- Jackie Head is an ice climber who’s accomplished high-altitude treks in Iceland and France.
- She had zero signs of lung most cancers however caught it early, because of a free scan.
- She’s now cancer-free after surgical procedure and believes everybody ought to get screenings.
Jackie Head’s lung energy is useful contemplating her energetic way of life. The 57-year-old lives for mountaineering, free-diving, and polar coaching, which includes 9 hours of snowboarding a day and pulling a 66-pound sledge.
“I’ve at all times stated I’ve received very sturdy legs and I’ve received very sturdy lungs,” Head, who’s summited Mont Blanc, the very best peak in Western Europe, and gone on Icelandic expeditions, instructed Insider.
It was her penchant for climbing in excessive altitudes — and her lack of any signs — that made her lung most cancers analysis such a shock.
At age 56, Head obtained a complimentary screening as a result of her space, Essex, was focused by the UK’s Nationwide Well being System as a part of a brand new initiative to detect lung most cancers earlier. She remembered wishing the employees a cheerful Christmas and strolling away “assuming that there’s positively nothing incorrect with me.”
However her CT scan confirmed two nodules on her proper lung, and a later biopsy revealed that she had stage 1a, or early stage, lung most cancers.
Head solely went to the screening as a result of lung most cancers runs in her household
Initially, Head had deliberate to be away on the time of the screening — she was signed as much as cross the Northern Patagonia ice cap with a workforce. On account of monetary causes, some members dropped out and the journey was canceled.
As a result of each of Head’s mother and father had lung most cancers, she determined she would possibly as effectively get a screening.
After the preliminary scan, she had a biopsy carried out, which confirmed that the 26-millimeter nodule on her decrease lobe was cancerous.
Her adventurous way of life helped her emotionally cope with her analysis
When Head was identified in January 2023, she was initially “actually indignant,” contemplating her dedication to health and the way exhausting she labored at safeguarding her well being.
She stated the docs wished to schedule the surgical procedure instantly, however she determined to postpone for a 10-day journey to an arctic ice competition in February. The biopsy and surgical procedure each anxious Head, who knew that issues may embody a collapsed lung that might quickly inhibit her from doing all her favourite out of doors actions.
Jackie Head
However on the similar time, her way of life ready her to cope with the worst outcomes. She stated ice climbers “usually dwell like there’s no tomorrow: You face concern a variety of occasions as a result of it’s very harmful.”
Plus, she realized the analysis “highlighted some issues in life you do not need management of,” and that the one factor she had energy over was how she took the information.
When she returned from her journey, Head went proper to the hospital to get the surgical procedure.
She had a part of her lung eliminated and is now cancer-free
In March, Head had a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical procedure (VATS) to take away the decrease proper lobe of her lung, which she stated will cut back her oxygen consumption — although thus far it hasn’t impacted her work outs.
Nonetheless, she felt optimistic: In her lung perform assessments earlier than the surgical procedure, she realized she had “superhuman” lungs in keeping with a physician. For the reason that surgical procedure, she stated her proper aspect nonetheless feels “very tight and odd” however that she’s gotten used to it.
Now cancer-free, Head already has her subsequent journey deliberate: The Snowman Trek in Bhutan, a 28-day journey thought-about to be essentially the most difficult traverse within the Himalayas.
Jackie Head
So far as screenings, she plans to get her subsequent one in August and plans to get them each six months to be protected.
She additionally hopes different individuals will contemplate getting extra frequent screenings. Lung most cancers is the deadliest type of most cancers within the UK and US, however it’s additionally extra frequent in older males and people who smoke. As a result of the early levels generally present no signs, many individuals won’t notice they’ve lung most cancers till later, when therapy is far more troublesome.
“I imagine we’d like a brand new face for lung most cancers,” Head stated. “Then individuals would possibly truly flip their head and suppose ‘Perhaps I ought to begin having a physique scan each two years.’”