Colorectal cancer survivor from Monroeville keeps living and running

Jessi Marsh is a wife and the mother of 8-year-old Cassidy.

The Monroeville resident also runs marathons and works full time as director of advancement at Light of Life Rescue Mission on Pittsburgh's North Side.

Plus, she is a cancer survivor. Make that a three-time cancer survivor. And she is not yet 40.

“I feel great,” Jessi says during a recent interview at her office.

Looking at Jessi — short for Jessica — you would never guess she was first diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2013 after experiencing some bleeding. In fact, it had been going on for years. Jessi says she had been told she had hemorrhoids.

“I had been told to eat more fiber,” she laughs.

The years passed. She had a baby. She ran races and felt great. But something kept nagging at the back of her mind.

“I had an increasing sense I was not OK,” she says.

Jessi says she had a scope of her lower colon. From the doctor's face, she says she could tell it was not good news.

“I was told I had a mass,” she says.

While she wasn't 100 percent sure the mass was cancer, Marsh says she had to have colon resection surgery because of its size.

“The doctor told me he would be shocked if it was not cancer,” Marsh says. “I went into surgery with my eyes wide open.”

The diagnosis was colon cancer Stage 3B, meaning it was in her lymph nodes. With that diagnosis, the next stop was UPMC Hillman Cancer Center to have a port for chemotherapy put in place.

“I called it Mort the Port,” Marsh says. “You have to bring some levity into the situation.”

It was at Hillman's Monroeville at UPMC East where she met Dr. Dhaval Mehta, her oncologist. The two clicked immediately.

“He believes in me,” she says. “He sees me as a person.”

It was during a regular scan at Hillman that Marsh and Mehta discovered the cancer had returned. This time the disease was in her liver. Stage 4 cancer. Marsh had half of her liver removed. Her liver grew back in “two-to-three weeks,” she says. Plus, Marsh had to go through another round of chemotherapy.

In March 2016, her second round of chemotherapy ended. She was busy with her daughter, her work, and raising money for the Pittsburgh Marathon.

In early 2017, a scan showed nodules in her left lung. The cancer had returned and Marsh had lung resection surgery.

“I am good at getting through surgery,” she says.

There was no chemotherapy after the lung surgery. In the interim, however, Mort the Port was removed. Another port — which she named Portia — was put in its place. Marsh says Portia may be removed if her scans show no sign of cancer.

Mehta says in an email that his patient is in complete remission.

“Jessi's cancer journey has not been easy,” Mehta says. “She was diagnosed at 35 years old. She has two recurrences which required additional surgery and treatment. Yet, every time I talk with her and tell her about the next steps or the recurrences, she is so motivated. … She is so committed and she takes it courageously as she continues to fight the battle. I get more strength from her because she says to me, what do I need to do, and does it.”

For her part, Marsh says it is important to have a gratitude attitude.

“None of us are promised tomorrow,” she says. “I just have more information on what is going to kill me.”

Since being diagnosed, Marsh says she has changed how she eats, opting for whole and organic food.

“I still have pizza because it is a quality of life issue,” she says.

“But, you can't fake it,” Marsh says of her cancer. “You have to deal with reality and focus on what you're grateful for. My body is treating me well. …You have to keep living and do what you believe.”

Suzanne Elliott is a Tribune-Review staff writer. She can be reached at 412-871-2346, selliott@tribweb.com, or via Twitter@41Suzanne