cancer
By Mavis Fodness, reporterJuly 13, 2021For decades this weekly space has featured personal reflections from our editorial staff. The authors have shared various topics and experiences, and some have talked about cancer — either their own personal battles or those of family members. I’ve read their words, sometimes through tears of joy for the author’s triumph, and sometimes with deepest empathy at the loss of life. My logical self…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJune 01, 2021It’s been five years. Five years ago, I completed treatment for anal cancer and was told the cancer was gone. I was also told, in so many words, “If you make it five years, you’ll be considered cancer-free.” (They don’t say “cured” anymore.) So here I am five years later. I made it. A friend once told me, “A day will come when you don’t even think about cancer.” I’m still waiting. It seems…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMay 02, 2016I was 29 days into a 30-day anal cancer treatment plan. For the most part, I’d skated through the daily radiation and two doses of chemo without incident. I was a little tired, had a little nausea, and I had a little “sunburn” from the radiation, but nothing major. I began to wonder why I had been in such dread of traditional cancer treatment for so long if this was all there was to it. And then…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMarch 14, 2016My attempt to contain or reverse cancer with alternative methods has ended. It’s been 20 months since I was diagnosed with anal cancer in June of 2014. I’ve eaten a lot of broccoli since then. I’ve travelled to foreign countries and seen alternative practicioners in three states. I’ve sat in saunas, lost weight, tried to connect with my inner child and consumed copious amounts of fresh vegetable…
By Brenda Winter, columnistAugust 17, 2015I am near the end of a three-week stay at a Mexican cancer clinic. After a year of trying to stop the progression of anal cancer using non-traditional methods, I decided I needed additional guidance. So here I am at Hope4Cancer three blocks south of the Mexican-American border. I don’t know if one newspaper column can even begin to convey the impressions and information I’ve gained in 10 days’…
By Lori Sorenson, editorAugust 03, 2015Cancer can be a blessing. I read those words in Brenda Winter’s column a year ago when she wrote about her cancer diagnosis. Now I know what she means. … It took me awhile though. My mom was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer on May 28, and I can assure you, I didn’t consider it a blessing. It’s a cruel curse. A slap in the face to a woman who has lived her life so dedicated to good…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJune 08, 2015It’s funny how column topics can change from one major life event to another. I’ve written about the transforming experience of moving from a home after 20 years of accumulating stuff. That was good column fodder. This week’s column was going to be about actually leaving our beloved home to the care of a newly married Luverne couple who will fill the rooms with new memories of their own. These…
June 01, 2015Cancer feeds on sugar, God is good, and other things I’ve learned this year … It’s been an interesting year. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. I’ve learned a lot — about myself, about God, about people and, of course, about cancer. In no particular order: About people. People just want everything to be OK, so they say things like, “Oh, you’ll be fine.” They might be…
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