Trio of survivors are honorary Relay for Life chairpeople

By Barbara Brown
The nights of laying in bed, despairing over the fear of facing cancer, crying in your husbandís arms are the times that most people donít ever see.
Cathy Cady, 49, had her share of those times, she said.
A two-year breast cancer survivor, Cady said she still is so thankful for the people ñ complete strangers in some cases ñ who stood by her and supported her through surgery and recovery.
ìThere are so many wonderful people in this town,î she said. ìThe ones who touched me the most were the grandmas who would come to me and tell me they were five-year or 10-year survivors and that they were praying for me.î
Cadyís sister had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. As Cady stayed with her sister through surgeries and recovery, she said she told her sister she was glad she wasnít going through the same thing.
ìI told her I was sorry she had cancer, but that if it was me I didnít think I could do it,î Cady said, speaking of the emotional and psychological strain she saw her sister experience.
About a year later, Cadyís sister was recovered and life seemed normal.
That was until one morning when Cady was getting ready for work.
ìI lifted up my arm and I glanced in the mirror and I saw a pulling in the skin.
ìThen I felt the lump.î
Cady was panic stricken. ìI was scared. I didnít really know what to do, but inside I was still telling myself it couldnít be.î
Cady saw her doctor and the next day had a mammogram.
A biopsy came back negative, indicating no cancer in her breast.
With a weight lifted off her shoulder, Cady returned to her life thinking she was in the clear.
That was until she got news that the doctor who had taken the biopsy had missed the site.
A second test, a guided needed biopsy, revealed about a week later that Cady in fact did have cancer.
Right around Thanksgiving, 2000, Cady had a lumpectomy to remove the cancerous tissue.
That procedure was only partially successful, Cady said, and about two weeks before Christmas that year, she had a single mastectomy.
ìIt was more than being afraid of this cancer thing,î Cady said. ìIt was annoying.î
Cady said the appointments, the lists of specialists and the slow depletion of her energy and physical beauty worked on her.
ìWhen youíre in the middle of it, it seems like forever,î Cady said. ìYou just think to yourself, ëWhy canít they just do the tests and get the results already?íî
She started chemotherapy treatments through May 2001.
ìI really had no fear of the cancer. My greatest fear was my hair falling out and I lost every bit of it,î she said. ìIt started to fall out in 12 days.î
The positive side, however, was that Cady did not have to shave her legs and, she said, ìI have a pretty nice noggin under there.î
After chemotherapy, Cady seemed to be well on the way to a full recovery. But, in the back of her mind, the possibility of a cancer re-forming in her other breast scared her, she said.
In October 2001, Cady voluntarily had her second breast removed and had reconstructive surgery on both breasts.
Cady said the hardest part of battling cancer is ìthe battle between the ears.î
ìItís always there. In the mirror, every day,î Cady said of the physical reminders. ìBut, itís the psychological part of it that is the hardest,î she said.
ìWhen I hear of someone just getting started with it, I just want to go up to them and hold their hand, hug them and take it all away, but I know I canít.î
Although Cadyís doctors have told her they did not believe cancer would return, Cady sometimes finds herself worrying.
ìThere are some days when every little ache and pain gets me worried that it is something more,î she said.
ìBut I canít live like that. Life is good. Iím healthy. Iím just glad to be here.î

