{"id":67514,"date":"2023-01-10T10:11:31","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T17:11:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=67514"},"modified":"2024-07-29T15:25:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T21:25:05","slug":"monument-pilot-back-in-air-after-rare-jaw-cancer-causes-turbulence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/monument-pilot-back-in-air-after-rare-jaw-cancer-causes-turbulence\/","title":{"rendered":"Monument pilot back in the air after a rare jaw cancer causes turbulence"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Reed
Reed Schotanus, who overcame odontogenic clear cell carcinoma of the left mandible (a rare jaw cancer), named his new kit plane \u201cMiss Sammi\u201d after his granddaughter, Sammi Martel. Her mother is Dee Dee Schotanus Martel, Reed\u2019s eldest daughter. Photo courtesy of Reed Schotanus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ever since he was a boy and floated up to the clouds in a Goodyear Blimp at Chicago\u2019s Midway Airport, Reed Schotanus has spent much of his life in the sky.<\/p>\n

As an Air Force Academy graduate, fighter pilot, long-time airline captain and flight instructor, he was comfortable making split decisions in a cockpit, be it a Southwest Airlines jet, an F-16 or a two-seat, single-engine homebuilt plane.<\/p>\n

So when he was diagnosed with a rare form of jaw cancer in 2018, Reed didn\u2019t appreciate the disease clipping his wings, even temporarily. He was determined not to be grounded for long.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a pilot and a flight instructor, when there\u2019s a problem, we have to fix it right away. You\u2019ve got about three seconds to take care of it,\u201d said Reed, 65. \u201cWhen I found out I had cancer, there was no time for self-pity. It was \u2018What can we do now? How do I get better?\u2019\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

It would take nearly 12 months which included several complex operations and tough rehabilitation, before he would be at the helm of a plane again. He eventually returned to work as an airline captain for a few years before a forced FAA retirement this fall when he turned 65. But even that hasn\u2019t slowed down his passion for flying, as he frequently takes his RV-8 kit aircraft up for pleasure rides.<\/p>\n

\"Reed
Reed Schotanus of Monument overcame odontogenic clear cell carcinoma of the left mandible, a rare cancer in his lower left jaw. Photo by Sonya Doctorian, UCHealth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re not having fun, you\u2019re not doing it right. And I\u2019m having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fulfilling a longtime dream<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Like many Baby Boomers growing up in the 1950s and \u201860s, science fiction, space travel and rockets to the moon were part and parcel of Reed\u2019s life in Libertyville, Illinois, an industrial suburb about 25 miles north of Chicago. One of four children, he excelled at science and math and built homemade rockets like other kids his age.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always just wanted to fly. I grew up during the Apollo missions and dreamed of being an astronaut.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduating from high school in 1975, he entered the U.S. Air Force Academy<\/a> in Colorado Springs that fall, the last year before women were finally admitted to the institution. Courses were tough, and cadet life could be rough (he describes it as \u201cdrinking water from a fire hose\u201d). Still, he graduated four years later with a degree in astronautic engineering \u2013 rocket science in layman\u2019s terms \u2013 and he headed off to the great blue yonder.<\/p>\n

Literally.<\/p>\n

His first stop was the since-closed Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas. It was a center for training student pilots for the Air Force. While there, Reed decided that he would probably get to indulge his love of flying more with a career as a pilot rather than pursuing a long-shot chance at becoming an astronaut.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to become an administrator in the space program. I\u2019d rather fly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Once he had enough hours under his belt, he headed east to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, where he was a flight instructor, teaching and training pilots from European NATO countries. He did a stint at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida\u2019s panhandle, where he flew and trained on F-15s, and there were moves to San Antonio and Florida too.<\/p>\n

\"Reed\u2019s
Reed\u2019s children joined him in 2005 after his final flight of an F-16 for the Texas Air National Guard. His service ended a year later. Left to right, Nicki, Reed, who holds Luke, and Dee Dee Schotanus. Photo courtesy of Reed Schotanus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Along the way, he completed post-war combat missions in Iraq, earned an MBA, and retired from the Air Force, after which he had three simultaneous jobs that all entailed flying:<\/p>\n

