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When triathlete Maria Lea De Jesus was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer in 2014 after a routine Pap test, she feared being sidelined from her sport.

¡°I run -- a lot. I just can¡¯t sit still,¡± says Lea, 49. She trains for endurance sports six days a week, year-round. Her accomplishments include completing over 10 marathons and two IRONMAN triathlons ¨C a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.

Lea works as an ultrasound technologist at MD Anderson. So, after her initial diagnosis, she asked a co-worker to recommend an oncologist. She was quickly referred to

¡°I trusted Dr. Schmeler the minute I met her,¡± Lea says. ¡°She just has a positive aura.¡±

Simple hysterectomy for a quick recovery

Lea had two biopsies and an MRI to stage her disease and determine the best course of treatment.

Her care team decided that Lea would have a simple hysterectomy as part of Schmeler¡¯s ConCerv trial, an innovative study using less radical surgery for cervical cancer. This approach removes the uterus and cervix as well as surrounding lymph nodes. It¡¯s an alternative to the standard radical hysterectomy, which also removes surrounding parametrial tissue and the top part of the vagina.

¡°I read a lot about it and knew Dr. Schmeler was only going to take out what was necessary,¡± says Lea, adding that she wasn¡¯t nervous for the surgery.

She recalls the operating room as all smiling faces. ¡°I remember Dr. Schmeler talking to me and then it felt like I was dreaming,¡± Lea says. ¡°I woke-up in the post-anesthesia care unit feeling relatively strong.¡±

The next day, Lea went home.

Back to triathlon training 

¡°The less invasive procedure has fewer side effects and helped Lea get back to work and training sooner,¡± Schmeler says. Lea completed a half-marathon mountain run in Canada and the IRONMAN 70.3 Austin less than six months post-surgery.

But Lea also values her post-surgery recovery time, which she calls a month-long rest day. ¡°It was the first time I took a break from training since ... I don¡¯t even know,¡± she says.

During her recovery, Lea woke-up early every morning and walked her dogs. ¡°I was able to think more and feel more,¡± she says. ¡°It was a totally different experience for me.¡± 

Don¡¯t skip your Pap test

Lea is thankful to have been part of the research for a less invasive procedure for cervical cancer. She encourages other women with early stage disease to take her same path.

But here¡¯s her most important advice to other women: don¡¯t skip your Pap test. Catching cancer early, Lea says, allowed her to have a simple procedure, recover more quickly and go on with her life cancer-free.