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

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
Note from Tim: When I asked Judy if she would be willing to be our “Survivor Spotlight” for this issue she asked, “Why me? I haven’t been through nearly as much as other people have!” There are soooo many incredibly inspirational people that I would love to highlight in this column. There are those who have overcome incredible physical challenges with grace and courage. There are those who have faced their challenges with a smile and a laugh and a positive attitude. There are those that have used their experience to change their lives for the better! This column is not about who has been through the most pain and discomfort. It is not about who is cancer-free and who isn’t. This column is about people who have used their experience with cancer to make them a better person. That is why I asked Judy to share her story. I have come to know Judy through our TLC Support Sessions and I have seen the many changes she has made in her life. I don’t know the person she was before cancer… but I have come to know the person she is today… and she deserves to be featured in this column (as do many of you)!

A Regular Mammogram:

It was early in May of 2000. I had a mammogram. I may not have always had the best eating or health habits over the years but I always followed through with my mammograms. Dr. Marsho called me back and said that there was a questionable area and they wanted to do some more tests. The tumor was so small that neither the doctors nor I could feel anything and it showed up strictly on the mammogram. He told me not to worry because I had been through this before because of fibrous tissue.

Hearing the News:

I guess I had some suspicions when they did the ultrasound so I think deep down I was prepared that something like this might happen. Dr. Werner did the biopsy. I had an appointment later that week to hear the results but he called me at home and told me it was breast cancer. I had an appointment later that week to hear the results but I’ve heard some people criticize doctors for delivering news like this over the phone… but I thought Dr. Werner was very professional and I wanted to know as soon as possible. As soon as he told me my first thought was, “Okay, so now what do we do about it?”

The Importance of a Mammogram:

It is very important to have a mammogram whether you like it or not because the earlier the detection the better for you. In my case it was true that “the best prevention is early detection”!

Treatment Decisions:

I had a lumpectomy and node dissection and all of the lymph nodes that they removed were clear. When I met with Dr. Matthews he did his stick figures and drawings on the board. I had a lot of positive things going for me; my age, my cancer would be responsive to the Tamoxifen, and they got it really early. I also knew there were a lot of changes I could make in my life that could make me healthier. We talked about chemotherapy but I felt that the best choice for me was to undergo radiation treatment and Tamoxifen. I just felt confident that for me that was the best choice and that chemo wasn’t necessary. Later, Dr. Matthews did tell me that if he thought that chemo would have been the best option he would have been a little more forceful and would have encouraged me to go that route. So I think I made the right decision for me… and I have since made a lot of changes in my life.

Radiation Therapy:

I would come in for radiation during my lunch hour. It was like, “Okay, this is what I have to do!” I had a pretty easy time with the radiation. I got a little sore towards the end. It was like a really bad sunburn. But the staff at St. Nicholas Hospital were encouraging and very, very nice. I had heard how tired you can get while going through radiation but it wasn’t until the after I finished treatment that I became really tired and sore. Dr. Pao told me that the fourth and fifth days after treatment would be the worst and then it would get better. And it did!

The First Big Change:

The first change in my life that I made was when I went into the hospital for the lumpectomy. As I walked into the hospital I threw my cigarettes away and I haven’t had a cigarette since. That was June 22nd of 2000. The hardest part about quitting smoking is just breaking all of the habits! At first it really wasn’t that bad and I think my shear determination got me through but then as the years went by I became more and more aware of all the habits I had and how automatic it was to light up a cigarette. Like when I was reading, or driving the car. But that made me more aware of how much I really smoked. It’s going to be four years in June since my last cigarette and even now if the wrong person would offer me a cigarette and I was in the wrong frame of mind I know I would at least be tempted. It’s a constant fight! I think the two things that keep me smoke free now is that cigarette smoke is very offensive to me and when I see folks standing outside of a building smoking I think to myself, “That used to be me!” But the biggest thing that keeps me going is knowing that if I had another cigarette after four years I’d have to start counting all over again! I have come too far for that!

Other Lifestyle Changes:

There have been other changes I’ve made as well. I have since taken some classes in yoga and meditation and I have found that extremely helpful. These things have taught me to relax more. Yoga was especially helpful to me because not only was it relaxing but I felt a lot of physical changes as well. I’ve had a weak back and have been going to a chiropractor and even he noticed an improvement. So it seems to help me in mind and in body. I read everything I could from when I was diagnosed, through the surgery, and I continue to read about diet, exercise, yoga, and meditation. I figure that these things have helped other people… maybe they will help me too! I’m not afraid to try different things. The other thing is that I have learned, and am still learning to say “No!”