As a pilot for Southwest Airlines, as an Air Force Reserve recruiting liaison for his college alma mater, and flying F-16s for the Air National Guard.<\/p>\n

Reed and his comrades would fly F-15 Eagles<\/a> and F-16 Vipers<\/a> six feet apart in squadron formation, performing precise aerial maneuvers. The pilots fly at incredibly fast speeds \u2013 up to 800 mph \u2013 and the aircrafts are extremely close to each other, only about 500 feet apart while dogfighting. While it is awe-inspiring and even a little scary for spectators, it was a thrill for Reed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing about being a pilot is, you\u2019re the one in charge. You set the tone. You\u2019re always planning for the what if.\u201d<\/p>\n

That \u201cwhat if\u201d would be coming for Reed.<\/p>\n

Back to Colorado, and a grim diagnosis of oral cancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When Reed and his family moved to Colorado in 2007, he had three children: two older daughters and a son starting kindergarten. He and his wife ShawNa settled in Monument, and he continued his tenure as a Southwest Airlines pilot.<\/p>\n

\"Reed
Reed Schotanus dips his wings before flying way up over Texas and rolling his kit plane. Photo courtesy Reed Schotanus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fast forward a decade or so to September 2018, and he found himself at a routine dental appointment. When an X-ray showed an anomaly in his lower left jaw, and his dentist recommended an oral surgeon for a biopsy, he thought it might be an infection and began a course of antibiotics. He was fit and healthy, an avid jogger and had even completed a marathon the year before.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t worried.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey told me there was only a 5% chance the biopsies would come back positive with cancer. I had no pain, and I thought I was fine. I had no indication anything was wrong. Then the call came, and the doctor said I had cancer. I don\u2019t remember much of that conversation after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was odontogenic clear cell carcinoma of the left mandible \u2013 a rare form of cancer in his lower left jaw. Odontogenic tumors refer to their originating in dental tissue, and many of them are benign. Unfortunately, Reed was one of a small number of people to develop a cancer in his mandible, which holds the lower teeth in place and is the largest bone in the skull. He would need a mandibulectomy, which is the removal of part, or all of the jaw.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Chris Oliver<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know how he got it. It\u2019s not something you get from eating or drinking certain foods. It was just bad luck,\u201d said Dr. Chris Oliver<\/a>, head and neck surgical oncologist at UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital<\/a>. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t caused by anything he did or didn\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Almost immediately, Reed took a leave of absence from the airlines, in what would turn out to be nearly a year in length and went in for the first of three complex surgeries spaced over the next few months.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was such a shock, and it was a pretty severe ordeal,\u201d said ShawNa. \u201cHe was so lucky he went in for that dental appointment, and through it all, he just tried to stay positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jaw cancer surgery: Who is that in the mirror?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the first surgery, Dr. Oliver performed a \u201ccanoe-shaped\u201d cut at Reed\u2019s jaw to remove as much of the cancer as possible. When surgeons remove cancer tumors, a rim of normal tissue surrounding the cancer is also removed. The rim, or margin, helps show if all the tumor is gone. In Reed\u2019s case, Dr. Oliver was hoping a second operation would not be needed, but to be extra safe and obtain larger margins around Reed\u2019s tumor, they needed to return to the operating room.<\/p>\n

In the second operation, Dr. Oliver removed an entire segment of Reed\u2019s jaw beginning under his left ear, then down around his lower face, and then up to his right chin. He used a titanium plate to retain Reed\u2019s jawline and between 40 and 50 staples to adhere the skin back in place.<\/p>\n

A CT scan helped Dr. Oliver to make a model of the Reed\u2019s original jawline for the next surgery, and in the meantime, Reed joked that he looked like a combination of \u201cFrankenstein and the Terminator.\u201d<\/p>\n

