A man’s life has been derailed after what seemed like a sinus infection turned out to be a devastating diagnosis that would leave him fighting for his life.
In 2024, Brian McNamara, 47, thought he’d developed a sinus infection because he had persistent symptoms that he couldn’t shake for months. The teacher and football coach from New Jersey developed a sinus headache that continued to get worse as the months went by.
As it progressed, his symptoms escalated and became numerous. Hardly a day went by when he didn’t feel in pain or discomfort.
McNamara’s wife, Jodi, told Newsweek that, after a while, he went to urgent care where he was treated “for a sinus infection.” Nonetheless, the symptoms persisted, and treatment wasn’t working.
“It continued to worsen, and he started having ringing in his ears, a fullness feeling in the ears (like he was underwater), bad breath, neck pain, and jaw tightness,” Jodi, 44, said. “Then, he got eventual facial numbness and double vision too.
“It went from bad to worse two weeks prior to Thanksgiving, but looking back now, it was probably June when his symptoms started,” she continued.
Given how bad his symptoms were, Brain returned to the ER after Thanksgiving. He was taken for an MRI and CT scan, which is when everything changed.
A mass was discovered in Brian’s sinuses, believed to be a type of cancer called squamous cell. It was devastating, but as it was a holiday weekend, there weren’t any specialist doctors who could help at the time.
Jodi explained that a generous ENT did a biopsy of the mass at the side of Brian’s bed so they could get the ball rolling.
“He knew it was important to act fast because the tumor was so large,” Jodi said. “Jersey Shore had a tough time with the biopsy because it was beyond their expertise, so a friend of ours hand-delivered it to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York so we could move forward. Everyone knew time wasn’t on our side, and Brian was deteriorating before our eyes.”
The mass wasn’t squamous cell, after all.
On December 8, Brian was diagnosed with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, a rare and highly aggressive cancer. Brian and his family were devastated and heartbroken because they knew time was against them, and it wasn’t going to be an easy road ahead.
“It was incredibly scary. Our whole lives changed at that moment. I cried and felt the floor drop from below us,” Jodi said.
Developing a Treatment Plan
After transferring to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Brian met with a medical oncologist and radiation oncologist who both stressed the importance of tackling his cancer quickly.
Within a day, he began chemotherapy, consisting of three consecutive days of treatment every three weeks for five rounds. Brian also did proton radiation twice a day for 15 days.
Because of how rare and dangerous the cancer is, the couple wanted to get as much information as possible and listen to as many experts as they could. So, they also traveled to Texas, Boston, and Maryland to build up a team of doctors who could help.
It’s hoped that Brian can do immunotherapy treatment for a year, but if it comes back within that time, “there aren’t many options” left. There is still so much uncertainty, and Brian constantly feels like he’s in limbo waiting for some good news.
Every time he has another scan, Jodi and Brian are filled with dread about what could happen next.
Jodi told Newsweek: “He can’t get excited about good news because we’ve been told it does come back usually in the first two years. I’m terrified that we will be faced with our worst nightmare, and we will lose Brian.”
Sharing the Journey Online
As a teacher and football coach, Brian has long instilled a specific message into his students: “win the inch, win the day.”
Now, that’s the motto he’s living by. He continues to fight for his family, loved ones, and the community of friends and neighbors who have rallied around him since his diagnosis.
Jodi has been documenting his journey on TikTok (@wintheinch_wintheday) to raise awareness for Brian’s rare type of cancer. Many of the posts have gone viral, with one even amassing more than 1.5 million views on TikTok at the time of writing.
While standing by her husband’s side, Jodi used social media “out of desperation” to find others who have dealt with this firsthand. It was a useful way to gain information, but as it evolved, they developed a supportive community on TikTok. Jodi has also documented the difficulties they’ve faced with insurance companies refusing to help.
Brian continues to fight this rare cancer with everything he’s got, and he’s been so overwhelmed by the love he’s received—both online and in person.
“Before we left for his treatment, the town came together for a car parade. The roads were closed and hundreds of cars met at the school and formed a line to drive by our home. It was so emotional and eye-opening how appreciated he is. Brian was so overwhelmed and said that was his push to fight because he was determined not to let them down,” Jodi said.
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