I Broke My Tailbone Skiing — and Discovered I Had Colon Cancer

This story is based on a conversation with Liz Healy, 49, a management consultant from New York City. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I sometimes refer to the skier who ran into me that fateful day in February 2022, when I was 45, as my “blessing in disguise.”

It happened as we were getting off the chair lift in Mount Snow, Vermont, when the man lost control. He showed zero ski etiquette and took off.

Not that it mattered at the time. I was in incredible pain after falling backward on the ice. I knew something was badly wrong because the small of my back was in agony. My entire body weight had landed on my sacrum.

At first, my scan results were inconclusive

The ski patrol was called, and I was taken down the mountain on a sled. The resort had a first aid clinic, and they gave me Tylenol. I underwent an X-ray, but the scan results were inconclusive.

Back home, I experienced numbness in my legs, which concerned me greatly. I went to the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, where they did an MRI.

The doctor confirmed that I’d broken my tailbone — but the imaging detected something much more serious. I had a tumor on my kidney and lesions on my liver.

I suspected the news was going to be bad

It was a terrible shock. But worse was to come. HSS referred me to two specialists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — one for my kidneys, the other for my liver — who ran at least a dozen tests.

I’ll never forget my phone ringing around 8 p.m. on a Friday evening. “Why would a doctor call on a Friday night?” I asked myself. It was unlikely to be good news.

Indeed, the kidney surgeon had a horrifying diagnosis. They’d discovered Stage 4 colon cancer that had spread to my liver and lymph nodes.

Things spiraled from there. I had almost a complete blockage of the colon. I needed incredibly risky surgery to have part of my colon and liver removed, and I might not make it.

My daughter, Ella, was 10 at the time, and I asked if we could delay the operation for two weeks. I thought that, if I could at least get two more weeks with her before I died, I could instill more wisdom in her and write down everything I wanted her to know about life.

I had a 10-hour surgery

The doctor looked at me as if I were crazy.

I had the 10-hour procedure a few days later. Thankfully, I survived to be with my husband, Jim, now 68, Ella, and the rest of the family.

Then my treatment journey started. I have been in and out of cancer treatments for the last three years. They’ve included chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation sessions, and participation in clinical trials.

Nothing has been effective in the long term. Now, in the fall of 2025, I have cancer in many other places in my body, including my lungs, brain, and bones.

I’d always enjoyed taking part in marathons

But that hasn’t stopped me from doing the things I love. I’ve always been an athlete, and despite the seemingly endless treatments and hospitalizations, I’ve remained as active as possible. I even started skiing again.

Still, my No. 1 passion was marathons. I was determined that my cancer wouldn’t stop me. I took my mantra from Fred Lebow, the co-founder of the New York City marathon, who also had cancer, who said, “Running is the best way I know to fight this disease.”

I completed the course in 2022, 2023, and 2024. This year, I’m determined to walk the 26.2 miles of the TCS New York City Marathon, produced by New York Road Runners, on November 2. I’m part of a team of 19 people that includes other cancer survivors, medical staff, and family. There’s nothing like being cheered on by 2 million spectators.

Chemo is far worse than a colonoscopy

We’re raising money for colorectal research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center while raising awareness of the disease. People often put off having a colonoscopy because they’re too busy or think it’ll be hard. But I tell them that chemotherapy is a whole lot harder.

As for the skier who rammed into me three and a half years ago, I bear no ill will toward him. If I hadn’t broken my tailbone, I suspect I would have ignored any symptoms. That man’s clumsiness saved my life.

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