179: Shannon Miller survived germ cell ovarian cancer | BEP chemotherapy | laparotomy | neuropathy

Shannon Miller won seven Olympic medals as a gymnast in 1992 and 1996.  She did so against topflight competition, but years later, she faced a more formidable foe: a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.  Her tumor was successfully removed through a procedure called a Unilatera Salpingo-Oophorectomy, but two weeks after that, she learned it more malignant than originally thought.  Aided by the mental toughness she exhibited as an elite athlete, Shannon went on a grueling, nine-week regimen of BEP chemotherapy and reached survivorship.    In 2011, Shannon experienced bloating, stomach aches and weight loss.  She dismissed them as symptoms attached to her just having had a son.  When it came time for a checkup, she told her doctor she felt fine, but after a scan, Shannon was told she wasn't fine because the scan revealed a baseball-sized cyst in her left ovary, and that surgery was needed.  At that time it was not known if the cyst was benign or malignant.   At first she had to sit through an agonizing four to five weeks of 'wait and observe.'  Shannon underwent a laparotomy and a unilatera salpingo-oophorectomy, in which the left ovary was removed and with it, the tumor.  Shannon was a bit woozy from her various medications when she regained consciousness.  It was then that she was told the mass was cancerous.  Shannon and her husband felt like celebrating because the cancer had been removed.  However, bad news was around the corner.   About two weeks later, she received a call from her oncologist.  He said that the tumor had a higher degree of malignancy than originally anticipated.  This meant Shannon would have to undergo nine weeks of extremely aggressive chemotherapy, BEP chemotherapy. She said it was the hardest thing she had ever had to do.  In addition to the predictable hair loss, there was the nausea in addition to hydration issues, all this while was trying to raise a toddler.    In an early stage of the nine-week regimen, Shannon questioned whether she could complete it; but she called on the mental toughness that enabled her to excel as an elite athlete, finished the chemo on May 2, 2011, and was declared cancer free.  She was nauseous for another year and says to this day she sometimes has cognitive issues, but experienced continued progress and began to feel a little better and a bit more like herself with each passing day.   Shannon Miller says hers is a journey with no finish line.  She tries to survive each day and is grateful for the life she enjoys with husband and two children.   Additional Resources:   Shannon's websites: Salto Health https://www.saltohealth.com  https://www.shannonmiller.com Shannon's book: It's Not About Perfect: Competing for my Country and Fighting for my Life