Barrington Woman Beats the Odds and Lives to Run Marathon

Barrington health care attorney Stacie Switzer knows what it’s like to face impossible odds and win.

In 2003, she was diagnosed with what doctors thought was an inoperable tumor lodged inside her spinal cord. Tumors on the spine occur in one in one hundred thousand people, but masses that grow inside the spinal cord occur even more infrequently. The tumor in Stacie’s spinal cord was large enough to cover the area between four verterbrae in her neck.

Switzer, who is a former gymnast and current avid runner with five marathons under her belt, was undeterred by the initial diagnosis and visited seven neurosurgeons before she met Dr. Edward Mrkdichian of the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch medical group (CINN).

“Dr. Mkrdichian was a very straight shooter and he was one of the only doctors who told me he could operate on the tumor,” Switzer said. In fact, Dr. Mkrdichian is one of the most experienced surgeons in the area in removing brain and spine tumors, having performed more than 225 surgeries over the past twelve months.

“Here I was, a newlywed and a new mother going through what I thought was supposed to be a glorious time my life and I was facing the real prospect of not being able to see my daughter grow up, “ she said.

Two months after diagnosis, Switzer underwent a risky six-hour surgery in which Mkrdichian opened up her spinal cord and removed the bulk of the tumor. Despite being numb from the neck down, the hospital’s physical therapist got her up and assisted her in walking a few steps just three days after surgery and Switzer returned home after a week in the hospital.

“I had to re-learn how to do everything,” she said. “Walking, writing, even holding Maddie.”

Gradually, with the help of CINN physiatrist Dr. Christine Villoch, Switzer regained her ability to walk, though not before weaning herself off painkillers and steroids. ”Another source of support for me was the Spinal Cord Tumor Association. I received much encouragement and support from that group, and developed some lasting friendships” Stacie said.

The doctor-patient relationship between Villoch and Switzer grew into a strong friendship as both realized they share a passion for running.

“Stacie’s a huge fighter and every time I see her, I discover more about her and what it was like to go through what she endured,” Villoch said.

The friendship blossomed and as Switzer improved, Villoch gave her the medical clearance to start running again. Although Switzer still experiences numbness in her hands and has sensory nerve numbness below her waist, neither condition has interfered with her training regimen. In April of this year, Villoch and Switzer entered, and completed, a half marathon in Columbus, Ohio near where Switzer grew up and went to college and law school. Switzer can see the light at the end of the tunnel – she is now training to run in the Las Vegas Marathon on December 4th – her first marathon since her surgery.

“The surgery has changed my entire perspective about life and running,” she said. “I used to try to beat my times and go faster, now I’m just happy to be able to run.”

For more information about spinal cord tumors, visit the Spinal Cord Tumor Association website at www.spinalcordtumor.org.