When I awoke from a bi-lobectomy (2/3 of my right lung removed) in May of 2017, the first thing I asked my surgeon was if I would ever run again. He answered, "well, probably not a full marathon, but maybe a half". It was at that moment that I began planning my comeback race...

Let's back up a bit:

In March of 2017, I caught a run-of-the-mill cold from my toddler and didn't think much of it. It quickly developed into a pretty deep cough with some wheezing; even though I wasn't too worried, I did make an appointment with a GP for a check up just to be sure (I actually felt incredibly alarmist for doing so and was positive I was wasting my time). The doctor listened to my lungs and said they "sounded kinda funny" and sent me for a chest X-ray. A couple of days later, I received a phone call from the doctor's office saying that the X-ray results were "abnormal" and I needed to follow up. Thinking maybe I had bronchitis or pneumonia at worst, I was undeterred and felt, overall, perfectly fine (my cough and wheezing were even gone by this point), but I went ahead and made an appointment with a respiratory therapist. Again, felt like overkill, but what the hell, couldn't hurt. My respiratory therapist took a look at the X-rays and immediately told me that it appeared I had a fluid filled cyst in my lung which would likely require a large needle to go in to "pop" it. I remember thinking, "yikes, that was unexpected". I needed to get a CT scan to confirm this initial diagnosis. My husband insisted on accompanying me to the CT and I had emphatically told him it was not necessary. Thank god he joined anyway. We were both joking around in the exam room when the doctor stepped in to discuss the CT results. His previous light-hearted attitude had shifted to solemn and my husband and I immediately took note. He started with, "well, it appears that the mass in your lung is a little more solid than I initially thought". Tears instantly welled in my eyes. "What does that mean?!", though I knew immediately what it meant. The C-word. As he showed me the large peach-sized mass encompassing most of my right lung on his desktop computer, my reality started to blur. It was surreal to be sitting in a doctor's office being told that I have cancer, just completely out of the blue. He began to explain that it appeared to be neuroendocrine cancer of the lung, which is rare and usually slow-growing (although there are more aggressive types), but a biopsy would have to confirm.  The finding set in motion a slew of appointments over the course of the next few weeks to make sure it hadn’t metastasized (thankfully, it hadn’t)--biopsy, brain MRI, PET scan, blood tests, etc. It was A LOT; especially with a 15 month old toddler at home. March through May were dark days for me, with my future uncertain.

The best course of action was to surgically remove the mass and local lymph nodes and hope for clear margins. They didn’t know until getting in there if they’d have to remove my entire right lung or two lobes. My amazing surgeon, Dr. Flores, head of thoracic surgery at Mt. Sinai in NYC, was able to leave me a lobe (he even apologized for having to slice through one of my tattoos). Fun fact: your right lung has three lobes and your left lung has two lobes. Surgery was an absolute success! Recovery was rough for the first few days in the ICU but once I returned home, it was a breeze (besides not being able to hold my son and sleeping in a recliner for 8 weeks). 

4 1/2 years later, I am currently NED (no evidence of disease) and have recently shifted from bi-annual CT scans and blood/hormone monitoring to yearly check-ups with my neuroendocrine specialist.  

I no longer take my health for granted. I am so grateful that I listened to my body and the tiny, nagging voice that told me to go see a doctor even though it felt like I was being dramatic about it at the time. This type of cancer is incredibly difficult to catch because it can fly under the radar for a while, sometimes with no symptoms. 

I am beyond excited to share that I will be running the full Philadelphia Marathon on November 21, 2021 to help bring awareness and funding to the cancer that flipped my family’s life upside down. What I lack in lung tissue, I make up for in determination! I can’t wait to email a picture of me crossing the finish line to my surgeon :)

If you’re able, please consider donating to the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation and share my story. Any little bit helps! The first 10 donors will get some cool NETRF swag, too ;) 

THANK YOU,

Jessica

The Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation’s (NETRF) mission is to fund research to discover cures and more effective treatments for neuroendocrine cancers.

Some quick facts about neuroendocrine cancer, which is uncommon and underfunded:

• 175k Americans affected

• 12k new diagnoses each year in the US

• 50% are misdiagnosed first with another condition

• The average number of years from onset of symptoms to diagnosis is 5 years

• Neuroendocrine cells can be found in many different organs: GI tract, gallbladder, pancreas, thyroid, lungs, pituitary glands, kidneys, liver, prostate, skin, cervix, ovaries, thymus, testicles