Almost 40 years
Saturday, March 27, 2010
By: Sheila Moormann

I am an ovarian cancer survivor and my sister is fighting breast cancer and a cousin is fighting cancer...

When I was a teenager, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after a huge cyst was removed from my left ovary. In those days the only alternatives were surgery (life) or leave it and hope for the best (death). I chose the surgery and had a complete hysterectomy. A lot that happened in my life was a direct consequence of the cancer and the surgery...it affected my life every day. Then came the Relay For Life in Humboldt. I really did not think of myself as a survivor until I saw my name on a luminary beside people who did not survive. The emotion was unbelievable. Since then..3 relays have passed...my survivor t-shirts have a special place in a special box..never to be worn again...turning a page so to speak. It marks three years between each t-shirt of survival. With the Relay, I realized that I can make a difference. I have met other awesome survivors and shared my life with them. It is a very personal experience. Last August, I shaved my head to raise funds for a very good friend of mine who is now in remission. We made a date for the next Relay in Humboldt in 2012. We will walk the Survivor Lap together with other survivors! I have chosen to walk this year in Saskatoon because of two special people in my life that are in the fights of their lives. Please! Donate to the Relay! Help us keep fighting and with help--win!