‘Tough old bird’ survivor of rare carcinoid cancer
“I was tiny as a kid, and I was athletic growing up. I did not have the problems that obese children have. But when I quit being physically active, I started gaining weight. Then I went...
Tagged: cancer
She deals with the weighty issues of carcinoid cancer
When her mother tried to register Saundra Smith for school in Port Arthur, Texas, she got a surprising response. “They said they didn’t have a nursery school, and that she should bring me back next year...
She is sold on being a successful businesswoman
Sylvia Escontrias caught the business bug as a teenager. “I remember telling my parents when I was a sophomore in high school that I was going to get a job at the mall,” she said. “They...
He enjoys running for a cancer-fighting cause
“I’ve been involved in Relay for Life since 1999. I showed up at the Lee College relay that year and ran a marathon just for fun. After that, I got hooked and started raising money. Every...
‘I always thought that I would go before her’
“I met her in a bar at the Holiday Inn back in ’73. I was sitting there, and she was on a barstool. I said, ‘I’m going to walk over there and talk to her.’ That...
Battling illness, she’s in charge of her own story
“I have this weird autoimmune illness that the doctors have never really been able to figure out. My case has been written up in several medical journals because it’s so strange. “Years of medication and what...
She’s making the most of cancer-free years
“Every day that I’m above ground, I thank the Lord. It could have been a lot different. I am a cancer survivor. This year makes 13 years cancer free. “I’m very grateful to have been granted...
After beating cancer, ‘I’ve got another shot at life’
“One day I noticed this lump and figured it was a hernia. I had been at the driving range a lot, so I thought it might have been from practicing golf too much. I went to...
Friend by her side at a time of great need
“My husband really didn’t have many symptoms, besides things that kind of disagreed with him when he ate. He had just lost his best friend to an aneurysm and changed his job, so I thought that...
He’s facing life’s challenges, one at a time
Sometimes, life can seem pretty darn difficult. What’s one of the saddest moments in your life? “Losing my tía, my aunt. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2012. She fought it and beat it. It...
