Survivor shares her tale; cancer-free years are truly a gift
Joane McLeod cherishes each of life's moments. As a cancer survivor, she knows firsthand the fears, upsets, and sleepless nights the treacherous disease causes.
McLeod -- the First Lady of Hoffman Estates, wife of Mayor Bill McLeod --was only 34 years old, with four youngsters ranging in age from 4 to 10, when she had her first cancer surgery.
Surgeons removed a five-pound tumor from her uterus in 1987. As bad as that was 20 years ago, only six months passed before doctors discovered thyroid cancer.
Cancer-free now for those 20 years, McLeod shared some of her fears and frustrations recently. She stressed that the disease "zaps our energy, and wears you out and keeps you awake at night" because of the worry.
"Even though thyroid cancer is slow-growing, it terrified me because it came so quickly after the uterine cancer," McLeod said. "I bargained with God to please let me live to see my 4-year-old son, Rick, through to first grade. When you are a mom with cancer, you only want to live to see your children get older. You do a lot of praying."
McLeod said she didn't tell her children about her disease then, because it would have scared them.
"The funny thing is that I did not mention it to them until a few years ago, even though they were grown. I didn't mean to keep it from them but we are so busy with life today that I don't spend a lot of time thinking about yesterday."
The valiant lady believes that with recovery one grows strong, finds peace and cherishes each moment. McLeod tries to keep her life as stress-free as possible. If momentarily it gets stressed, she tries "to bring it back to the peaceful state as quickly as possible."
The McLeods attended the American Cancer Society's first Hoffman Estates Relay For Life that began Aug. 11 and ended Aug. 12. The mayor welcomed cancer survivors, volunteers for the effort and guests at the Prairie Stone Sports and Wellness Center, telling them that everyone, himself included, seems to know someone whose life is affected by cancer. He revealed that his wife is a cancer survivor.
"Many here are walking for family members, friends or themselves," the mayor said. "Fortunately, because of events like this one, more money is raised everyday to go toward research and a cure."
Fifteen teams participated in the event under the chairmanship of Bob Swan and community chair Linda Scheck. Swan's daughters --Catherine, 14; Stefanie, 11; and Jeannie Liautaud, 13 -- served on the committee, and their friend Angelika Vlaykov, 11, volunteered to help that evening.
The four kids formed a welcoming group to usher a first-time visitor around the gym's perimeter, visiting participants at their staked-out tents. The first stop revealed new mom Angela Wallace and her eight-week-old son, Brendan, who had just finished his first trip around the track in his mother's arms.
Wallace, who teaches the freshman confirmation class at St. Hubert Roman Catholic Church, was chaperone to six participating teens who volunteered on behalf of their confirmation service project.
Judith Richards -- chaperone of the Pink Ladies team representing a Willow Creek prayer group -- relaxed on a lounge chair next to the team's tent which sported a Pink Ladies banner. Richards introduced team organizer and captain Lindsey Negron, 14.
The mission tent, with cancer society staff person Maggie Osborne in charge, was among the many other stops, all made to the background music of a DJ. Osborne provided cancer facts and information on volunteer opportunities. For more information, call (800) 227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
McLeod, who says she never hides "this part of my life," realizes she is fortunate.
"I have been blessed with 20 years of cancer-free living," McLeod said. "There is not one day that goes by that I don't thank God and appreciate life. I never thought I would be given this many years; they are truly a gift." The mayor happily agreed with his wife.