Positive thoughts helped adenoid cystic carcinoma survivor heal

When Tammy Ebbinghaus was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the nasal cavity in 2023, the timing couldn’t have been worse. She was a working single mother of three – one of whom was a senior in high school.

To make matters worse, her local doctor told her this type of cancer typically has a poor prognosis.

Tammy knew she wanted to get the best care. So, she came to MD Anderson.

Recurring symptoms lead to cancer diagnosis

Tammy had a history of nasal polyps and an eye twitch she’d been told was due to dry eye. But in January 2023, she lost her sense of taste and smell, was having trouble breathing and felt fatigued.

A local ENT in Missouri scheduled a surgery to remove her nasal polyps. But scans indicated that they might be dealing with something more serious than allergies and sinus problems.

A biopsy revealed that she had cancer. The tumor was wrapped around her eye. Her doctor didn’t offer much hope for a good outcome.

“As I was leaving the appointment, a clinical student walked me out,” recalls Tammy, who was 43 at the time. “She told me, ‘You’re young. You’re healthy. You can fight this.’”

As it turns out, Tammy, a registered nurse, had accompanied a friend to an appointment at MD Anderson a few months prior.

“My doctor said they could send me to a local facility to treat the cancer,” she says. “But he told me this is a really hard cancer to treat. My friend at MD Anderson was getting excellent care – and she’s surviving. So, I told him I wanted to go to MD Anderson.” 

Adenoid cystic carcinoma treatment at MD Anderson

Tammy’s best friend came with her to her first appointment, where she met her care team, which included head and neck surgeon Stephen Lai, M.D., Ph.D., and plastic and reconstructive surgeon Christopher Nguyen, M.D.

“Everybody at MD Anderson is so positive and happy. I noticed that when I came with my friend for her treatment,” says Tammy. “I think that’s why I originally loved MD Anderson so much.”

In April 2023, Tammy underwent a 12-hour surgery that involved five surgeons.

“They removed the tumor as well as some muscle, tissue and bone,” she says. “Dr. Lai had to go through my mouth to do the surgery, so I also lost some teeth and tear ducts.”

Nguyen used Tammy’s thigh skin and muscle to reconstruct her palate, inner cheek, inner nose and base of skull. She stayed at the hospital for five days before going home to Missouri to heal.

In June 2023, Tammy returned to MD Anderson to begin six weeks of radiation therapy. She had 30 rounds of proton therapy under radiation oncologist Adam Garden, M.D.

“After radiation, there was so much muscle atrophy that my eye became sunken in and misshapen,” she says.

Tammy had a second surgery in May 2024. Surgeons shaved part of her knee and used a 3D implant to help reconstruct her face, including the eye socket and cheekbone.

“I wanted to look normal after surgery,” she says. “Dr. Nguyen really took that into consideration. He did all he could to make my face look as normal as possible.”

Tammy also developed mouth sores from radiation, which made it hard for her to eat and caused her to lose weight. She learned to avoid foods like mashed potatoes that would stick to the roof of her mouth, and she ate lots of protein and took vitamins to get nutrients.

The side effects went away once she completed radiation.

Tammy Ebbinghaus (second from left) with her three children

Support system helped her remain positive during treatment

Tammy’s best friend accompanied her to every appointment, took notes and offered reassurance when doubts snuck in.

“I’m so thankful for her because when you’re diagnosed with cancer, sometimes rationale goes out the window because your mind is thinking of the worst-case scenario,” says Tammy. “There were times I’d walk out of appointments upset, and my friend would tell me, ‘That’s not what the doctors said. Do you want to read my notes?’ If I could tell other patients anything, it would be to have somebody come with you to appointments.”

At the time of her diagnosis, Tammy owned two businesses. The night of her first surgery, people back home held a fundraising event for her. They’d also given her handwritten notes to take with her while she was in Houston for treatment.

“The letters had a positive thought, funny joke or something uplifting,” she says. “There was a letter for every day I was there. They were all written by people in my local community, and their positivity gave me something to look forward to every day.”

Taking time to slow down and enjoy life

Tammy had surgery in March to correct her double vision. She hopes to have further surgeries to fix other issues like watery eyes and asymmetry in her face.

“Cancer and my surgeries have forced me to sit still,” says Tammy, who admits she used to exhaust herself trying to do a million things at once. “Now, I’ve really learned to take a break and enjoy life.”

She loves biking, kayaking and traveling the world with her boyfriend.

“After being diagnosed with cancer, you look at your kids and think, ‘I don’t want them to have to live without a mother,’” recalls Tammy. “I said I was going to do everything I could to stay positive, healthy and actively involved in their lives.” 

Tammy is back in Missouri and comes to MD Anderson for scans every three months.

“Adenoid cystic carcinoma is known to recur, and it typically comes back in the lungs. So, I have lung scans regularly,” she says. “Dr. Lai and his team are phenomenal. They want to keep an eye on it, so if it ever does come back, they can catch it early and treat it.”

Tammy has always wanted to put purpose to any situation she’s faced, and cancer was no different.

“I’ve bonded with people I met who are going through cancer treatment or have lost an eye,” she says. “I used to tell my kids, ‘I don’t care what you do in life as long as you make an impact.’ That’s what I wrote on the proton therapy wall: live to make an impact. I hope my experience can positively impact someone else.”

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.

Tammy paddleboards on Lake Tahoe in June 2024.