As a competitive cyclist in the 70s, he rode alongside some of the best cyclists in the world. Jim didn’t know it at the time, but his constant challenges to go faster, work harder, go longer distances, and fuel his body with proper nutrition got him in shape for the greatest challenge of his life – cancer.
“Towards the end of 2012 I was having trouble breathing, either on or off the bike,” says the 61-year-old mechanical engineer. “I was unable to clear my nostrils on the road, and when over-the-counter medications and antibiotics didn’t work, we knew it was time to take the next step toward a proper diagnosis.”
After scopes and scans revealed a tumor in his nasal cavity, Jim’s ear/nose/throat specialist in Delaware performed surgery. The hospital was not able to easily identify the tumor so the tissue samples were sent to the Mayo Clinic. The malignant tumor type was rare, as was the location of the tumor. Typing is important in deciding the treatment course and this tumor was resistant to chemotherapy.Knowing the type of tumor, and the precision needed to make sure all "margins" were clear, Jim was referred to Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center by his own doctor, and father in law, who happened to be a retired physician.
“They assured me Dr. Bert O’Malley was the best out there, and the one who could take care of what needed to be done,” says Jim. “Because the tumor was rare, my case made it to the tumor board. This is not an honor you want!”
Jim needed more surgery to be sure the tumor had not spread, and radiation therapy was planned for after. But before his second surgery, he had some time to heal… and get back on the bike.
“My breathing was immediately better following the first surgery and I could not wait to get back on the bike,” he remembers. “While I was permitted to ride, I was told to ‘take it easy,’ which I did, sort of. I kept my maximum pulse to 90% and I turned down the watt rating also to 90%.”
“When it was warm enough to ride outside, I started to kick up my mileage, without pushing it. By the time the second surgery was to take place, I got in a nice 31-mile ride on Sunday, in advance of the Tuesday surgery,” Jim remembers. “The day after the surgery, Dr. O’Malley walked in, looked at me, and said, ‘You look great!’”
Jim’s second surgery was called “clean-up” and was intended to clear out any tissue that was seen as “PET active.” All of the tissue samples came back clean, so he was breathing easier on all fronts once again.
For six weeks after surgery, Jim received radiation therapy at Penn Medicine Valley Forge.
“Even though I’d started radiation therapy, I was back up to doing at least four hours a week of saddle time on a bike,” says Jim. “Keeping my weight up during treatment was a challenge, but cycling actually helped. Though my sense of taste was dulled, I was used to getting calories back into my body. I knew I had to eat and carefully match my calories taken in to my calories burned. I managed to hold weight throughout the process - eating a lot of Indian food!” Jim jokes.
Now, nearly two years after his journey with cancer started, Jim remains cancer-free and is still cycling like a champ.
In fact, he is joining the Abramson Cancer Center’s Ride to Conquer Cancer, a 2-day, nearly 150 mile bike ride that benefits cancer research at the Abramson Cancer Center.
“I can’t say enough about the Abramson Cancer Center,” says Jim. “My surgeon Dr. O’Malley, my oncologist, Dr. Chip Staddon at Penn Medicine at Radnor, and Dr. Geoffrey Geiger at both the Valley Forge and the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine always put me as a person in front of me as a patient. Plus the staff at all locations have been phenomenal.”
Jim adds, “I want my story to give others hope.”
Learn more about, or join the Ride to Conquer Cancer here.
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