Diane Haslach
The thought of getting cancer never really occurred to Diane Haslach.
The 46-year-old Stacy woman routinely went to her physician for check-ups and mammograms.
Aside from an occasional cold, she never felt ill. She didnít have any pains.
ìWe never had any family history of breast cancer,î Haslach said. ìIt never really entered my mind.î
In May of 1999, Haslach went to her regular annual physical, which included a mammogram.
Suddenly, Haslachís life changed. Not only was it one of the busiest times of the year for Wayneís Nursery, the business she and her husband own, but it was also close to the end of the school year and beginning of summer, a busy time in nearly every familyís year.
The doctor told her the May mammogram was dramatically different than the one from the year before.
After an ultrasound and a needle biopsy, within three days of her original doctorís visit, Haslach was diagnosed with breast cancer.
ìThe very first thing in your mind that you think of is your kids,î Haslach said.
Within one week, she had undergone surgery and a single mastectomy to remove the tumor.
ìThree days can be a very long time when you are waiting for results and tests,î Haslach said.
ìI had a real fear of dying, but I was very positive I was going to fight it.î
For the next four months, Haslach had days of doctors appointments, chemotherapy sessions and check ups.
Haslach said she found a lot of support and comfort at the Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center support group sessions for women with breast cancer.
In May 2000, she had reconstructive surgery on her breast; mostly as a way to help her daughters understand what women can do to make themselves feel whole and womanly again after a mastectomy, she said.
Talking to her then 5- and 12-year-old daughters at that time was difficult, Haslach said.
ìI was just very honest with them,î she said. ìItís really amazing how strong kids can be.î
Haslach said she would keep her children up to date on her progress.
ìKids donít really understand cancer,î she said. ìYou just tell them the doctor is going to try to fix it. But I never hid anything from them.î
She tried to keep life as normal as possible for her girls, she said. ìTrying to keep up with them after chemo was pretty hard.î
The family continued with its plans for the annual family vacation in July of 1999. ìI was just really tired that year and I slept a lot,î Haslach said. ìBut it was important to go.
Haslach said some sort of consistency during that tough time kept her family stable.
ìYou donít want too many things to change for when you are sick ñ especially for the kids,î she said.
Haslach said she was touched deeply by the outpouring of sympathy and support she received.
ìWe got help from the churches, people we didnít even know.
ìIt was very hard for me because every time I got a card, I would cry.
ìIt was so touching that all these people cared enough about my family to do all those things for us.î
Two years after Haslachís own experience with cancer, her sister also was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Both women now are survivors.
ìMaybe she wouldnít have gotten checked out fast enough if I had not gone through my cancer first,î Haslach said.
She said she and her daughters talk about their cancer risks occasionally, but most of their attention is focused on having fun together and enjoying life.
Haslach said since her experience with cancer, she has come to appreciate even the smallest joy in life.
ìI notice the little things more than before. You notice your kids little accomplishments more,î she said. ìItís dance lessons and swimming. You just want to spend time with the people you care about.î

Craig Geldon
Craig Geldonís life seemed pretty good two years ago. Things at work were going well.
His family was settled in to a home on a nice piece of land in western North Branch.
His five children were growing up healthy overall and gave Craig and his wife hours of joy.
But then, there were the headaches. For years he had complained to doctors about the sometimes dull, sometimes sharp pain that seemed to stay with him nearly every day.
Doctors attributed the headaches to stress, which Geldon, 35, said made sense. After all, trying to manage a house of five children, keep up with work and manage the every day demands of life can get a little stressful.
On March 12, 2001, Geldonís perspective changed dramatically.
At about 9 a.m., he approached a co-worker at a job where he was driving a forklift and said he was about to pass out.
That was just before Geldon blacked out and hit the floor.
Within just a couple minutes, Geldon regained consciousness.
Geldon took the rest of the day off and went to Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center in Wyoming to get checked out.
He was immediately taken in for a computed tomography (CT) scan.
The doctor returned results of a brain tumor called oligodendro guliomy in Geldonís head that caused his seizure.
ìThat was shocking,î Geldon said. ìI really didnít know what to think. The only thing I could think of was who was going to take care of my kids.î
At the time, Geldonís children were 2,3,5, 6 and 13.
After less than a month of tests at the University of Minnesota, Geldon had brain surgery April 4, 2001, followed by six weeks of radiation five days a week.
ìI was just trying to get my life back,î he said. ìI was trying to be as normal as I could be.î
Thatís when Geldon had another shock. He lost his job and health benefits shortly after he had recovered from his surgery.
As part of his regular check-ups, Geldon went to the doctor a few days before his insurance benefits were set to expire in 2002.
During the routine CT scan, doctors found a second tumor growing in Geldonís brain.
ìI had to go through it all over again,î Geldon said. ìIt was stressful there for a while.î
Geldonís second surgery also was successful and the checkups he has attended every three months for the past year so far have been clear.
Geldon said he didnít think he would have survived the trials set before him had it not been for his church, Kost Evangelical Free Church.
ìI know all these things the past couple years have been God-sent,î he said. ìThat church is full of amazing people. There is a lot of support.î
Now Geldon is on the road to recovery again and has a new job.
He has even returned to the baseball diamond as tee ball coach for the team on which his four youngest children play.
ìThereís a lot of miracles out there. Iíve really been seeing them the past two years.î

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