I Quit Corporate After a Health Scare

I've been quiet here for the last few months. There's a big reason for that.

This summer, I was diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine tumor called a paraganglioma. I had surgery in August, and they ended up removing four of them. They weren't cancerous, and we caught them early. But I felt pretty miserable all summer.

I'm doing a lot better now. And I have a story to tell.

When Your Body Declares an Emergency

It started in November 2024. I was hospitalized after a series of thunderclap headaches. When I got to the ER, my blood pressure was through the roof—hypertensive crisis numbers. They kept me overnight, ran tests, MRIs, CTs. I was discharged without clear answers, but with a gnawing sense that something deeper was wrong.

A few months later, my doctors ordered a 24-hour urine test. The results were alarming: my metanephrine and normetanephrine levels were three times higher than normal. A major red flag for a neuroendocrine tumor. They ran that same test five times. Elevated every single time.

On May 21st, 2025, I got the PET scan results. They sent them through MyChart with no call, no context. Just: here's your scan results, good luck processing this alone.

Two days later, a doctor confirmed it. I had a rare adrenal tumor that dumps adrenaline and stress hormones into your body nonstop. It can cause headaches, high blood pressure, racing heart, panic attacks.

The Summer I Disappeared

On June 11th, my doctors wrote me out on continuous medical leave. For the first time in years, I wasn't responsible for a content calendar, a campaign brief, or a stakeholder alignment call. I was just responsible for breathing.

So what did I do all summer?

I slept like it was my full-time job. I took slow walks with my dog. I went to blood draws, imaging appointments, follow-ups. I spent hours on hold with insurance. I cried often—sometimes for no reason, sometimes for every reason.

I did a media cleanse every Thursday for a month. No social media. No TV. No internet. Just silence.

And somewhere in that silence, I started listening to my body instead of overriding it. I gave myself permission to rest without earning it. I stopped treating my body like an enemy and started treating it like me.

Here's what I don't talk about much publicly: I've struggled with my body for most of my life. Body image. Disordered eating. The addiction to quick fixes—food, alcohol, doomscrolling. Anything to numb the discomfort of existing in a body that didn't feel like mine.

And then I get this diagnosis. A neuroendocrine tumor. That system is responsible for the stress response. Fight or flight.

I've lived most of my life cycling between both. It felt almost poetic. The thing trying to kill me was the thing that had been running the show for years.

The Clarity That Comes After

In August, I had surgery. They removed four tumors laparoscopically. The lymph nodes were clear. I'm incredibly lucky.

But when I came out of surgery, I had this clarity I hadn't felt in years: I couldn't go back to the way things were.

For almost four years, I worked at Vendavo. I'm grateful for that time, and especially for the support I received during my medical leave. But the truth is, I was climbing a ladder that wasn't taking me where I wanted to go. The higher I climbed, the further I got from the work I actually loved.

When it came time to go back to work, I couldn't do it. I couldn't stand being out of alignment anymore.

It took four tumors to knock me over the head with the truth: I'm ready.

So I left. September 19th was my last day.

Off the Ladder

I'm going solo now. Running my own business, helping people see themselves clearly, tell their story confidently, and call in what's unmistakably theirs.

And honestly? It's terrifying. And exhilarating. And exactly where I'm supposed to be.

I'm bringing the podcast back too. My intention is to release one episode a month.

Because I believe in this message more than ever: rest should not be earned by burning yourself out. No one is coming to save you from yourself. You have to choose you.

If you've been thinking about making a big change, this episode is for you.

Listen to the full story in the latest episode of Art is the New Wall Street.

Life doesn't wait for anyone.

Off the ladder. Going solo. Still telling stories that matter.