Harold Raymond Sorensen Jr. "Tiger"

My name is Harold Sorensen; I have had cancer, three times in my life at this time. The first was in November 1988, I was 27 years old, diagnosed with testicular cancer (pre- Lance Armstrong), five days after surgery, the doctor said, I need to have a second surgery to scrap all my lymph nodes. I called it the Frankenstein Surgery. I said, I needed a second opinion. My Uncle Tex, (he was and still is being treated there) referred me, to Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Az. I lived in Chandler, Az. The doctors at Mayo, when though all the labs, ultra-sound, the biopsy, they said that my body had built a membrane around the tumor to contain it. This made the odds better to my favor. They told me that I could have that surgery or do observation therapy, which was draw blood , chest x-ray, and a CAT Scan every month for the first year, every two months the second year. I went there for five years.
I think it scared my family (mom, dad, sisters, and brother), more than me. I was studying pre- med at college, most of my research papers were dealing with cancer and a very interesting disease, that had medical science scrambling to find a cure, I don’t remember what they called it at that time, but it is known as AIDS, now. I changed some things in my life, what I ate, drank (no more alcohol), used light salt instead of regular salt (recommended by doctors at Mayo). I just tried to stay positive about everything and not worry about it.
A year into the therapy, on a Monday morning, I was coming out of the CAT Scan, thinking I was done, all of a sudden, I’m going back in, I ask the technician what was wrong, she said that she needed to re-scan the area around my liver, that she saw something in my liver, that had not been there before. She had scheduled for me to have an ultra-sound as so as she was done. I was watching the screen as he was scanning, I was starting to fear the outcome of this one. I could see the spots on my liver, thinking liver cancer, I was really scared.
I was scheduled to see my Oncologist Friday morning, but by Wednesday, I had an ulcer, from worrying so much. I called my doctor, told him my concerns and he said, everything was ok; it was just water spots on my liver and scheduled me to see him the next day. He gave me some meds for the ulcer, prescriptions, and what I needed to do for the water spots. Next visit they were not there.
I didn’t really think (staying positive) about the seriousness of this disease, until my wife was in the hospital, recovering from cancer surgery. I came in the room, the nurse that was caring for her, shook my hand and gave me a hug, telling me that I was the only one that she knows to have survived, testicular cancer of the ones she has cared for. Thank you Heavenly Father. Ha-ha, it’s been almost 23 years, now.
My second encounter was February 2007, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, I knew the seriousness of this one. I cannot even think of what went through my mind. My main concern was for what my wife, Marilyn, and daughters, Shanel and Jessica, what they would have to go through. Again, I just tried to stay positive about it and that I was going to win this battle. I had a lump on left side of my neck, which I could cup my hand over, I have a pretty big hand, and the pain was almost unbearable. We acted immediately, seeing the family care doctor, she had worked at MD Anderson, and the words that immediately came out of her mouth were Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I maintained myself for Marilyn’s sake, told me to see my Oncologist in The Woodlands, she schedule for and ultra-sound guide biopsy, because of its location, so close to the arteries in my neck. We received the results from the Oncologist, the next day, tested positive for Hodgkin’s. She referred me to a surgeon. We went to the appointment. He was like no big deal;
I do this all the time. He had not spoken to my Oncologist, yet. About that time the phone rang, it was my Oncologist; you could see the expression on his face change as he spoke with her.
He hung up the phone, when and talked with his secretary to schedule surgery. He came back and asks how we would like this to be done. Marilyn and I looked at one another and said at the same time, ASAP.
He asked where I would like to have it done. Chooses were Conroe Hospital, which was walking distance from where we were, or Sterling Ridge. We choose Sterling Ridge. He said when you get there; they will be waiting for you, 45 min. drive. I think I was in there, about 45 minutes to an hour. He took all the lymph glands from the left side of my neck to my shoulder. If I remember correctly this all happen in 3 days. The surgeon called a few days later, he did the biopsy, said that everything tested negative for Hodgkin’s.
What has not been talked about is that I was taking Mona Vie, two weeks before this happened, maybe just a co-incidence. I still have numbness there, when someone touches me there, it feels like a bunch of little needles sticking me. But I haven’t had any re-occurrence. Wow, I have to thank God for giving me, great doctors that reacted to the seriousness of this, the staff that did the biopsy at Memorial Herman, excellent surgeon, Mark Johnson, and a great staff at Sterling Ridge Medical facility in The Woodlands, Tx.
The third, skin cancer. Well, this one isn’t going away anytime soon. I had surgery March 2009 on the left side of my face. My Dermatologist, Dr, Ransdale, referred me to Dr. Goldberg of Houston,Tx. Dr. Golberg and Dr. Rogellis , from Boston, who assisted him. They removed 1-1/2 in. dia. from the cheek and 1 in. dia. next to my nose. I was in there for two or three hours. They cut little, test it. If it tests positive, they come in and cut more, test it. I think they cut 5 times and tested before it was negative. This was early stages of melanoma. I have to go through a series of face pills that bring out the bad skin. I am to use 100 spf or higher on my face, neck and arms, anytime I go out in the sun, wear a big or wide brim hat, long sleeve shirts. This is a tuff one to adjust to. The sun protection irritates your eyes, (watery, blurred vision), its good stuff though. I just got to remember I can’t walk outside without some kind of protection, even driving the car. Don’t let any this discourage you from having a surgery. The sooner you catch it, your chances of survival are so much better. The first two cancers, I had, I reacted immediately, making the calls to doctors, specialists, did whatever was necessary for me to get the proper care and the right answers. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO GET A SECOND OPINION, IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE. I THINK IT SAVED MINE!!!!!! Your body tells you when something is not right, (pains, swelling, lumps, especially young men referring to your testicles) DO NOT FEAR, the longer you wait the worse the outcome.



