3 weeks Ago By Matt Henson
FARGO — A routine medical exam required for her job as a commercial driver may have saved Carly Allen’s life. Allen, a delivery driver for Forum Communications, underwent a Department of Transportation physical to renew her medical certification when a nurse noticed something unusual. “I’ve always liked to drive.
Eventually, I figured why not get paid to do it,” Allen said. She never expected the job would lead to a critical diagnosis. During her exam at Sanford Occupational Medicine, nurse Sarah Tisher noted that Allen’s abdomen felt unusually firm.
“I originally thought it was a liver issue,” Tisher said. Allen was advised to undergo further testing. What doctors found was a large tumor — roughly the size of a basketball — growing off one of her ovaries.
“They told me it was the size of a woman’s basketball off my ovary,” Allen said. “I gained a bunch of weight, but I also drive a truck. I didn’t feel the greatest, so I just thought it was that.
” Allen underwent a hysterectomy in Sioux Falls and was diagnosed with Stage 2 ovarian cancer. Fortunately, she does not need additional treatment and will instead undergo routine follow-ups to monitor for recurrence. “It really kind of kick-started what saved my life,” Allen said.
Tisher said it’s not uncommon to catch serious health concerns during DOT exams. “With DOT exams, we sometimes catch a lot of diabetes that patients didn’t know they were affected by,” she said. Now recovering and back behind the wheel, Allen has a message to share.
“Listen to your body, and even more important, listen to your medical doctors, listen to the advice they give you,” she said. WDAY News, The Forum and Inforum are owned by Forum Communications..
