Pat Winter is 2008 Relay For Life honorary chair

Pat Winter, a breast cancer survivor stands at the fireplace in her home. She saw the house plans in a newspaper upon returning home after surgery, and made the construction of the house her focus during recovery. She is the 2008 Plymouth County Relay For Life honorary chair and will speak at the 10 p.m. luminaria ceremony Friday night. [Click to enlarge]

Pat Winter of Le Mars was once a volunteer for the American Cancer Society.

Now as a cancer survivor, she is thankful for the work of the American Cancer Society and will serve as the honorary chair for the 2008 Plymouth County Relay For Life.

"I'm honored to be chosen," said Winter, "and I'm glad for the Relay For Life event in our county. We all hope for a cure."

Winter will take part in the luminaria ceremony set for 10 p.m. Friday, June 6, at the Relay For Life at Jim Lorenzen Field in Le Mars.

Winter shared that her own breast cancer was found only because of a friend's diagnosis.

"After she was diagnosed with breast cancer, my family asked me if I had had a mammogram," Winter said. She told them no, but she would make an appointment, which she did. At a follow-up appointment six months later, a biopsy confirmed breast cancer. That was December 2000.

A friend advised her to have the "sentinel node" tested to see if the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes. This involves injection of dye near the tumor, which is carried to the first or sentinel node to receive lymph from the tumor. If the sentinel nodes contain cancer, more lymph nodes are removed. If they are free of cancer, further lymph node surgery might not be needed.

Winter asked her doctor to do the test which was relatively new at the time. Since Winter was having reconstruction surgery during her mastectomy surgery, the doctor was concerned about being under anesthesia so long, but agreed. The diagnosis: the sentinel node had cancer and lymph nodes were removed.

After a week in the hospital, Winter returned home and knew her life had changed. Pat and her husband, Gil, operated Winter Feedlot and lived on the farmstead. She knew she wouldn't be helping there anytime soon.

When she got home she found a house plan in the newspaper. "That became my new focus," she said. "It had everything in it that I liked and would want." The couple eventually built that house east of Le Mars in Willow Run and in August 2003 moved into their new home.

Her eight chemotherapy treatments were long and tiring, she said.

"I did what I needed to do to survive," she said. And she found a friend at the center, Ann Boetger of Le Mars, who was also undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

"We could compare notes and understand what each other was going through," Winter said. "Both of our husbands stood by us and were supportive too."

Another breast cancer patient, the late Rosie Loutsch, told Winter, "Don't waste a minute of your life."

"I never forgot that," Winter said.

Winter said she missed a lot during the span of her chemotherapy treatment. "I missed my son's wedding. I didn't visit my mother-in-law at the care center," she said, avoiding crowds of people due to her lowered immune system.

"Dealing with the side effects is hard," she said. Both she and Boetger had bone pain from the chemotherapy.

She appreciated the support of family and friends who helped out. She still looks over the albums containing cards and letters she received during her treatment. "They were so good for me," she said.

By Easter 2000 she was ready to go without the wig she had worn.

"I was like a new chick on Easter," she said. Fuzzy and ready to start over.

Winter took her treatments June E. Nylen Cancer Center in Sioux City, and appreciated the way they cared for her.

The presence of friends, their help and caring were also important to her.

"The power of prayer and friendships are so important when you have cancer," she said. "And you learn that your life has a new focus, too."

Winter was faithful in her checkups and in August 2006, a mammogram found the cancer had come back.

"Dr. Wender told me because of my treatment the cancer shouldn't be back," Winter said. "My dreams were dashed with that diagnosis."

This time she underwent a lumpectomy, which was followed by 28 sessions of radiation. By the 20th session, her skin was burned and peeling. Due to her reconstruction surgery, the nurses were concerned about the skin healing properly and the risk of infection. "It healed good," Winter said with a thankful smile.

"I've been saved from cancer. I'm a survivor," Winter says proudly. "Actually, a two-time survivor." She's also a "billboard person," for the June E. Nylen Cancer Center, and is one of several survivors featured in their print advertising.

"Cancer changes you," Winter said. "You appreciate the strength of others to help you through it."

She has advice and encouragement for those who newly diagnosed with cancer.

"Do not waste a moment. Go for the surgery and the treatment," she said. "Time is so much of the essence. And make a commitment to fight."

"Your recovery is helped when you are surrounded by family and friends," Winter said. "My friends always gave me the right phrases to hang onto to get through that time. I appreciated their strength."

Winter was chosen as the "Relay Survivor Queen" in 2007 at the Survivor's Dinner.

"That's a wonderful evening, because of the feelings we as cancer survivors share," she said. "We all have a story and every journey is so personal. Having our caretaker there with us is important, because their life has changed, too."

Winter hopes by sharing her story she may save the others by encouraging them to have the tests done.

"We need to start taking care of ourselves," she said.