My dad has been through a lot in his life and to watch him go through his last two Cancers concerned me, and also caused me to worry. I love my dad so much and to see how strong he is really makes me a stronger person. My dad is a great father he cares for my sister and I to the best of his ability and has always provided the things we have needed. My dad has always inspired me and counseled me to be the best I can be and to always work hard at what ever I do! Both my parents are survivors from cancer but are still living healthy lives and living strong. Cancer in my family has shown me why it is so important to stay fit and strong. And to always get yearly check ups. We must all take responsibility for our health and to make right decisions. I love my dad and I am grateful for him and the faith he has in his Heavenly Father.
Love your daughter
Shanel

Marilyn Sorensen

My name is Marilyn Sorensen I was 34 and I am a cancer survivor…………………
In 1998 after having 8 pregnancies, 4 live births and 4 miscarriages I found myself very ill. I never felt well after my fourth child Jessica was born 4-6 weeks early. I had bleeding issues after each birth, as well as low blood pressure issues, and thought that the lack of energy and the emotional roller coaster was due to having a demanding career and four kids at home.
After Jessica was born they told me that my pap had come back showing some signs of possible cancer and they needed me to come in for a second pap to verify what was going on. I ignored the call because I was busy at work and home and just couldn’t find the time. After Jessica was born in 1996, and ignoring the doctor’s offices continual calls for a year, I had reached a point that the bleeding and the exhaustion were affecting my functionality. So I broke down and took a day off of work and went to the doctor.
This doctor I had, I had threw 2 miscarriages, one where I lost the baby at 5 months in his office, Shanel who tried to do the same thing, and this wonderful doctor refused to let her come out to soon and was with me pretty much every day for the last half of my pregnancy with her, then Jessica who from the beginning of my pregnancy Dr. Scott had told me it would be dangerous for me to have her, and especially with the demanding job I had at the time, but he helped me get Jessica to 29 weeks, and not missing a beat at work, Dr. Scott was like family at this point.
I went into the office and he did the normal blood work and pap. During the pap he refused to talk to me, I kept trying to get him to joke like he normally would and he wouldn’t. It scared me because the pap seemed to take a lot longer than usual. When he was done he asked me if my husband was with me, I said no, and he told me to call him and have him come right away. He told me not to worry that no matter what he would take care of me, and at this point he had tears in his eyes and left the room. So I called my mom and my husband and had them both come to the office.
Dr. Scott came back into the room where my mom, my husband and I were all there now. He said that where the surgery (of 52 stitches in my cervics) was after birth of my son in 1984, there were serious signs for concerns. He was pretty positive it was advanced stages of cancer and he wanted to put me into emergency surgery within 24 hours, he told us to gather the family and to prepare for the worse but that he would do everything possible to assure the best results.
We went home and I sat at home with my four wonderful kids and cried myself to sleep. All I wanted at that moment was to be able to stay right there and to never let go of them. When I woke the next morning my dad was there, and he and my husband gave me the most beautiful blessing. Even though I was still scared - I knew that I would be ok.
We went to the doctor’s office and the doctor came into the room with tears in his eyes again and said that he had the hospital scheduled for surgery to do a partial hysterectomy, but the insurance was refusing to admit me without the blood work test back, and a biopsy. So this was Friday, and Dr. Scott did a biopsy and gave me something to slow down the bleeding that had in a day’s time had gotten pretty bad. He told me to go home and if it got worse to just go to the hospital, and he would admit me. That if the insurance didn’t approve the surgery by Monday he was doing the surgery anyways, that it was life threatening and that he would deal with them later.


