Devoted cyclists like Nan Ehrsam know that going the distance is never easy, so when she learned she had lung cancer, she knew she was in for the ride of her life.
That determination helped the 70-year-old from Wichita Falls compete in her hometown’s world-renowned cycling event less than three months after her surgery — and with just one lung.
“It’s hard sometimes, but when I get on my bike, even when I’m slower, I can feel I’m working hard,” says Nan, who’s now cancer-free. “That joy of riding just comes back.”
Nan thanks the team at Methodist Dallas Medical Center for getting her back on the road again.
“Everyone at Methodist was so kind,” Nan says. “I didn’t know any of them, but they made me feel safe.”
RARE CARCINOID TUMOR
When Nan first developed a persistent cough, her doctors suspected allergies. But the cough wouldn’t go away.
A scan using positron emission tomography, or PET, revealed a nodule on her lung, leading her pulmonologist to perform a bronchoscopy with biopsy. That confirmed something more serious than allergies, and she was referred to David Mason, MD, a thoracic surgeon on the medical staff at Methodist Dallas.
Nan made the two-hour trip to Dallas uncertain what to expect at her first appointment with Dr. Mason. He told her she had a carcinoid tumor, a rare type of slow-growing lung cancer.
“In general, they grow over time and can press on different structures, such as the windpipe, which explains her cough,” Dr. Mason says.
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Carcinoid tumors are rare and often confined to the airways of the lung, where they can cause infections such as pneumonia as they grow. Surgical removal is the only effective treatment, and recurrence is rare.
“Most of the time, I can remove just a portion of the lung,” Dr. Mason says. “But given where her tumor was, I knew I’d have to remove the entire lung.”
Nan was devastated to learn she’d lose her right lung. She found strength in her faith and her husband’s support, but she had one burning question for Dr. Mason:
“Will I ever get back on my bike again?” she asked.
Nan has been happiest on a bike since she was on three wheels in preschool.
FASTEST IN AGE GROUP
Nan has loved cycling since preschool and has participated in races across Texas, as well as Oklahoma. She even met her husband of 50 years, Paul, on one of her trips. Her favorite race is the annual Hotter’N Hell Hundred cycling competition in Wichita Falls.
“Before the surgery, I was the fastest woman in my age group,” she says. “Now I’m going to be the fastest old lady with one lung!”
Before her surgery in June 2025, Nan went for one last bike ride, covering 38 miles at 13.7 mph, and she couldn’t believe there was anything wrong with her lungs. Right before the operation, Dr. Mason took her hand.
“He said, ‘I know this isn’t what you want,’ and I could hear the compassion in his voice,” Nan recalls. “I looked up and said, ‘Yes, but I know you’re going to do what needs to be done.’ I totally trusted him.”
A few months after her surgery, Nan got back to doing what she loves.
BACK ON HER BIKE AGAIN
The surgery was a success, and Nan was soon cleared to go home and begin her road to recovery. What she looked forward to most was getting back on her bike.
“I’m not used to sitting down and doing nothing,” she laughs. “I’ve realized you can’t just get up and do cartwheels when you’re missing a lung!”
Nan is deeply thankful to Dr. Mason and every staff member at Methodist Dallas who cared for her.
“Having Dr. Mason as my surgeon proved to be a God thing,” she says. “I want him to see what his work has done and what he’s allowed me to keep doing.
While Nan may have one less lung, her spirit and determination are stronger than ever.
“Being back on my bike means the world to me,” she says. “I may be minus one lung, but I’m not going to let that stop me. I’m not going to waste Dr. Mason’s work.”
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