina’s screening. “Dr. Kroner did an amazing job,” she says.
Two days later, when the doctor called with Sabina’s biopsy results, it was the news no one wants to hear. “He said, ‘It’s cancer,”’ Sabina recalls. Specifically, her diagnosis was adenocarcinoma, a type of cancerous tumor that starts in glands that line the organs. This is the case for most colorectal cancers.
At work when she received the phone call, Sabina became understandably upset. “I lost it,” she says. But her colleagues provided comfort and encouragement and helped her focus on the treatment plan that was already in motion. “Everyone was phenomenal,” Sabina says. And, because of Sabina’s experience, a coworker was inspired to schedule her own colonoscopy.
After her shift that day, Sabina had a CT scan, which thankfully showed that the cancer had not yet spread to distant areas of her body. She was scheduled for surgery with Dr. Brian Billings, a colorectal surgeon at Riverside, to remove any possible remaining cancer cells and determine the stage, or how far the cancer had spread from the original site.
But, the day before her planned surgery, Sabina developed lower gastrointestinal bleeding that worsened throughout her workday. Reluctantly, she left her shift early to go to the emergency department, where she was admitted to the hospital for monitoring. Gastroenterologist Dr. John Boyd performed Sabina’s third colonoscopy, planning to identify and stop her bleeding. However, no active bleeding was found, so all that was needed was a marker to provide guidance for surgery.
During her hospital stay, in a discussion with Dr. Billings, Sabina learned that her chance of needing an ileostomy after surgery was high due to the location of the problematic area. An ileostomy creates an opening in the abdominal wall to divert waste from the body through the small intestine when traditional bowel function has been impaired. In her distress at this news, she was comforted by those around her. “The whole Riverside team was amazing,” Sabina says. “They were so supportive. I felt loved.”
Discharged from the hospital on November 12, Sabina went home to regroup before surgery. But before she left, Dr. Billings came to check on Sabina and talk with her about a possible change in the type of surgery she could have. To avoid the risk that the original surgery would have posed and still ensure no cancer cells remained, he presented the less-invasive option of a transanal full-thickness resection. There was no guarantee that Dr. Billings would be able to access the site with this approach, but he was willing to try.
Sabina opted for this choice, and the revised surgical plan was accomplished successfully two days later. The next day, she went home and promptly received the news of a completely clear biopsy report from Dr. Kroner, who called from vacation. Her cancer stage was determined to be T0, which means there is no evidence of the primary tumor. The original polypectomy had completely removed all cancer cells. While Sabina’s health will still be closely monitored going forward, she is now cancer free!
“Because the tumor was so big and near a blood vessel, if I hadn’t gone for that colonoscopy screening, it probably would have spread fast — possibly reaching stage one or two in as little as two months,” Sabina says. “I probably would have needed chemotherapy and radiation. It was a blessing that I went.”
“It was also a blessing that my Riverside team was on top of it so fast. I want to give them a huge thanks and my appreciation. In one month, I had three colonoscopies, two hospital admissions, surgery and multiple scans, and because of all those things, my outcome is different as of right now. I’m so grateful.”
During her recovery, Sabina’s husband and two daughters, ages 15 and 21, were a great source of support. She has advised her daughters that they should start colorectal cancer screenings at age 35, which is the recommended 10 years earlier than Sabina’s age at diagnosis, and watch for any potential symptoms. This applies to all first-degree relatives, including Sabina’s younger sister, who is now scheduling her own colonoscopy. “Don’t wait,” Sabina urged them.
“Nobody wants to do the screening — it can be scary,” Sabina says. But because colorectal cancer is usually silent until it is advanced, colonoscopy is critical in detecting it early when it is easier to treat. Not only that, but colonoscopy can actually prevent cancer because it includes the removal of polyps before they become malignant. Other colorectal screening types, such as stool testing, while they have value, do not offer nearly the same capabilities.
A desire to spread awareness of these facts is what compels Sabina to share her story. “I couldn’t imagine that anyone wouldn’t have a chance to prevent colorectal cancer or keep it from spreading due to a lack of knowledge,” she says. With this type of cancer rapidly increasing among younger adults like Sabina, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of screening.
For a long time, Sabina has carried out Riverside Health’s mission “to care for others as we would care for those we love.” She has now, for the first time, been a recipient of that care as well. “Everybody took care of me like they were literally my brothers and sisters,” she says. “It was amazing. You don’t know how much people care for you until you end up in that situation. The last thing I heard before surgery — and everywhere I went — was, ‘This is one of our own.’”
Her experience has given Sabina an enhanced perspective on the experience of her own patients and how much it means to have a team helping them get through it. Already an amazingly compassionate nurse who cares deeply for her patients, she is now even more of an empathetic advocate who can relate in a very real way. “I never allowed myself to question God, like, ‘Why has this happened to me?’” Sabina says. “Because why do other people have to go through all this? It’s not fair to anybody. It doesn’t matter who you are.”
Previously familiar with the strength of certain medical specialties at Riverside, like pulmonology, cardiology and nephrology, Sabina now knows firsthand the excellence of the gastroenterology team, too. She still chooses to drive 45 minutes from her home in Suffolk to her job at RRMC rather than to a nearby hospital, and she will always choose Riverside for her own care.
As for the seemingly random conversation with her neighbor, Sabina believes it wasn’t random and is immensely thankful that they discussed colonoscopies rather than making polite small talk. “If that didn’t happen, I’d be in a different place now,” she says. “I’m so, so blessed.”