Rebecca Simpson knew something was wrong when she had been congested for months on end and had lost her sense of smell.
For two years, Simpson went to doctor after doctor without finding any answers.
“Every doctor I saw just said it was the results of COVID,” said Simpson. “It was ridiculous.”
Simpson started feeling dizzy and having falls. She was struggling with her vision, and again all the doctors had no answers. Then, Simpson—a stickler for spelling and grammar—struggled with her ability to spell. “I could not remember how to spell words I’ve always used, so I turned to Google for help.”
Simpson grew up in Utah but lives on a cattle ranch in Wyoming with her husband, a lifelong rancher. After seeing multiple doctors in Wyoming without a successful diagnosis or treatment plan, Simpson decided to come to Utah. In February 2024, she met with an ENT who suggested she get a CT scan.
In February 2024 she met with an ENT who suggested she get a CT scan.
The scan showed that Simpson had a large tumor in her nasal cavity and brain base.
“After the CT scan, the doctor came in and told me I had a serious problem,” said Simpson. “He then told me that he would need to refer me to a different doctor.”
Simpson needed to see a specialist for treatment. After she and her sister did some research, they discovered that 鶹ѧƷ has a group of providers who specialize in anterior skull base tumors—exactly what she had just been diagnosed with. She called U of U Health and got an appointment scheduled.
Two weeks after she scheduled with U of U Health, she ended up in the emergency room, unable to breathe, choking on drainage in her throat and fighting with constant discharge leaking from her nose.
The CT scan performed that day showed that Simpson’s tumor was 5.1 centimeters and the growth was visible throughout her sinus and into the brain cavity. Although it was making it hard to breathe, due in part to a secondary infection, she showed no neurological deficits. That meant she was able to have treatment in the ER and take a course of antibiotics before being seen at the specialty clinic.
Within a week, Simpson was able to meet with Jeremiah Alt, MD PhD, a neuro otolaryngologist, and Robert Rennert, MD, a skull base, and vascular neurosurgeon, who both specialize in endoscopic anterior skull base tumor surgery.
Alt and Rennert suspected Simpson’s tumor was esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB), a cancerous and rare tumor. ENB typically begins in the upper part of the nasal cavity, which is the open space behind and above the nose. It is considered a skull base tumor. It is also known as olfactory neuroblastoma because it grows in the olfactory nerve cells of the nose which are responsible for the ability to smell. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis.
“When someone tells you ‘You have cancer’ it is unreal,” said Simpson. “You just... what me? How could I have cancer?” “It feels unbelievable, it scares you and gives you a call to action.”
On May 2, 2024, Alt and Rennert performed a successful endoscopic endonasal surgery
This wasn’t Simpson’s first brain surgery. During birth her skull had been fractured, so at 17 and 19 days old, she had to undergo surgeries to remove bone fragments and correct two subdural hematomas. That surgery left a visible horseshoe shaped scar on her scalp that she has to this day. The endoscopic surgery that Alt & Rennert performed took nearly 6 hours. It completely changed the inside of her nasal cavity and sinuses and required them to reconstruct the skull base to support her brain - but outside it never left a visible mark. It felt like a miracle because “Dr. Alt didn’t know what he was going to find in there because of the surgery when I was a baby,” said Simpson. “It was a risk factor for them because they had no idea if things were going to be okay.”
Another risk factor was that Simpson takes blood thinners for a bleeding disorder that causes her to clot quickly. Alt and Rennert had to be aware of this going into surgery and plan her peri-operative course accordingly. Simpson’s surgery and aftercare went exactly according to plan.
Simpson and her family are extremely grateful to her doctors.
“Dr. Alt is fantastic,” said Simpson. “Not only is he competent at what he does, he’s a doctor you can be very comfortable with, and you can tell him anything. When I was struggling, he told me, ‘I have broad shoulders, lay it on me, I can carry you’.”
Rennert was an equally comforting presence. While Simpson was in Neuro ICU following surgery he came by each morning and each evening to check on her.
“He was attentive, conscientious, and kind,” she said.
Starting on June 25, 2024, Simpson began radiation treatment at the Huntsman Cancer Center with Shane Lloyd, MD. She received it five days a week for six and a half weeks, in an effort to keep the tumor from coming back. The radiation wasn’t easy emotionally or physically and caused fear, nausea, and fatigue, but Simpson did her best to keep moving. She made a point to not dwell on it.
“I made myself get up and do things during the day,” she said. “You just have to stay busy, or else that radiation experience and the tiredness will suck you in. But you don’t have to give in to it.”
Between surgery and treatment, Simpson spent 7 months in Utah
Luckily, she was able to stay with her son in Kearns, Utah, and she had her dogs and three horses to keep her company. While in Utah, she got the unique opportunity to be part of the Days of ’47 parade on July 24.
“I got offered to be a part of the Sheriff’s Posse horse riding club, and ride my horse in the parade,” said Simpson. “That experience is a highlight of my life, and a dream come true. As a child, I always wanted to be a cowboy because there was no such thing as a cowgirl back then. I love it.”
Now, Simpson is back in Wyoming working on the cattle ranch with her husband. However, for the next several years she will need to return to Utah every three months for a CT scan and check up with Alt.
“Unfortunately, this is a tumor that likes to come back,” said Simpson. “We just have to be diligent in my follow up CT scans and checkups, and make sure we catch it early if it does end up coming back.”
Overall, Simpson is doing great, and she has some advice for anyone else who may be facing cancer or another serious health issue: find the right doctors, have faith, and keep going.
“For me, I knew if I stopped fighting, I was going to die,” said Simpson. “I also knew that I could fight and do whatever I needed to do and maybe come out better on the other side. And that’s what I did and continue to do.”
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