Celebrate life it is so very precious! 25th Annual
Relay for Life
PAINT THE TOWN PURPLE Jun
Of Western Stearns County
e 19-24, 2022
Businesses and residents are encouraged Paint the Town to Purple by being crea window paint, tive: utilize purple signs, balloons, put up purplethemed displa bows, storefronts/win ys do ws, swap out w in bulbs for purp hite le bu lbs, select everyone to w ear purple, or sha day for ow your Relay For Life sw ag!
Friday, June 24, 2022 • 4:00 pm – Midnight Stearns County Fairgrounds - Sauk Centre, MN RelayForLife.org/saukcentremn
A Team Event to Fight Cancer! • 4:00 p.m. ...........................Relay Kick Off Survivor Booth will be open 4-6 for registration
• 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. ...............Silent Auction
• 6:00 p.m. ................. Opening Ceremony Opening Prayer with Pastor Kyle Survivor Speaker Kristi Wielenberg
Survivor Lap • Team Lap
• Dusk ..................... Luminaria Ceremony • 9:00 p.m. .........................Raffle Drawing • 11:30 p.m.................. Closing Ceremony Games will be played throughout the evening
Life-changing diagnoses shared by sisters Kinzel tells story to help others by SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER
Sisters Kathy Pritchard (lleft) and Carol Kinzel have each undergone the same surgery to remove the same kind of tumor on the same-side ovary. COURTESY OF TIGER LILY PHOTOGRAPHY.
★
BELGRADE – Carol Kinzel had a tumor the size of a grapefruit removed from her ovary, and when she came out of surgery, was told she’d have a 50/50 chance of surviving five years. The news was devastating, life-altering. Though she’s still alive 15 years later and cancer-free, she still breaks down in tears talking about that day. “It still takes my breath away,” she said. Kinzel has done what she had to in the years to follow. She had a hysterectomy at the same time her tumor was removed, she underwent genetic testing and, based on the results, had a prophylactic mastectomy. Her sister, Kathy Pritchard, who lives in Missouri, did too – because as Kinzel was in the chemotherapy chair in the weeks following surgery, Pritchard was diagnosed and had the same surgery to remove the same kind of tumor on the same side ovary. “That’s just not supposed to happen to sisters,” Kinzel said. They underwent genetic testing to find out they both have the BRCA-1 gene, which can predispose a person to other cancers. They’ve encouraged their family members to get tested. They also made a promise to one another to seek out, and participate in, clinical trials in hopes that no one else in their family would have to go through what they’ve been through. Both sisters are doing clinical trials through the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Despite Kinzel’s unusual story, many of the people she associates with don’t know it. “I won’t wave that cancer flag because I won’t give cancer that opportunity,” she said. Instead, she focuses on living. She works to fill each day with something productive. She loves to travel, see new things and spend time outdoors in nature. Visualization, meditation KINZEL continued on page 3
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Special Relay for Life Edition | Friday, June 17, 2022 • Page 3 KINZEL from page 1
and yoga have become important parts of her life. “I did visualization and meditation on my own quietly which really helped me strengthen my mind,” she said. She believes in the body and mind connection and finds power in her own breath. “It helps you put on more of a positive armor, like you can reinforce your inner strength if you can gear up,” she said. She’s more conscious about what’s happening in her own head and how she reacts to different situations. “You know that every day is a gift,” she said. “You celebrate birthdays because they’re gifts, every one. You strive to get older because you might not have been.” Kinzel, who retired in 2020 after 47 years working as a Licensed Practical Nurse, most recently at CentraCare Clinic in Paynesville, has some advice for others working through their own diagnosis, and for those close to them. In everything, she said, there’s something to win and something to lose. “You lose your hair, you lose your organs but you’re winning the game and that’s foremost and that’s what you have to strive to say,” she said. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to the best of my ability. If you need more, go find your faith, family, friends.” The most important thing, she said, is to take the time to understand the diagnosis. Ask questions, and bring an advocate along to doctors’ appointments to help take notes
Sisters Kathy Pritchard of Missouri (left) and Carol Kinzel of Belgrade have a shared cancer story. As Kinzel was in the chemotherapy chair in the weeks following surgery, Pritchard was diagnosed with the same cancer. Submitted Photo
and take in all the information. “This is lifechanging; take time to wrap your head around this diagnosis,” she said. “Then, get the support you need.” Kinzel continued
Kinzel doesn’t like to be the center of attention and said early on it was a real challenge to let people help her. She encourages others to let people bring suppers over, let people help with transportation
“This is life-changing; take time to wrap your head around this diagnosis. Then, get the support you need.” ........ Carol Kinzel to work through her chemotherapy. She’d take the day of and the day after off, have a weekend to recover and then return to work on Monday. “It helped me to go help someone else,” she said.
to appointments, let people do what they offer. She recommends going straight to the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer. org if a person needs more information about a diagnosis.
