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.”
Those in charge of planning and carrying out Relay for Life also have been dealing with a new normal of sorts the past two years. At one time a 24-hour event, it had been scaled down to 15 hours, but this year's event was less than half of that due to the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and possible restrictions.But six hours was a major upgrade over last year, when only the luminaria ceremony could be held. That proved to be a major success in its own right, as more than 1,000 bags were on display at the Community Park and participants were able to drive through and view them.The luminaria display — illuminated paper bags with the names of people who have lost their lives to cancer, overcome the disease or are being treated for it — is what hooked Susan Grabowski on Relay for Life. The Cranberry Township resident, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, had been invited to attend the event in 2005 by a friend who was volunteering, and she agreed to walk for an hour to honor those who had survived the disease.“We had a really nice dinner under a tent,” Grabowski recalled, “and I got some nice gifts. But it was the luminaria ceremony at night that got me. Seeing hundreds of luminaria dedicated in honor of those who have survived and in memory of those we lost was just amazing. It was very moving.”
As a result, Grabowski has returned every year since then and moved into the role of co-captain for a team from Hope Lutheran Church.Her team's involvement in the fight against cancer extends far beyond a single day. The group also holds an annual golf outing to raise money, and this year's 13th annual Tournament of Hope will take place Aug. 14 at Green Meadows Golf Course in Volant. Grabowski said her team has raised more than $200,000 since its formation.Relay for Life and its associated events have proved to be a major fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.Doni Matrone, a senior development manager with the American Cancer Society, said more than $1 million has been raised by groups in the greater Pittsburgh area in the past two decades or so.
Matrone said this year's goal is to raise $80,000 during the 2021 calendar year, and halfway through Saturday's Relay for Life event in Cranberry, more than $67,000 had already been raised.Funding is used for a variety of services, including transportation for patients who are receiving cancer treatment and lodging for patients who have to travel long distances for their treatments. Funding also goes to aid support groups, a website and a toll-free phone service that is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Matrone said she was pleased with Saturday's turnout, particularly given that changing guidelines and restrictions made planning for this year's event a major challenge. So she and other organizers weren't sure what to expect Saturday.“But after not being able to do things last year, people were happy to be back,” Matrone said. “They're already asking me for the next year's relay date.”Event co-chairs Amy Fuller and Jodie Mohnkern both emphasized how pleased they were to be able to help put on a true relay event in 2021.“We are here,” said Fuller, a longtime volunteer who was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. “We made it, and I know for one thing, I am overjoyed and beyond excited to be here with you. We've been anxiously awaiting this day for two years and now we are here.”Among those on hand were Cranberry Township Supervisor Bruce Hezlep and his wife, Karen, a breast cancer survivor. Hezlep admitted it's difficult to see the names of people who died of cancer, many of whom he considers friends. “But,” Hezlep added, “knowing about all the fundraising, the support and all the efforts to eradicate the disease gives me more hope than sadness.”
