Survivor Spotlight: JOANNE D'ALTON : Breast Cancer Survivor
Summer, 2007

Survivor Spotlight: FRANK YINKO : Colon Cancer Survivor
April, 2007

Survivor Spotlight: NANCY LAARMAN : Ovarian Cancer Survivor
January, 2007

Survivor Spotlight on MIKE LEMAHIEU : Colon Cancer Survivor (with liver metastisis)
December, 2006

Survivor Spotlight on MARY LICHTERMAN : Breast Cancer Survivor
September, 2006

Survivor Spotlight: JIM HAMMERLING : Multiple Myeloma Survivor
July, 2006

Survivor Spotlight: LORI SCHULTZ : Breast Cancer Survivor
May, 2006

Survivor Spotlight Update: BOB SHAROT : Head & Neck Cancer Survivor
May, 2006

Survivor Spotlight on MATT RILEY : Medullablastoma Cancer Survivor
December, 2005

Survivor Spotlight on MARTY TEN PAS : Breast Cancer Survivor
September, 2005

Survivor Spotlight Update on RALPH LEMP : Prostate Cancer Survivor
September, 2005

Survivor Spotlight Update on SANDY AMWEG : Breast Cancer Survivor
June, 2005

Survivor Spotlight on STEVE PHILIPPS : Prostate Cancer Survivor
June, 2005

Survivor Spotlight on IONE HEINEN : Breast Cancer & Colo-Rectal Cancer Survivor
April, 2005

Survivor Spotlight Update: DON FICKETT : As Told By Caregiving Champion: LINDA FICKETT
March, 2005

Survivor Spotlight Update on AUDREY SWITA : Breast Cancer Survivor
January, 2005

Survivor Spotlight on BOB SHAROT : Head & Neck Cancer Survivor
January, 2005

Survivor Spotlights on DIANA BRAY & MARY SCHMEISER : Diana - Lung Cancer, Mary - Breast Cancer
October, 2004

Survivor Spotlight Update on GENE TE WINKLE : Melanoma Survivor
October, 2004
Note from Tim: Some of you may remember Gene as our Honorary Co-Chair (with Mary Ann Hammes) of the 2003 Relay For Life as well as our Survivor Spotlight a year ago! Diagnosed with Skin Cancer in 1990 followed by a recurrence 1998… Gene continues to live each day to it’s fullest!

Recent Tests…Passed with Flying Colors!

Everything seems to be going really well right now. I’ve been getting check-ups about every four months, CT scans about every eight months, and I recently had a PET/CT scan. Everything came through nice and clear! I did have a few spots but the doc thought it might be arthritis and that’s what it was. But that’s okay… I can live with that! There’s a history of arthritis in my family so I figured that might be down the road for me. It’s only in the early stages. Otherwise everything is going real well and I cannot complain!

I still see the doctor about every four months because of the history of my disease and the recurrence. It’s been five years now since I’ve been done with treatment.

Being “Five Years Out!”

Being five years out really doesn’t mean that much to me anymore. Don’t get me wrong… it’s a good thing. But it was eight years after my original diagnosis that I experienced my recurrence. Once I get to the eight-year mark, that will be the big thing for me! So I still just kind of take it day-by-day.

I still sometimes wonder why I am doing so well and others aren’t here anymore. Is my lifestyle any better than anyone else’s is? Probably not! Is it any worse than anybody else’s is? Probably not! I’m no puritan by any means! I figure you just can’t help what you’re born with. And I know that each of our bodies reacts differently to different things.

Cancer… A Blessing or a Burden?

I guess, in a sense cancer has been a blessing for me. I have met a lot of good people! I have a greater understanding of other people who are dealing with problems in their lives. I appreciate things more. I take better care of myself. It’s easy to take these things for granted when things are going well. But, as I was going through it, I surely didn’t think of it as a blessing at all!!! Cancer is a difficult thing to deal with! Sure, my family and friends were very concerned. Do I call that a blessing? Not necessarily… because it was hard on them! The concern of friends made it easier for me to get through it… but it wasn’t necessarily a blessing! Put it this way… even though it was an opportunity to meet some good people and come to grips with certain things… I wouldn’t wish it on anyone!

“Born On” Dates & Expiration Dates!

Even though all of us have our own “Born On” date (the date of our birth), none of us has an expiration date. From the day we are born… we don’t know when… we don’t know how… we don’t know why…but we know eventually we will die. So just live each day as if it were your last!

Survivor Spotlight Update on MARY ANN HAMMES : Breast Cancer Survivor
August, 2004

Survivor Spotlight on ART WESENER (Colon Cancer) : with Caregiving Champion JOANNE WESENER
August, 2004

Survivor Spotlight on JUDY FRIEDERICHS : Breast Cancer Survivor
June, 2004

Survivor Spotlight Update on PAT JENKINS : Breast Cancer & Hodgkin's Disease Survivor
June, 2004

Survivor Spotlight on: DR. PHIL WALKER : Prostate Cancer Survivor
March, 2004

Survivor Spotlight Update on: Rollie Huibregtse : Leukemia Survivor
March, 2004

Survivor Spotlight on: PEGGY KERR : Colon Cancer Survivor
January, 2004

Survivor Spotlight on EUGENE TEWINKLE : Melonoma Survivor
November, 2003

Survivor Spotlight Update on LINDA BURKART : Thymoma Cancer Survivor
November, 2003