Cancer survivor deals with 'new normal'
CRANBERRY TWP. — Ten years ago, a stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis upended Alan Wolf's world.
A 47-year-old computer programmer and tech consultant, Wolf was married with two children ages 12 and 15, and he “didn't know where my life was going.
“I was scared.”
That was just the beginning. The Cranberry Township resident had to undergo a total colectomy, a surgical procedure that results (in his case, at least) the removal of his colon and a complete lifestyle change.
The surgery was followed by six months of chemotherapy. About three years after that, he learned his cancer had metastasized to his liver. That resulted in a liver resection and more chemo. He spent his 50th birthday in the hospital.
Flash forward to today, though, and Wolf is considered cancer-free — and certainly grateful to be alive.Wolf shared his story at Saturday's Relay for Life event at North Boundary Park. This year's event — the 18th — was somewhat of a scaled-down version, but still attracted scores of people who, like Wolf, had their lives touched in some way by cancer.Wolf addressed the gathering midway through the six-hour event and shared four key things he learned during his decade-long odyssey: find your people, find your new normal, do your best to stay positive and find a trusted source of information.“Your diagnosis, your treatment, your surgeries, and how they play into your mental and physical abilities, are all true and you must accept them, deal with them, acknowledge them and learn ways around them,” he said. “This is your new normal.”<b> A portion of this story is shared with you as a digital media exclusive. To read the <a href="http://www.butlereagle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20210628/NEWS01/210629533">full story</a> and support our local, independent newsroom, please <a href="https://home.butlereagle.com/clickshare/myhome.do">subscribe online</a> or pick up ____’s print copy of the Butler Eagle. </b>
