MONROE - Cancer knows no boundaries, as was evident from the cancer survivors who attended the Green County Relay for Life Friday at Monroe High School.
Among the 50 survivors who took the Survivors Lap around Holyoke track were Jaymee Roller, 9, a six-year survivor who still is fighting her cancer, and Maria Caldwell, who is a 25-year survivor.
Survivors often don't have many words to describe how cancer and its treatment have affected their lives.
"I did what had to be done. ... It's just part of life," said Ellen Schuartz, a five-year survivor.
After a brief moment of thought, she smiled. "I guess I appreciate more now; I take more time for myself."
Schuartz, born and raised in Monroe, is retired and moved back to Monroe three years ago. She was walking with the Noon Optimists' team at her first American Cancer Society Relay.
Hearing a doctor say that you have cancer isn't as scary as it used to be, according to Schuartz.
"There are so many advances in treatments," she said.
During her eight-month treatment, Schuartz had two surgeries and a mixture of chemotherapy and radiology. The mixture of treatment is one of the advances, she said.
Jaymee Roller, 9, Monroe, was diagnosed with cancer at age 3. Sitting on the ground with her grandmother, Peggy, at the opening ceremonies, Jaymee wore glittering sunglasses to shield her eyes from the sun. A tumor has made her legally blind in her left eye, and restricts her from playing contact sports.
Is there anything else her grandmother tells her she can't do?
"She says I can't talk back to her," Jaymee answered seriously.
Jaymee receives chemo shots once a week in a port, a special plastic tubing in her chest where the medication is dispensed by needle.
"It doesn't hurt," she said.
The chemo shots only have slowed the growth of the tumor, Peggy said.
So on July 10, Jaymee is scheduled for surgery -- an experimental surgery of sorts, to try to remove the tumor and restore some of her eyesight.
Lisa Anderson, the 2009 Green County Relay for Life co-chair with Father Mike Klarer, said the event brings out much needed support, financial as well as emotional, to help families of cancer victims.
Anderson found information from the American Cancer Society available at the radiation center at Turville Bay in Madison and on the Internet to help her along the course of her treatment from November 2007 to February 2008.
The diagnosis "hit home," said her husband Leon. "You never think it's going to happen to you."
Anderson's cancer was found in her tongue. A nurse by profession, she first thought she had a canker sore. But then Anderson knew something was wrong.
"It was inside, anyone could have missed it," she said. "All you could see was a tiny dot."
Anderson had to have part of her tongue removed, as well as 30 lymph nodes in her neck.
"For being a non-smoker and non-drinker, she had no risk factors," Leon said.
Many long-term survivors were in attendance Friday.
The Survivors Plus team was honored at the opening ceremonies for having a total of 67 survival years among their members, one of whom was Marcia Caldwell, Brodhead, with 25 years.
Evelyn Crooks accepted the Silver Survivorship award on behalf of her team, but the honor was "bittersweet," she said. One of the team members, Nancy Strong of Monroe, had succumbed to cancer on Monday, after a 4- to 5-year fight.
At the opening ceremony, Chairman Dan Demuth said the teams already had raised more than $63,000 of the $100,000 goal.
Among the 50 survivors who took the Survivors Lap around Holyoke track were Jaymee Roller, 9, a six-year survivor who still is fighting her cancer, and Maria Caldwell, who is a 25-year survivor.
Survivors often don't have many words to describe how cancer and its treatment have affected their lives.
"I did what had to be done. ... It's just part of life," said Ellen Schuartz, a five-year survivor.
After a brief moment of thought, she smiled. "I guess I appreciate more now; I take more time for myself."
Schuartz, born and raised in Monroe, is retired and moved back to Monroe three years ago. She was walking with the Noon Optimists' team at her first American Cancer Society Relay.
Hearing a doctor say that you have cancer isn't as scary as it used to be, according to Schuartz.
"There are so many advances in treatments," she said.
During her eight-month treatment, Schuartz had two surgeries and a mixture of chemotherapy and radiology. The mixture of treatment is one of the advances, she said.
Jaymee Roller, 9, Monroe, was diagnosed with cancer at age 3. Sitting on the ground with her grandmother, Peggy, at the opening ceremonies, Jaymee wore glittering sunglasses to shield her eyes from the sun. A tumor has made her legally blind in her left eye, and restricts her from playing contact sports.
Is there anything else her grandmother tells her she can't do?
"She says I can't talk back to her," Jaymee answered seriously.
Jaymee receives chemo shots once a week in a port, a special plastic tubing in her chest where the medication is dispensed by needle.
"It doesn't hurt," she said.
The chemo shots only have slowed the growth of the tumor, Peggy said.
So on July 10, Jaymee is scheduled for surgery -- an experimental surgery of sorts, to try to remove the tumor and restore some of her eyesight.
Lisa Anderson, the 2009 Green County Relay for Life co-chair with Father Mike Klarer, said the event brings out much needed support, financial as well as emotional, to help families of cancer victims.
Anderson found information from the American Cancer Society available at the radiation center at Turville Bay in Madison and on the Internet to help her along the course of her treatment from November 2007 to February 2008.
The diagnosis "hit home," said her husband Leon. "You never think it's going to happen to you."
Anderson's cancer was found in her tongue. A nurse by profession, she first thought she had a canker sore. But then Anderson knew something was wrong.
"It was inside, anyone could have missed it," she said. "All you could see was a tiny dot."
Anderson had to have part of her tongue removed, as well as 30 lymph nodes in her neck.
"For being a non-smoker and non-drinker, she had no risk factors," Leon said.
Many long-term survivors were in attendance Friday.
The Survivors Plus team was honored at the opening ceremonies for having a total of 67 survival years among their members, one of whom was Marcia Caldwell, Brodhead, with 25 years.
Evelyn Crooks accepted the Silver Survivorship award on behalf of her team, but the honor was "bittersweet," she said. One of the team members, Nancy Strong of Monroe, had succumbed to cancer on Monday, after a 4- to 5-year fight.
At the opening ceremony, Chairman Dan Demuth said the teams already had raised more than $63,000 of the $100,000 goal.