Langton Relay for Life - 2016
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Cancer survivor Jack Vanacker, 66, walked in his first Langton Relay for Life Friday morning at the request of his granddaughter and grandson, students at Sacred Heart Catholic School.
"I had prostrate cancer in 2008," said Vanacker, originally from Langton and now back in his hometown. "Three days after she (granddaughter Sophia Vantyghem) was born, that's when I had the surgery. I was diagnosed in May (2008) and had surgery in August."
It wasn't that long between diagnosis and surgery, but "it was long enough," he laughed. "Especially when the doctors said I had to lose 25 pounds before surgery."
The diagnosis had caught him by surprise.
"I didn't really know what was happening," he said, recalling his doctor referring him to a urologist in Woodstock. "At that time my PSA (prostrate-specific antigen) was a little high – my heart rate had been going up a little each year – and they wanted to do tests. It showed that I had 25 per cent... I guess that's bad, he said he wanted to do surgery.
"The only reason I went in is that it felt like I was out of breath all the time, and I ended up with that (prostrate cancer). So I was sort of lucky.
"That's why it's important to get your prostrate checked every year. I know when you're young you don't want it done. I did it when I was 40 and not again until I was 45, then 50. Then I waited and waited..."
His prostrate was removed at the age of 58, and he recovered within six weeks without needing chemotherapy or other forms of treatment.
"Everybody needs to get checked," said Vanacker. "They say it runs in families. They say one out of three, and I have two other brothers. I said, 'you guys are lucky, I'm the one who got it, so you guys are safe.'"
Should be safe, he noted.
"Get checked," Vanacker stressed.
2008 was also the year of Langton's first elementary school Relay for Life, a tradition that has continued every other year at Sacred Heart School and Langton Public School leading up to their fifth Relay on May 6. This year $10,842 was raised (as of closing ceremonies) through pledge sponsors collected by students, food sales on Friday, and donations. Since 2008 they have raised more than $65,000 in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.
"This is nice," said Vanacker after Friday's Survivor Lap. "It's nice for the community.
"I've had an aunt who had stomach cancer, my grandfather had stomach cancer, one grandmother died from cancer, so I don't know if it's in the families or just an unlucky number. They need to be remembered."