Relay honorees wage successful battles
By LARRY PETERSON - CNA assistant managing editor lpeterson@crestonnews.com
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| Creston Relay for Life begins with a 6 p.m. opening ceremony Friday followed by the Survivors Lap, like the one pictured here from last year's event. (STEPHANI FINLEY) |
Cheri Davis and Matt Schultz will carry the banner for cancer survival Friday night in Creston.
They are the honorary survivors to lead the survivor ceremony lap at the 2009 Relay for Life at the Panther Field track. The survivors ceremony kicks off 12 hours of activity to raise funds for the American Cancer Society and provide a communitywide support group for those affected by the disease (see related story).
Davis, co-owner of M&M Motors with husband Jack, was having vision problems and scheduled an appointment June 12, 2007, with her eye doctor, Dr. Ken Stults. She was then referred to Dr. Chuck Hoyt, her family physician, for an appointment the next day and got the news.
Davis had a brain tumor, a rare left occipital tumor, slightly smaller than the size of a tennis ball. She was on the fast track for surgery just 10 days after her eye appointment with Stults, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. Dr. Thomas A. Carlstrom had also performed surgery on her granddaughter, and she requested his services for this serious procedure.
"I credit him with my life," Davis said.
It was an eventful surgery, however. Davis hemorrhaged during the procedure, and a tornado passed through Polk County that required her family to take shelter.
"The surgery went excellent and my recovery has gone well," Davis said. "I still have some vision issues, but it is much better. I am grateful for all the prayers, cards and good wishes from my family, friends and so many people in this area."
Davis, 64, finished her radiation treatments at Greater Regional Medical Center in November 2007. For this rare form of brain cancer, anaplastic hemangiopericytoma, there is no chemotherapy available.
She continuous to have MRI scans every four months. At this time there is no evidence of tumor regrowth.
"I could have more surgery, or radiation to a different part of my head," Davis said. "You just never know. You have no control. But without everyone along the way doing the right thing, I would not be here. Every day is a gift from God."
Schultz survives
Schultz, 29 this month, had a similar timeline, going to the doctor in April 2007 with severe stomach pain.
At first Schultz, operations manager at Southern Iowa Rural Water Association, thought he had Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease. As it turned out, he had a football-size tumor pressing against his bladder and other key organs.
After a biopsy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Schultz found out he had the seminoma strain of testicular cancer, the same affliction of Tour de France bicycle champion Lance Armstrong.
It was the highest stage of that cancer, but had not yet spread to his lungs and brain. Surgery was performed in August 2007.
That was followed by three rounds of chemotherapy. What's left of the tumor is negligible now. Schultz said he came away from the experience respecting what Armstrong was able to do, physically, to dominate worldwide bicycle racing.
"What it does to your lungs is incredible," Schultz said. "Just climbing stairs got me out of breath, even after the chemo was done. I'm starting to put some weight back on now."
At the time of his diagnosis, Schultz was busy with wife Julie building a new house for their family, which includes two children. Now, life is finally getting back to normal and he feels good.
He said being named honorary survivor was a surprise.
"It's pretty exciting," Schultz said. "It's all about support."