Adapting to Treatment:

The hardest thing for me is when nothing is being done. I always feel that if things are being done I have more control. But I had a hard time between surgery and radiation. Then I had a hard time between radiation and starting on Tamoxifen. I had a hard time as the appointments got spread out farther and farther. And I suspect I will have a hard time when I am taken off the Tamoxifen.

The Next Big Scare:

In January of 2001, only six months after my cancer diagnosis, I was having some problems and I didn’t know what was going on. I ended up being taken by ambulance to the intensive care unit at St. Nicholas Hospital. After some testing they found a 90% blockage of one of my coronary arteries.

Something Scarier than Cancer:

That to me was a bigger scare than cancer because I could have been dead before I got to the hospital. With cancer, even if you get a poor diagnosis, you still have some control over the time you have left… but not if the heart just stops beating. So I have worked on increasing my exercise as well. My heart problems were really a rude awakening and it’s like God was giving me yet another chance at life and I decided I wanted to make the best use of whatever time I have left.

About Exercise:

When it comes to exercise it seems that many of us just don’t take the time. Even with my cancer I said that I would start exercising tomorrow but, as you know, tomorrow never comes. I spent a night in the hospital when they put a stent in, which made me look like a new person as all the circulation came back. And inside I felt like a new person as well. That night as soon as I could get up I started walking the halls in the hospital as much as I could! Since then I’ve done the cardiac rehab, have continued with Dr. Coulis’ program, and increased my walking and exercise to no less than 3-4 times per week. Plus I have gotten to be more active in my daily life. And I’m starting to feel some of the rewards from that.

Doing Things “For Me!”:

I figure that these are the kinds of things that I have to do for me. No one else is going to do it for me… no one else CAN do it for me. And these are important things. I have a lot of years I want to live yet and I just feel very lucky that I have been given another chance!

Continuing to Improve:

I still need to lose weight but the Tamoxifen is affecting that right now. But I am exercising and at least I am not gaining weight any more. I still need to take more time for me… and I’m looking forward to retirement to do that! And I still need to be a little stronger with some of the changes I have already made. I need to improve on the quality of the exercise that I do, and instead of looking for more ways to change my life I just want to improve on the changes I have already made.

About TLC/Support Groups:

I still come to TLC because there are times when I still need some extra encouragement and I need to be reminded of all the lessons that I have learned over these past four years. And I have met one heck of a bunch of nice people who all come to TLC because they care about one another. There just seems to be a real sincere sense of caring among those that come to TLC. Each of us is going through different things but in sharing our experiences and our thoughts we can learn from one another. It’s kind of strange because sometimes when we are in one of our TLC Support Sessions I find myself feeling guilty because my cancer wasn’t as bad as somebody else’s and I haven’t been through as much as other people have gone through. But I figure I may not be able to help someone go through chemo because I have never gone through it myself… but I may be able to help someone quit smoking, or make other changes in their lives that can be beneficial. And should my cancer come back, knowing what other people have gone through and how they have come through it can only help me. And even if my cancer doesn’t come back… getting to know these people and learning from them just makes me a better person.

Confidence in the Doctors:

I have a lot of confidence in the doctors that I have had. They have done a tremendous job. Not only have they helped me to understand things but also they have helped me to make decisions and feel comfortable with those decisions. They were always willing to tell me what they were doing and didn’t hide things from me when I asked.

Cancer & Hope:

In today’s world it is not quite as much as a hidden or unspeakable disease as it once was and, thankfully, cancer is not as hopeless as it once was. Don’t ever give up hope. Hope is just a goal that you want to reach for or work for or look forward to. And even if you don’t get there hope can guide you along the way! And it is amazing that each year there are more and better treatment options.

Advice to Others:

Gain as much knowledge of your situation as you can or that you feel comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and read as much as you can. And try to figure out what YOU can do to help yourself cope with it because each of us copes differently. So try different things and find what works best for you. Do the best for yourself and be open with others by getting involved in a support group or talking one-on-one with others who have been through similar experiences. If you don’t think you are getting the support you need or don’t feel comfortable opening up to those closest to you, be sure to find someone that you can share your thoughts and concerns about cancer with. You can’t make either the cancer or the feelings that cancer creates go away. You have to learn to deal with it.

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