“There’s so much false and scary information (on the internet that) you do not need if you’re just digesting a new diagnosis,” she said. The American Cancer Society has a phone number to call with questions: 1-800227-2345. They offer classes and they’ll even connect people with a survivor who’s willing to talk with them. Also, she said, don’t underestimate the importance of feeling good. She took advantage of a program that supported her with a wig and makeup and other assistance. “Hair loss is a huge thing – when you lose your hair you lose a lot of dignity,” she said. “That makes you pull up your boot straps a little; it took all of my bravery.” She also said, each patient’s journey is their own. “Cancer is like a snowflake, people shouldn’t put too much into somebody else’s diagnosis,” she said. “No two are the same.” Even with Kinzel and Pritchard, the journey has been different. Pritchard has had a more complicated experience and her cancer has reoccurred three times, but she is now maintaining after a clinical trial drug, and has had no evidence of disease for two years. “I feel very fortunate, you kind of work through survivor’s guilt when people around you lose people to cancer and you’re still here,” Kinzel said. “We don’t know our purpose and if my purpose is to do things like this interview or help another friend through their journey, then that’s my reason for surviving.”
Relay for Life Celebration includes:
• Entertainment by DJ Joe Orbeck • South Meats North BBQ Truck 4 pm - 8 pm WHAT IS RELAY FOR LIFE? Relay is a team fundraising event where team members take turns walking around a track or designated path. Each event is 6-24 hours in length and each team is asked to have a member on the track at all times to signify that cancer never sleeps. Cancer patients don't stop because they're tired, and for one night, neither do we. Each team sets up a themed campsite at the event and continues their fundraising efforts by collecting donations for food, goods, games, and activities. This money will count towards their overall team fundraising goal.
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Special Relay for Life Edition | Friday, June 17, 2022 • Page 5
Gage (front, from left) and Reid Wielenberg, take a quick picture with their parents, Kristi and Neil, after they all got haircuts to match Kristi’s. Neil shaved Kristi’s head and she cut the boys’ hair in the kitchen. PHOTO SUBMITTED
“I hope it brings them hope, to know you can make it through this and that there are so many wonderful people out there who will support you. Even if you don’t have that support at home, we’re here.” … Kristi Wielenberg
Neil and Kristi Wielenberg collect themselves after Kristi rings the bell to celebrate her last round of chemotherapy. PHOTO SUBMITTED
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Kristi Wielenberg walks with her mother-in-law, Jane Wielenberg, during the survivor/caregiver walk during Long Prairie’s Relay for Life. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTHEW BREITER PHOTOGRAPHY, LLC.
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Page 6 • Special Relay for Life Edition | Friday, June 17, 2022
Nothing better than “boring” Emmels share story of prostate cancer
by DIANE LEUKAM STAFF WRITER
SAUK CENTRE – Dale Emmel is the first to admit he has a “boring” cancer story and, in fact, it very well may be. When it comes to cancer, though, nothing could be better than boring. Dale and his wife, Carol, shared his story May 25 from their Sauk Centre home. Dale also has a message to men that is simple and straightforward. “I really think men should get their PSA test; there’s really no reason not to – it’s not an expensive test and it doesn’t hurt,” he said. “When you get your physical, you definitely should get your PSA test.” According to the National Cancer Institute, the PSA “ ... is a laboratory test that measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) found in the blood. PSA is a protein made by the prostate gland. The amount of PSA may be higher in men who have prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or infection or inflammation of the prostate.” A range of PSA readings can be considered normal, with even the experts having differing opinions on what constitutes a normal reading. Many factors can affect the result, so sometimes, the change can be more important than the number. For Emmel, the red flags began to wave as his numbers increased. Several years ago, his PSA was a 3, then a 5, and there was little concern. That changed in mid-2019. “I got tested again and it went from 5 to 13 … that really got their attention,” he said. “There is a slow cancer and a fast cancer in prostate. Mine must have been fast.” A doctor in Minneapolis suggested he be treated within two or three