After the longest weekend of my life, the doctor’s office called and told me to come in. When we all got there Dr. Scott said he was glad that the insurance had slowed him down, that the blood work and biopsy had come back worse than he had anticipated, and that if he had done the partial on Friday, I would have had to go in for a second surgery, because he needed to do a complete hysterectomy to save my life, and that I would most likely have to have chemo right afterwards.
He explained the situation with chemo, and I explained that he needed to do the best he could because I could not afford to miss work, that chemo was not an option. He told me that his concern at the moment was my life not my job.
My family, even my oldest brother Jim (who won’t go near a hospital to save his life) was all at the hospital with me.
I had a peaceful feeling and knew that I would be ok. I was not only in the hands of a doctor that knew me, my kids and my family, but he knew I needed to be there for my kids and delivered three of them, but I knew my heavenly father was not done with me yet.
After surgery and after they took me back to my room and I opened my eyes, I thought I had died. I opened my eyes and there were all these flowers and several of my bosses from work and all my family gathered in my room crying and talking like I wasn’t there. I remember thinking “hey! I’m not ready to go yet! Look at me!” Then I fell back out. When I woke again They were all still there but they were all standing over me telling me they loved me and my bosses asking me if I was ready to come back to work, that they were not going to let me go! I was never so glad to see those guys and my family!
They had a really hard time getting my blood pressure up, which through every pregnancy I had the same problem, so they wouldn’t let me leave the hospital for like 2 weeks! I was so sick of hospitals and just wanted to go home. Finally they said that the low blood pressure was because I was under weight and that I needed to eat and go home. YEA! I was so excited.
We went to the doctor’s office the next day and he said he thought that I should do 1 round of chemo therapy but that he thought that the cancer was just in my cervics and one of my ovaries, but he felt like he had gotten it in time and all of it. I told him that I felt like I was ok and that I didn’t want to do the chemo unless I had a reason too, and that just for preliminary measures I wasn’t willing. So he said he wanted me to come in once a month for 6 months and to have my blood work done and a full body scan. So we did that every month for 6 months, then once every 6 months for 5 five years. Everything was good, the cancer test still to this day shows up positive, but like my doctor here in Texas said all my other test come back ok so I just have to go to the doctor even if I just have a cold.
My life has meaning and purpose and heavenly father knows and loves me! I have a rare heart defect and I am a cancer survivor- because my heavenly father is not done with me yet. I am so glad that he left me here so I can share in my children’s, my husbands and my family and friends lives. I wake up every morning and thank my heavenly father for sparing my life and allowing me to raise my children. I look forward to seeing them sealed in the temple some day and having babies of their own. I ask him to help me find service and people who need love. I value the senses of smell and touch and that I can still hear the sounds of the wind, rain and the songs of birds and bees. I ask for forgiveness every hour of every day… I know what it’s like to prepare to die, and I know the feeling of being allowed to live instead… This is the greatest gift anyone could have ever given me and I will be eternally grateful!



This is my mom and what can I say, she is strong and very determined! She has been my strength from birth and I go to her about everything. I am so very grateful for her and for Heavenly Father letting her be my mom to raise me. She is such an amazing mom and is so willing to sacrifice anything and everything for her children! I can't say I really remember what happened when my mom was going though her cancer because I was only 5 or 6, plus I didn't really understand what was going on. However I do understand now, I also understand that because both of my parents have had cancer I have to be very aware of my own health and keep updates on check ups.
I am gratful for my mom and all that she does for me, she is truly an inspiring women!
Love your daughter
Shanel