August 22, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Cancer survivors, families come together for Celebration of Life
Cancer survivors, families come together for Celebration of Life
By Kayla Thomason-
Over 130 people attended the event which honors cancer survivors, their families, friends, and health care providers. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the lives of those no longer with us who lived life with courage and determination during their battle with cancer.
Heavy Weibel was diagnosed in 2009 and had surgery to remove his prostate.
Denise shared a humorous story about an incident that took place shortly after the surgery. She said Heavy told her he was going to mow the lawn. He had two pillows with him which he figured would soften the ride. Denise didn't think he should get on the lawn mower, and after a call to the doctor, Heavy didn't mow the lawn. Denise ended up taking on the chore.
Three years later it was Denise who was the patient.
She had her annual mammogram on Nov. 9, 2012 and was told she needed another one. She wasn't worried at first as she has had to have more than one mammogram in the past.
After the second mammogram doctors ordered an ultrasound and then a biopsy. It was near Thanksgiving when she got the dreaded call.
She underwent a complete mastectomy ON NOV. 27 and had 24 lymph nodes lymph nodes removed, 18 of them were cancerous.
Denise was afraid to start the treatment but Heavy sat her down and told her that "now isn't the time to cry, now it's time to beat this, so we're going through it, OK?"
While going through treatment Denise didn't experience the side effects that most patients experience - mouth sores, nausea etc. - but she did lose her hair.
Her nephew helped her shave her head and told her she looked like Demi Moore in "G.I. Jane"
Denise said she felt like she needed to be brave while undergoing treatment and not cry, but her sister knew better and told the doctor that Denise wasn't handling it well.
The doctor sent Denise to someone who listened and helped her release her fear.
"If you think you can do this on your own don't, ask for help," Denise said.
On June 20, 2013, Denise rang the bell, which meant that she finished her treatment. She beat cancer.
When a patient is about to ring the bell, the staff hands him or her a diploma.
The Weibels thought life would go back to normal but four years after Heavy's surgery his PSA levels rose once again. He needed to have radiation, which he postponed one day so he could see the Green Bay Packers play.
The Weibels spoke candidly about what radiation is like. Denise was on an older machine and received some burns. Heavy was one of the first people to use the new TrueBeam and he had hardly any problems.
The main issue for Heavy, a big milk drinker, was that radiation made him sick when he consumed dairy.
Heavy rang the bell on Jan. 15, 2014.
The couple said laughter, the support of family, friends and medical staff helped them through the tough times.
Denise said they talked to a lot of people who had survived cancer, read everything on breast and prostate malignancies and took long walks with the dog.
The Weibels recommend anyone newly diagnosed with cancer reach out to others who have survived the gauntlet.
"If you don't have anybody talk to somebody [ask someone at the James Beck Cancer Center]. Like I said. They have people that are more than willing to help you out and be your friend and just be there for you," Denise said.
After the speech everyone gathered by the pond to untie a ribbon holding the lid on approximately 40 butterflies. Once the butterflies were free they took flight, landing on flowers and the people in the crowd.
The butterfly release is special and means something to everyone.
For Heavy it symbolizes freedom.
"I think it is a neat event when they let them go, I really do," Heavy said.
For Denise the release of butterflies symbolizes beauty. Cancer is ugly but there are beautiful things out there, she said.
"If you think of a butterfly it begins as a caterpillar and then goes into a chrysalis and then comes out as a beautiful butterfly - which is a new beginning - so in that respect of a cancer patient [it is like] starting that new beginning of your life," said Kimberly Hetland, radiation oncology manager at the James Beck Cancer Center.
Myrna Mesecher, a breast cancer survivor, attends this event each year.
"I had a lot of support from various people, and the medical people especially, and when I had my radiation it was in the old hospital here in Rhinelander," she said.
Mesecher loves the butterly release.
"I think this is a great age to have cancer because of all the modern conveniences, the way of diagnosing so it's a bright future in cancer," she said.
The community's support of the event means a lot, not only to the staff at the James Beck Cancer Center but to all those who are battling cancer, beat it, lost family members to it or cared for those fighting it.
"It's important have an event like this in the community where we can celebrate the lives of our cancer survivors as well as those that have passed on as well as the caregivers. In addition, we are exceptionally lucky in our community to have the technology we have in our cancer center," Hetland said. "I'm excited about the turnout, every year it seems to grow."
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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