months, but when the couple talked to a doctor in Arizona where they winter each year, it was decided to begin treatments right away. That was in March 2020. The Emmels began by driving from Tuscon to Scottsdale two-and-a-half hours each way every day, the first week with two-a-day treatments. Soon, though, they grew weary of that much driving. They checked into a hotel and stayed for three weeks. Each day, Dale received a half-hour radiation treatment, along with a total of 25 CAT scans over the period of weeks. “It was right at the height of the pandemic and we ended up hauling all our food to Scottsdale and cooking in the hotel room,” Carol said. “Dale would have half-hour treatments five days a week. They were efficient.” After those treatments were finished, there came another decision: undergo an operation to remove the prostate, or receive a permanent implant of radioactive iodine “seeds.” The latter was chosen with the doctor’s recommendation and the day of the procedure selected. For Dale, it was a strange situation due to the onset of COVID. “They weren’t operating at the time,” he said. “There was this big room with 25 beds for [people
Although prostate cancer is very treatable if detected early, one of downfalls of it is that men often don’t have symptoms until the disease is advanced. The best way to safeguard against that event is to have regular PSA tests. “I didn’t know it either until I did a PSA test,” Dale said. The Emmel family has other experience with the disease. “My dad had prostate cancer,” Dale said. “He must have been about 75 and he lived to be 83. He died of cancer but not prostate cancer.” As the parents of four sons – twins Mark and John, and Tom and David, are they advocating for them to get regular tests? Dale chuckled. “They probably wouldn’t listen to me,” he said. “I don’t know; I would hope when they do physicals their doctors would recommend it. I don’t know what percentage [of positive results there are] but, if you’re one of the numbers, then you’ll wish they would have checked it.” According to the American Cancer Society, discussions about screening should take place at: – Age 50 for men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years; – Age 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer. This includes African Americans and men who have a first-degree relative (father or brother) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65); – Age 40 for men at even higher risk (those with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age). The Emmels are thankful for having a cancer story they consider to have been much easier than Dale and Carol Emmel, at their Sauk Centre home May 25, talk what so many others experience, even though it about working through his cancer diagnosis, with treatments was unnerving at first. “When you hear you have cancer, right away in Arizona during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. you feel there’s something in you, you know, that PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM shouldn’t be there,” Dale said. “I really was never worried about it; I don’t know why, it didn’t seem to bother me. We kind of made [light] of it, if it getting] operations and I was the only one in there. Was it that wasn’t for the virus we could have gone out to difimportant? It was to me. I felt a little funny in there because I ferent places to eat, but we were just stuck in the didn’t think I needed that.” hotel all the time. You do what you have to do – all Throughout the treatment process, Dale felt more tired families do that.” than usual, but he didn’t feel sick, other than feeling tough for Carol, too, was not very worried, although any a couple days. diagnosis makes the mind wander to new places. “Some people get red skin from the radiation, and I didn’t “Initially, you go to bed at night and think, ‘is get any of that,” he said. “Really, it was just the inconvenience he going to die or not,’ but after we met [our docof going to get the treatments, which you are happy to get them.” tor], I just felt really confident in the whole thing. Now, more than two years since he started his treatments, I just feel really blessed everything is checking out Dale, 83, is recording a .05 on his PSA. Is his cancer cured … fine.” or gone? Dale is hopeful other people can benefit from “I wouldn’t know if I’d use the word ‘cured’ or not; it cerhearing his “boring” cancer story. tainly is in remission,” Carol said. “If it helps somebody else that’s great,” he Carol has prior knowledge of the medical field. said. “It is what it is; there’s no sense in being “When I was in nurse’s training, you used to hear, ‘if you afraid of it.” live long enough, every man is going to have prostate cancer,’ and I don’t know if that’s still a fact or not,” she said.
