An Unusual Gift: Physical Therapist who survived lung cancer is inspired by helping others

As soon as the doors of Parkwest Therapy Center open each morning, physical therapists are ready to get to work restoring lives. Some patients at the center are plagued by limited mobility or lack of balance. Some are simply in pain.

The recovery process is something the manager of the therapy center understands on a personal
level. Physical therapist Mark Conley is a cancer survivor.

Mysteriously Sick

“I’ll never forget it,” Conley says. “I was in high school in Spanish class and out of the  blue I had this intense pain in the left collarbone area. Later that day I started getting  sick with a fever and before I knew it I had been diagnosed with pneumonia.”

Conley recovered, got pneumonia again, recovered again and then suffered a third bout that
put him in a hospital. “This time they decided to do a bit more investigation as to why an
18-year-old was getting repeated bouts of pneumonia,” Conley says. “What they found was a tumor in my left lung.”

Specifically, the fast-growing carcinoid tumor was in a place that prevented fluid from  coming out of the left lobe. The tumor was blocking the airway, and the blockage caused pneumonias and infection.

The surgery to remove the tumor was only supposed to last two hours. It was 12 hours later that
Conley was awakened to the news that a sizeable part of his lung had to be removed, too.

Conley was completely shaken by the whole experience. Like most young men his age, he had thought he was invincible.

“For a period of probably eight weeks after my lung surgery I literally could not walk across the
room,” Conley says. “I was so humbled by how fragile my life was.” When patients at the therapy center face weeks of work to recover physical abilities that have been taken from them, Conley can relate. Lung cancer was the worst thing that had ever happened to him, but he says in some ways it was also one of the best things that could have happened.

“I view it as a great gift because, again, I know how fragile life can be,” Conley says. “Our health is a precious thing. We’re given this life for a purpose, which is to help others, to enjoy others and share that light of life with everyone we meet.” Conley doesn’t miss the part of his lung that was taken away by  cancer. He says through helping others, he is made whole.

Going the Distance

After a long and hard- fought personal battle, Conley was deemed fully recovered in 1991. But
the doctor also offered a side remark that Conley probably shouldn’t plan to run a marathon since part of his lung was gone.

Beating the odds, Conley crossed the finish line 20 years later at the 2011 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. He has completed three more full marathons since then. “I proved him wrong four times,” Conley says with a grin. Conley has also finished multiple half-marathons, team relays and 5K races. His training partner and encourager is Phil Bevins, another physical therapist at Parkwest Therapy Center. The two of them, along with the rest of the physical therapy team, dramatically change lives using knowledge, skill and compassion. “I always felt like I was called to help others regain their health the way that my health was regained,” Conley says. “The path that I ultimately followed was physical therapy and I’ve never regretted it. I’ve never regretted walking into a place and seeing people who had smiles on their face be- cause I did something that made their life better.”

Believing that no price can be placed on health and life, Conley encourages people to take care of themselves. He takes his own ad- vice, motivated by the very patients he’s working with at Parkwest Therapy Center. “I am inspired by others and I like to see them go on that path to recovery,” Conley says. “I’m energized by it. It motivates me to continue to try to take care of myself.”

Lung Cancer Recovery

At Parkwest Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation (CROP), Jonathan Dalton leads a program that breathes new life into lung cancer patients. For Dalton, it’s personal. “My mother-in-law passed away about six years ago from lung cancer,” Dalton says. “It has given me a specific empathy for those patients. I’ve been where the family is; I know what they’re faced with and the situations they’re in. I feel a unique connection with those folks.”

Parkwest’s cardiopulmonary rehab program provides equipment and guidance for patients to perform exercises that help strength- en the lungs. But that’s only one part of what cardiopulmonary rehab does to restore the patient’s quality of life.

Body, Mind and Spirit

“We focus on helping them improve their quality of life,” Dalton says. “We really look to assess
where they are from an emotional and psychosocial aspect. We provide resources in terms of stress  management, coping skills and emotional wellness.” Patients can learn about the best foods to eat for their health and smart choices that make recovery more successful and long lasting. There is  guidance from a registered dietitian as needed, and a team of medical professionals closely monitors patients while giving guidance for exercise. “We have a lot of experienced folks here, including exercise physiologists and nurses – who have been doing this quite a while, most of them more than 20 years,” Dalton says. “We know how to meet the patients where they are and help them regain stamina and strength.”

Dalton says some strategy is involved in exercise when there’s a lung limitation. “We call it breathing retraining,” he says. “You have to consciously develop a pattern and skill of breathing when you’re exerting yourself, especially if you have a problem with shortness of breath.”

For Safety’s Sake

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Parkwest Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation has taken extra
precautions to keep patients safe. From masks to the furniture and equipment set at least six feet
apart, safety protocols are followed to the letter. “We screen everyone for exposure, testing or symptoms,” Dalton says. “We check everyone’s  temperature.” All surfaces are cleaned after each patient’s touch. Dalton says the safety precautions are worth the trouble because he and his staff believe so strongly in the importance of the account- ability and socialization that cardiopulmonary rehabilitation provides.

“We do all those things because we know how important socialization is, especially for someone
dealing with a chronic disease,” Dalton says. “There is no substitute for that social interaction.”
It’s easy to feel isolated when dealing with a chronic disease, especially during a pandemic.
Depression can set in. Parkwest Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation reintroduces patients to socialization in a way that’s safe for every breath and every hard-earned sigh of relief.

Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation is a physician-supervised program that can often improve
functional capacity, reduce symptoms and create a sense of well-being for patients. A referral
from a physician is required for lung cancer patients. To learn more about Parkwest Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, call (865) 531-5560 or visit TreatedWell.com/CardiacRehab.

What are the Symptoms of lung cancer?

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a good time to take a deep breath. Here are the most common symptoms of lung cancer:

• A cough that doesn’t go away or gets worse over time
• Chest pain, especially if it is worse when coughing or breathing deeply
• Coughing up blood or rust-colored mucus
• Shortness of breath
• Hoarseness
• Wheezing
• Loss of appetite
• Unexpected weight loss
• Feeling tired or weak
• Pneumonia or bronchitis occur- ring more often than usual for you
• Trouble breathing that’s getting worse
• Bone pain
• Belly or back pain
• Yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Headache, seizures, or confusion
• Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
• Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck
• Drooping eyelid
• Problems with talking or speaking

See a healthcare provider if you think you or a loved one may be at risk.

Low-Dose CT Screening Criteria

Low-dose CT scans are recommended for individuals who:
■ Are between the ages of 55-75 and have smoked one pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years;
■ Have past cancers of emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, or a family history of lung cancer;
■ Have been exposed to substances such as asbestos, beryllium, chromium, diesel fumes, nickel,
silica, and arsenic.

Your physician must write an order for you to be screened, and Medicare will cover the cost of the
screening if you meet criteria.

Low-dose CT screening is offered at the following Covenant Health hospitals:

• Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center
• LeConte Medical Center
• Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System