UK HealthCare employee with rare cancer redefines living with purpose

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 26, 2024) - At UK HealthCare - Turfland, Trilby Trent’s workspace tells a story. The 58-year-old patient registrar’s desk is adorned with colorful notes and inspiring messages. There’s also a sign that reads: “I fight peritoneal cancer. What’s your superpower?” 

A year ago, Trilby was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and given months to live. Today, she’s defying expectations. Still working at Turfland’s UK Family & Community Medicine clinic while undergoing treatment at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, Trilby continues to do what she loves most: serving patients.  

Continuing to live life on her own terms, Trilby is challenging preconceptions about people living with advanced cancer.  

A rare and challenging diagnosis 

In August 2023, Trilby began having trouble breathing when she was doing some yard work. A visit to UK Healthcare Urgent Care at Turfland led nurse Melinda Rath to order a chest X-ray, which revealed fluid around her right lung. At UK Good Samaritan Hospital, doctors drained two liters of fluid. Testing revealed it was metastatic cancer, and a liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis: primary peritoneal cancer. 

For Trilby, the week following that initial X-ray was a blur. She’d always stayed up on checkups and screenings, never smoked, ate healthy and exercised. It didn’t make sense. 

“I go into this thinking they’re going to tell me I need to go have my heart checked or something,” Trilby said. “And I come out with ‘You have cancer.’ I mean, it was very unexpected.” 

Primary peritoneal cancer occurs in the peritoneum, the membrane lining the abdomen and surrounding the organs.  

Trilby is treated by UK Markey Cancer Center gynecologic oncologist Rachel Miller, M.D. 

“Primary peritoneal cancer in women is closely related to ovarian and fallopian tube cancers,” said Miller.  

Like ovarian and fallopian tube cancers, the challenge with primary peritoneal cancer is that it’s generally symptomless until it reaches advanced stages. By then, treatment is more difficult due to the higher potential for recurrence and chemotherapy resistance.  

Treatment options, which include chemotherapy and more invasive procedures, are tailored to each patient’s individual circumstances and quality of life priorities. 

Living life on her own terms 

Understanding the gravity of her diagnosis, Trilby made the decision to embrace each day as it comes. For her, that meant living life as comfortably as possible so she could cherish time with her wife, Stephanie, and continue to work.  

Her treatment regimen has included multiple rounds of chemotherapy. She is currently on maintenance therapy with a biologic agent and maintains a great quality of life with minimal side effects from therapy. 

“I knew right away being away from my job in my situation would impact my mental health and the physical toll would follow that,” Trilby said. “Continuing to work throughout treatment has been the best thing possible for me. When I’m at work, I’m not the patient anymore. I’m helping other patients. And that has helped my mindset in all of this.” 

“Trilby is proof that you can have a bad cancer and keep living,” Miller said. “Our hope is to treat people so they can live with cancer and undergo treatments that are tolerable, maintaining their quality of life and feeling good while doing it.” 

The decision was fully supported by her supervisors and colleagues, who have rallied around her, offering emotional support and assistance to help her maintain her work routine. It also kept her closer to Stephanie, who also works at Turfland clinic as a medical lab tech in the Outreach Lab.  

Trilby’s presence in the clinic has inspired her coworkers and the patients she interacts with daily. Despite facing her own health challenges, she goes above and beyond to ensure patients feel comfortable and cared for during their first interaction in the clinic.  

Sharing her journey with honesty and humor 

Trilby openly shares every step of her cancer journey. Her personal Facebook posts give a candid look at the realities of living with advanced cancer, including chemotherapy side effects like fatigue, neuropathy and hair loss.  

She’s also not afraid to share some of the other “less talked about” side effects, helping to normalize conversations about the realities of cancer treatment — even the more uncomfortable ones.  

“Cancer takes your dignity in a lot of ways,” Trilby said. “I live my life out loud and believe that everything is an opportunity to learn and for any life experience to be used for teaching. You never know what’s going to help somebody, and what’s going to help you.” 

Trilby also shares the lighthearted moments, including the latest additions to her growing collection of eclectic headwear. When her hair loss began, she opted against traditional wigs and wraps for a more creative approach.  

“I discovered the wonderful world of cosplay elf crowns,” Trilby said with a smile. Her collection now boasts Game of Thrones-inspired pieces, Greek goddess laurels, and her favorite — a charcoal short brim vintage Trilby Stetson with a Wonder Woman headband around the crown of the hat. She likes to say she’s a “Trilby in a Trilby.” 

“Every day, my coworkers would ask, ‘What are you wearing today?’” she laughs. “It became a fun way to connect and bring a little joy to the clinic.” 

A voice for women’s health 

Trilby is determined to use her story to inspire more women to be proactive about their health, including the importance of being aware of their bodies and seeking medical attention when “something doesn’t feel right.”  

That alone could be the difference in catching certain types of cancers earlier, when they’re more treatable.   

Primary peritoneal and ovarian cancers are not usually detected early when treatment outcomes are better because their early symptoms — such as abdominal bloating, cramping and fatigue — are subtle and often mistaken for other conditions.  

“Women can have a tendency to brush off symptoms or put off going to the doctor, because we’re just too busy,” Trilby said. “We need to prioritize ourselves.”  

Listening to your body isn’t the only defense against primary peritoneal cancer. There are other options that Trilby hopes more women know about: genetic testing and the CA-125 blood test.  

Genetic testing may be appropriate for women with higher risk factors for peritoneal cancer, including those with a family history of the disease. The testing can identify if you are a carrier of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are linked to increased risk of several cancers, including peritoneal and ovarian. 

The CA-125 blood test measures the amount of cancer antigen 125 in the blood, which can be an indicator of certain female cancers, including primary peritoneal. While not definitive, it can serve as an early warning sign in some cases. 

“These tests aren’t perfect, but they’re tools we have,” Trilby says.  “I want every woman to feel empowered to speak up, ask questions, and advocate for herself. Whether it’s discussing genetic testing, requesting a CA-125 test or simply voicing a concern about an unusual symptom — your voice matters.”