When further tests showed Reed\u2019s jaw was now cancer free, he was ready for a third operation. Dr. Oliver removed Reed\u2019s fibula (the smaller of the two bones in the lower leg between the knee and ankle) from his left leg, along with the artery, vein, and some soft tissue. The fibula is often used in bone grafts because the larger bone in the leg, the tibia, compensates its removal by taking on a body\u2019s weight.<\/p>\n

Dr. Oliver used 11 screws to attach the fibula, which was cut into the shape of Reed\u2019s missing jawbone with the help of the CT scan, to the titanium plate. The soft tissue covered the implant, and the artery and vein from his fibula were attached to his carotid artery and the jugular vein in his neck, thus keeping the bone alive.<\/p>\n

As a result of the surgeries, Reed lost 11 teeth, along with 30 lymph nodes.<\/p>\n

He was cancer free, but he needed to learn how to walk without his fibula, talk with a new jaw and become accustomed to a different face until dental work would restore his missing teeth. While the operations were extensive, he didn\u2019t have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent some time healing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"As
As a docent at the National Museum of World War II Aviation, Reed Schotanus\u2019s favorite warplane to show visitors is the P-38 Lightning. He\u2019s admired the plane since childhood. Photo by Sonya Doctorian, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But Reed was determined to get out of the hospital and back to his life. Within four days, he was home convalescing. He eventually returned to the gym and gradually regained his mobility and got stronger during his work leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were plenty of times I wanted to say, \u2018woe is me,\u2019 but it\u2019s not worth it in my book.\u201d<\/p>\n

That summer, he completed a grueling 100-mile Boy Scout backpack trip with his son Luke, now a 19-year-old sophomore at Colorado School of Mines.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was important to him that he proved that he could do it,\u201d Luke said. \u201cGoing through this whole thing, I just wanted to be there supporting him as much as I could. I\u2019ll never tell him to his face, but he\u2019s a pretty cool dad \u2013 the best dad I could ever ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t until Reed\u2019s dental work was complete that he felt like his old self.<\/p>\n

\u201cI looked in the mirror and thought, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s me.\u2019 Before, it was \u2018Who is that guy staring at me with the sunken jaw?\u2019 But finally, I got my face back.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

By October 2019, he returned to the cockpit at Southwest: \u201cIt was like riding a bike. It felt good to get back to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reed flew another two years, until October 2022, when he turned 65 and retired after nearly 35 years at Southwest Airlines. He was able to train two new pilots in the weeks leading up to his retirement, and on his last flight, his three children, and his granddaughter, were flying with him.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been four years since his surgery, and he just sees Dr. Oliver for checkups.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Oliver really put me at ease, and he treated me like a real person. I can\u2019t say enough about him \u2013 he was always there for me,\u201d Reed said.<\/p>\n

His future includes enjoying outdoor adventures, spending time with family and friends, and serving as a docent at the National Museum of World War II Aviation near his home. A new kit plane, recently custom painted and named \u201cMiss Sammi\u201d after his granddaughter, is part of his plans as well.<\/p>\n

The plane, painted with a WWII motif of stars and stripes, is also emblazoned with his children\u2019s names on either side, and the view when he flies it is just as magical as the one he glimpsed from that blimp ride 55 years ago.<\/p>\n

If Reed has advice for others, it\u2019s \u201clive one day at a time and don\u2019t sweat the small stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh, and maybe one more thing: be polite to the plane crew the next time you fly.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a thank you to the flight attendants \u2026 and maybe a \u2018nice landing\u2019 to the pilot.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever since he was a boy and floated up to the clouds in a Goodyear Blimp at Chicago\u2019s Midway Airport, Reed Schotanus has spent much of his life in the sky. As an Air Force Academy graduate, fighter pilot, long-time airline captain and flight instructor, he was comfortable making split decisions in a cockpit, be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2357,"featured_media":67728,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[28,49,9081],"class_list":["post-67514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-cancer-care-oncology","tag-cancer-treatment","tag-head-and-neck-cancer-treatment"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPilot back in air after jaw cancer causes turbulence - 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