Keeping up the run streak

Dr. Stacey Milan helps patient keep her five-year run streak going on the day of her surgery

Mary Olinger, a 2018 graduate of the University of Georgia and still something of a household name on campus, began her run streak the day after her last collegiate meet. She wasn’t about to let it end when she ran a mile with Danny Little, MD, chief of pediatric surgery at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center, at 4 a.m. the day of her thyroid surgery on Dec. 7, 2023.

Stacey Milan, MD, FACS, an oncology surgeon at McLane Children’s Medical Center, cautiously endorsed Olinger to run a mile the day after surgery at 5 p.m. Dec. 8. Milan brought her daughter, Elise, to Wildcat Stadium and ran with Olinger.

There were risk factors to consider.

“I’ve had to put my foot down before,” Milan said. “My initial thought when Mary brought up the run streak is that it’s not going to be an issue because you’re not going to want to run a mile after invasive surgery. But we don’t ever want to underestimate our Mary.”

“She’s by far the most competitive person I’ve ever met,” said Sean Olinger, a fifth-year general surgery resident who was trained by Milan in thyroid surgery—and also happens to be Mary’s husband. 

Sean Olinger has a 10-year run streak of his own, but Mary has continuously surpassed expectations when she kept her run streak going in November 2022, running a mile after her water broke and going into labor with their son, Max.

“I’ve accepted that if she decides she’s going to do something, she’s going to do it,” Sean said.

Mary admits that her run streak might sound “ridiculous,” but it’s something that she intends to keep doing. Being able to keep it going with Dr. Milan, Sean’s mentor, was all the more special. 

Sean said he was appreciative that his mentor was able to perform Mary’s surgery.

“From a technical standpoint, she’s an incredible surgeon. I told Mary I would not let anybody other than Dr. Milan take care of her,” he said.

The morning after surgery, Mary developed very low calcium levels, which is one of the risks of thyroid surgery. Milan kept tabs as Mary spent three hours in the clinic receiving calcium infusions before meeting her at the track at 5 p.m.

Something of a testament to Milan’s skill as a surgeon, Mary texted her in early January to report she’d run her fastest mile to date.

“That’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment, but it also speaks to the way her thyroid was causing major problems in her life,” said Milan.

Credit must also be paid to cardiologist Timothy Mixon, who upon learning that Mary’s heart rate reached 223 beats per minute during a routine running workout, quickly worked her into his clinic and ordered the appropriate labs and tests. Within a few days, a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was made, and Mary was referred to Milan.

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In college, Mary competed as a high jumper and heptathlete. Now a teacher and cross-country coach at Temple High School, she is training with Little, as well as Richard Goad, MD, a pediatric foot and ankle surgeon at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple, for this year’s Ironman Chattanooga in Tennessee.

Milan is quick to credit the whole team, including nurses in pre-op and surgical technicians in the operating room, when it comes to success.

“All those people extend me and the communication with the patient,” said Milan. “It’s really rewarding to work with a great team and have great outcomes for our patients.”

“We want mothers to be able to sing to their children, for people to go on in their teaching careers,” said Milan. “That’s the best part of our job—collaborating with our patients, finding out what’s important to them and meeting them where they are. It’s about getting the patient back to the things they’re passionate about.”