Jasmine Hillman never expected to be diagnosed with cancer at 36 years old.
What began as a painful-to-the-touch knot behind her ear turned into four years of doctor’s appointments and misdiagnoses. She was prescribed antibiotics, eardrops, a mouthguard for TMJ and had four wisdom teeth removed before a new primary care physician finally suggested a CT scan.
“The doctor told me, ‘I can’t believe no one in all of these years has given you a CT scan. That’s a long time to live with something behind your ear that’s painful,’” Hillman said.
The CT scan revealed a mass on her salivary gland, but it wasn’t initially believed to be malignant. She returned for a follow-up scan 90 days later, and when the mass had not grown, her physician referred her to an ENT specialist to address a possible blockage.
Jasmine Hillman
The ENT performed a precautionary biopsy. It initially came back benign, but the final pathology report revealed the news Hillman never expected: she had a stage IV salivary gland tumor.
“I was literally numb in that moment, because I was shocked,” she said. ”Immediately I thought to myself, ‘How bad is it?’ Because it’s been there for so long. I was just reeling with all these thoughts, like, ’Am I going to live? Am I okay?”
“There are so many thoughts around if you have cancer, then this is this automatic death. I’m young. I feel so healthy. I work out practically every morning. I eat healthy. How did this happen to me?”
Hillman had surgery to remove the tumor as soon as possible. She underwent a parotidectomy to remove her right salivary gland, along with reconstructive surgery to rebuild the area.
In another twist, doctors discovered a second tumor at the base of her skull. To remove both tumors completely, surgeons would have had to cut a facial nerve, which would have caused paralysis on one side of her face. Considering her age and quality of life, they chose to leave a small portion of the tumor to be treated with radiation.
In her first appointment at Texas Oncology, her physician knew he could treat her with traditional radiation, but encouraged her to receive proton therapy, knowing how the side effects from traditional radiation would affect the rest of her life.
“I have this doctor sitting here – I’ve done all my paperwork for him, I’ve submitted my insurance – and to see him pass me along in just the warmest, kindest way to what he felt like was the better treatment just really spoke to his character and also to how much he believed in proton therapy,” she said.
Within a few weeks, she had a consultation with Dr. Jared Sturgeon, her insurance approved the treatment, she was fitted for a mask and she came in for her first session. Thirty-three treatments later, Hillman was declared cancer free and has been ever since.
The process was “incredibly seamless,” and other than minor skin damage, Hillman said she experienced no side effects and continued her normal workout routine and diet throughout treatment.
“I think it is worth bringing awareness to, advocating for and empowering patients to take back their power to choose what is the best option for them,” she said. “I wish more people knew about proton therapy and that it is an option. I do think it is worth fighting for.”
Aside from a scar from her initial surgery and occasional dry mouth due to the removal of her salivary gland, Hillman said she feels nearly the same as she did before—minus the cancer.
“For me, I often look at that scar and I just see it as a testament of what I have overcome,” she said. “And so I’m never bothered by it, I don’t cover it with makeup. I don’t try to hide it, like it is just my story. I own it, I love it and I’m happy to be here.”