“I don’t know what percentage [of positive results there are], but if you’re one of the numbers then you’ll wish they would have checked it.” .......... Dale Emmel
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Special Relay for Life Edition | Friday, June 17, 2022 • Page 7
Oncology nurses: “You’re not alone” by SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER
MELROSE – Bailey Rahn and Darlene Engelmeyer spend each day living through some of the greatest triumphs and deepest emotions of their patients. The two are oncology nurses at CentraCare Melrose Hospital and they’re some of the faces patients first see as they learn about what chemotherapy could mean for them. They’re the people who break into smiles and rally caregivers throughout the hospital to celebrate with them when someone ends chemotherapy treatment and is deemed in remission. They’re the people patients see when the cancer has spread too far or too fast and it’s time to tell their family members that time is short. Rahn and Engelmeyer see it all. They experience it all. They’re a part of it all. Each day they, and others who work in oncology, choose to help, to support, to care. “They need that extra person they can talk to, they can vent to, who could listen to them and try to understand what they’re going through,” Rahn said. “(It’s about) the love and care, as a nurse, that I could provide to them when they aren’t feeling well and I’m able to hold their hand.” On her toughest days, Rahn, who’s had two grandparents die of complications of cancer and a third receiving chemotherapy, knows families need that extra support and look to the nursing team for guidance. “Knowing those families appreciate that is what keeps us going,” she said. Engelmeyer said that during COVID-19 restrictions, patients often didn’t have visitors during their chemotherapy treatments but now, as restrictions ease, many bring a family member along. The nurses said there are a variety of chemotherapy and infusion treatments and they can range in length of treatment time from a few hours to a full, eight-hour day. How often each patient visits the infusion center is determined by their doctor. At the hospital where the two work, four patients can have infusions at one time; not all are doing chemotherapy, but the nursing team works with each one. When someone is first diagnosed, the nurses invite them in for an educational class to go over the basics of chemotherapy and what the patient can expect. They suggest patients bring along a support person to that meeting because there’s a lot of information and it can be very overwhelming. “We’re the people they’re asking questions of and we’re the people explaining things as we go,” Engelmeyer said. “It’s important to be honest and explain everything we’re doing; that helps build trust.” She was inspired to become a chemotherapy nurse after she had a relative die of complications from cancer and heard the debate within her own extended family about the merits of chemo.
Oncology staff Bailey Rahn (from left), Darlene Engelmeyer and Stephanie Sterriker work with cancer patients every day at CentraCare Melrose Hospital. PHOTO SUBMITTED Both nurses agree that no two patients are alike and that every single person’s chemotherapy and cancer story is different. Not only are the treatment plans different, but everyone responds to the medications differently in terms of symptoms and in their cancer’s response to the treatments. No matter what, though, the nurses said they’re there to show support. “We truly are there for you, we are on this journey with you,” Engelmeyer said. Rahn said she works hard when patients first come in, to understand where they are in the grieving process heir diagnosis. of their
“They need that extra person they can talk to, they can vent to, who could listen to them and try to understand what they’re going through.” ......... Bailey Rahn
“Some patients when they get that initial ‘you have cancer’ diagnosis, they are very scared, they don’t know what to do,” she said. “Some are angry, others haven’t come to terms with it and some have given up.” Knowing where a patient is at, and understanding the grieving process is fluid and many will repeat stages, is important, she said. When she understands where a patient is at, she can better support them, answer their questions and help them deal with that particular stage. From there, she works to understand the patient on a personal level and learn about them as a person; she learns about their family, life and loved ones. The details come out naturally as they share stories. Not only do oncology nurses handle patient care, but behind the scenes they’re tracking and charting and digging deep into each and every patient’s medical history so they fully understand each and every person who sits in their chair. “We want them to know that we’re in this with them,” Rahn said.“We want them to know they’re not alone and we really hope it shows how sincere we are.” Engelmeyer sees the best outcomes when patients remain positive. At the same time, she respects patients when they’re able to talk realistically about where things are at if it becomes clear that the treatment isn’t working. “I think sometimes patients know and can prepare themselves, but the hard part is to prepare their loved ones,” she said. Rahn and Engelmeyer have sat with patients as they decided how to talk to their family members. As part of that process, they help them think through making an advance care directive, talk about whether they’d like to meet with a spiritual director and discuss how to say goodbye. “People get to the point where they know they’re going to die and they’re ok with it and they say ‘I feel like I’m going to a good place but I’m worried about the person I’m leaving behind,” Engelmeyer said.“As hard as it is (for families), they’re trying to say goodbye to you or they’re trying to have you say it’s OK.” While it’s clear some patients have a support system, others simply do not and Rahn said that is when oncology nurses and staff can play another key role. She will help patients coordinate Meals on Wheels food deliveries, home care providers or even facilitate rides to chemotherapy. The amount of time a patient spends in a chemotherapy chair and the depth of the discussions with patients makes it difficult when someone dies. That part, Rahn said, never gets easier. Those are the days she takes the long way home to clear her head. She has supper with her kids and takes an extra bit of time to just sit down or go for a walk and think. “We don’t take it lightly,” she said.“It affects us every day.”
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