Small Town News

Mother defies odds in surviving cancer battle

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A trip to Disneyland conjures visions of a Snow White impersonator, patiently posing for pictures, riding in molded teacups, eating platter-sized portions of food and endless walking.

For Newport Hills resident Sherry Lowe, it's the walking she misses the most. The 40-year old mother of five requires the assistance of a wheelchair, her pelvis claimed by a cancer that nearly took her life.

It all came about when Sherry required an X-ray for a different ailment, and a tumor was found. Discovering the cancer was a fluke. Initially, doctors told Sherry

amd her husband David they had niothing to fear.

"I didn't fully appreciate the gravity of the prognosis," said Diavid, nor did he until the doctor said, "It was huge, spreading and piossibly fatal."

Sherry peppers her story with laiughter, joking about the misdiagnoses of the first two doctors, the surgery that left bolts in her b<ody and the subsequent operations that left her "falling apart," ajs the metal holders "unscrewed themselves."

"I've known Sherry and her faimily for years," said Robert Johnson, a neighbor who aiso served with her husband in the n<earby Newport Ward of the Latter-day Saints church. "She's been through a lot, and has always kept her sense of humor."

"It wasn't always easy," she admitted, particularly when the doctors determined the removal of much of her pelvis was necessary to stop the spread of the cancer. She was told she may never be able to walk again.

The diagnosis was "like a death sentence." No more skiing, hiking, biking or the many activities she had taken for granted and enjoyed with her five children.

"To five, it was the only choice," she concluded.

Today, "it's a miracle she can walk at all," Johnson said.

Sherry's pelvis is literally floating within her hips. The doctors aren't quite sure how it's holding together, though Sherry said it's her "stomach muscles, strong from laughter" that are doing the trick.

A walking miracle

Even upbeat people have dark

days, and Sherry was no exception. It was especially tough when she realized her condition would not allow her another water-ski, hike or participation in the many family activities she'd previously enjoyed.

"I'd accomplished everything through perseverance," she explained, referring to college and pregnancy, enduring complications, severe morning sickness and long recoveries. "I thought I could will my way back to health."

She couldn't. Even without the surgical misadventures, the cancer had destroyed the ability for

the plates and screws to adhere to her bone. She had no choice but to learn to live with her condition.

Sherry took to adapting her lifestyle, as did her husband David. An attorney, he worked double duty, taking care of his wife and five children while maintaining a full-time career. The arrangement took a toll on every member of the group. But the Lowes' children jumped in -- cooking, cleaning and teaching one another to read, augmented by the efforts of the local church congregation who ferried the children to and from school, and alternated baby-sitting.

Still, the ordeal caused an upheaval within the family. The failed surgeries left Sherry in excruciating pain, unable to see her children for more than five minutes a day. Today, the children are still adjusting and the youngest child was recently diagnosed with anxiety.

"We may never fully deal with the situation in this life," David said.

But he's learned to appreciate how dealing with life's challenges can lead to other blessings "to our character and even to our relationships," he added.

Though the cancer is not expected to return, Sherry has regular check-ups, keeps walking and standing to a minimum, and strives to appreciate what that life has bestowed up her, though it's not always easy.

Lowe is a walking miracle, a person who should be consigned to the bed or wheelchair. Her faith, her inspiration and a lot of hard work keep her going.

"I get up, count my blessings and then tackle the day ahead," she said, counseling others to do the same.

Sarah Gerdes is a freelance writer for The Press. Comment at www.issaquah-press.com.



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© 2011 The Issaquah Press Issaquah, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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