The power of early detection and innovative medicine

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Karen Baird, with her husband, Donald, was treated for lung cancer and A-Fib at Sharp Grossmont Hospital.

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Being diagnosed with both lung cancer and A-Fib was difficult for Karen, but she is grateful for her caregivers for detecting it early and treating her quickly.

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Karen and Donald Baird are both avid hikers and are happy to be back outdoors.

Karen Baird’s life took an unexpected turn in 2022 when she was diagnosed with non-COVID pneumonia, and her doctor noticed a spot on her lung. Under the care of her pulmonologist, she was also diagnosed with asthma.

As part of Karen’s ongoing treatment, her doctors closely monitored the spot and scheduled annual computed tomography (CT) scans to track any changes. Everything seemed to be under control — until August 2024.

The diagnosis and treatment

Karen, an avid hiker, was planning to go on three different trips when everything in her life came to a halt. Upon receiving the results of her annual CT scan, Karen was promptly scheduled for a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, which confirmed something concerning.

“The pneumonia was treated, but incidentally, they found a small lung nodule that grew to 1.8 centimeters and showed suspicious activity,” said Dr. Ara Klijian, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Sharp Community Medical Group and affiliated with Sharp Grossmont Hospital.

Karen had a needle biopsy, and Dr. Klijian confirmed she had lung cancer — a shocking diagnosis for someone with no symptoms, risk factors or family history.

Within two weeks, Karen underwent a modified awake video-assisted thoracic surgery (A-VATS) to remove the cancerous mass. The procedure was performed by Dr. Klijian and is a technique he developed over a decade ago. This groundbreaking treatment is an effective and less-invasive way to perform complex lung operations without general anesthetics.

“The beauty of this procedure is that it streamlines everything, leading to a much quicker recovery,” Dr. Klijian says. “As well, it offers a potential cure even for patients who cannot tolerate general anesthesia.”

Full-circle moment

Karen remained positive throughout her journey. She experienced a full-circle moment when she noticed the name of her previous boss, Bill Verbeck, and his wife, Norma, on a donor plaque in Sharp Grossmont Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).

Karen says she found comfort in seeing familiar names on the wall. And despite the physical and emotional toll, Karen praised the experience at Sharp and the exceptional care she received.

“I just felt at home, comfortable and well taken care of,” Karen says. “All of the nurses, doctors and everybody else were just wonderful.”

The recovery

Karen was able to go home a couple of days after the A-VATS procedure. She did not require chemotherapy or radiation since the lung cancer was caught at an early stage.

Once home, Karen says she felt “out of it” and had some pain similar to a strained muscle in her arm and side. However, within three or four days, she was able to return to her usual schedule, showing no visible signs of having undergone major surgery.

Throughout her recovery, Karen took regular walks whenever she had the opportunity, gradually regaining her strength. “As soon as the doctor told me I could go back to Cowles Mountain, I did, and that was probably less than a month after surgery,” she says. “When I was given the okay to fly, I went to the United Kingdom for the holidays and hiked with our family.”

Dealing with Afib

Though her recovery from surgery was going well, Karen had to return to the hospital due to having atrial fibrillation (Afib) — a type of irregular heartbeat that was discovered while Karen was in the ICU. But despite her various health trials, Karen still found a silver lining in the chain of events.

“If I hadn’t caught the spot of my cancer, which ultimately led to my diagnosis of Afib, my Afib could have led to serious issues before my cancer did, especially considering my family's history of heart disease,” she says.

Karen underwent an ablation in January 2025 to treat the Afib. She will also have a Watchman device implanted to reduce her stroke risk.

“I’m a very lucky girl,” Karen said proudly.

Her journey from avid hiker to survivor of both cancer and heart disease is a testament to the power of early detection, innovative medicine and the resilience of the human spirit.

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