Two months ago Kristina Karlen's life changed.
She is the first patient at North Florida Regional Medical Center to receive cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy — an innovative treatment that led to her remission from terminal appendix cancer.
Oncologist Francisco Macedo performed the surgery. NFRMC is the only hospital in North Central Florida that offers this procedure.
Now, Karlen is looking ahead.
"I just feel more positive about the future. Looking forward to being a grandmother one day down the road, not too soon, and retirement in five or six years," she said.