#BraveLikeMeg

Name: Meg Hill
Age: 35
Diagnosis: Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma (ACC)

I was diagnosed with Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma (ACC) in June 2018. It's a super rare cancer - I'm a one in a million case. I had a major surgery to remove a 17 cm tumor as well as my right adrenal gland and a part of my liver. To prevent microscopic cancer cells from hanging around after surgery, I had to start an oral chemotherapy treatment that I am still taking to this day. I'm not going to lie, the side effects are rough. Chemo also shuts down my adrenal function (I have one left!) making me completely dependent on steroids for vital hormones. Between the chemo side effects and being adrenal insufficient, life is challenging but I've learned to adjust. And most importantly, I'm currently NED (no evidence of disease)!

Years of Survivorship: June 12th 2020 will be two years (I said goodbye to my giant tumor).
Location: Minneapolis, MN

Follow Meg on Instagram

How has running or staying physically active affected your cancer journey?

I truly believe that running saved my life. Before my diagnosis, I was having significant and unexplained health problems that made it hard to run or do anything. I had low energy levels and excruciating pain on my right side when running – it felt like someone was punching me in the diaphragm with every step. I'd been following Gabe for years on social media and I wanted to run the Brave Like Gabe 5k. Once I started trying to run again, the pain on my right side got more intense and I realized something was seriously wrong. On June 1st 2018, I couldn't catch my breath during one of my shifts as a Registered Nurse. I left early, went to the emergency room and a large 17cm mass was found on a CT scan. Without my love for activity and running, I'm 100 percent certain we wouldn’t have found the cancer before it was too late and I wouldn't be able to share my story with you today.

What advice do you have for people on staying fit throughout their cancer treatment or recovery?

Activity on treatment is different for everyone. I think what is most important is to do things that make you feel good and to celebrate small victories throughout your journey. For me, success came in increments – first it was going for short walks after surgery. Then I graduated to power walking, then biking, and finally after 4 months, I was able to start jogging again. I also strongly recommend getting an exercise partner. When I started chemo, my husband, Ben, and I rescued a large Great Pyrenees puppy named Gus. He was my constant partner and excuse to get out of the house and be active even when I felt awful. We went to Lake Harriet almost every day for walks and he didn't even mind if I had to stop to barf behind a bush. And of course it doesn’t need to be a dog. I do squats and lunges holding my large 20 pound Maine Coon cat, Milo Fezziwig Hill.

What are some of your proudest accomplishments since being diagnosed with cancer?

Being here. Being alive. Seriously. ACC is typically an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. And like many rare cancers, there is little known about the disease and very few proven treatment options. But I'm still here and fighting as hard as I can every day.

How has Gabe's story impacted you or changed the way you view life as a cancer patient/survivor?

It meant everything to me. After I found my tumor, I spent days in bed crying and searching for something positive to help pull me through the darkness. Like I mentioned, I had been following Gabe’s journey for years on social media and one day I decided to reach out to Gabe thinking there was no way she would actually respond. So I slipped into her DM’s and to my surprise, she slipped right back into mine. Later that summer, we met for coffee and throughout our conversation my heart wanted to burst because for the first time since my diagnosis I didn't feel alone. When you have a rare cancer, you feel misunderstood, afraid and lonely. But with Gabe it was different. She understood my journey because she had been down the same path. And at the time, she was surviving and thriving despite all the obstacles she had faced. That gave me hope and made me start to feel brave enough to take on this fight against cancer and live my life to the fullest. If you're reading this Gabe, I'm doing it. You gave me so much strength that sunny September day. I miss you so much.

“You deserve to be heard. Now, go out and live. It’s beautiful out there.”

— Meg

What are you most looking forward to in the near future?

Adventures. I want to travel. I want to see the world with my husband, Ben. Australia is a big one on the list. Also, I have dreams to move west. More mountains which means more skiing and more sunshine year around. I'd love to work in rescue and foster animals too.

Is there anything else you'd like us to know about you?

I was misdiagnosed for years and I'm lucky to be here. I didn't listen to providers when I was told I was "OK" or was told to "stop running" or "reduce your hours at work". Deep down I knew something was incredibly wrong. And, my instincts were right, I had cancer, a big ugly 17 cm tumor sitting on top of my right adrenal gland. I hope I can inspire cancer survivors and thrivers, but also be an advocate for women to speak up when you know something is not OK with your body. You deserve to be listened to and heard. Now, go out and live. It's beautiful out there.