Published: May 26, 2007 11:51 pm         

Cancer patient leans on faith to sustain her

LAHOMA — At 38, Lisa Wehrenberg was cruising along through life. Married with four children and a full plate between work, family and church, she didn’t have an inkling she had colon cancer.

“It was a shock,” she said. “It totally changed our world. We went from 100 miles an hour to a dead stop.”

Last summer Wehrenberg saw her physician about what she considered a minor problem — blood in the toilet.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal,” she said. “I’m not one to go to the doctor.”

But her doctor wanted her checked, so she had a colonoscopy on Nov. 7. On Nov. 8, “They told me I had cancer,” Wehrenberg said.

She underwent a battery of tests which proved she had cancer throughout her body. There was a tumor the size of a golf ball in her colon as well as a cancerous polyp, four spots on her liver and cancer cells in several lymph nodes.

Two days later she had a liver biopsy and surgically had a chemotherapy port put in. She was taking chemo at Dexeus Oncology by Nov. 15.

“I didn’t really have what I considered the symptoms,” Wehrenberg said. She said she noticed she was more tired than usual, but “I’d just drink another cappuccino.”

With two children at home, Jayci, 14, and Chase, 10, she was always on the go with their activities — Jayci in softball and Chase in Tae Kwan Do. (She has two other daughters, Tabitha, 24, and Kelsi, 23, who live in the area.)

She also had received her master’s degree in psychology and counseling from Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Enid and was a counselor for Ringwood Public Schools and on contract as a counselor with Youth & Family Services at Longfellow Junior High School. Her husband of 18 years, Gary, is a paint contractor and is frequently on the job.

At her age, it never crossed Wehrenberg’s mind to be screened for colon cancer.

“It’s not common for it to spread so fast, so early. That’s why they (physicians) moved so fast,” she said. The surgeons at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, removed 70 percent of her liver in February.

Wehrenberg is slated to have part of her colon removed this summer, depending on testing and scanning results next week at MD Anderson. She will be off chemo for six weeks to prepare for the colectomy in July.

“I’m ready for it to come to an end,” she said, however, she added, “It’s gone pretty smooth. Time’s gone by fast.”

Wehrenberg said she is fortunate to have so much support during this difficult time.

“The community has been wonderful,” she said. The Wehrenberg family has lived in Lahoma since 2000.

Members from their church, First Baptist Church, Lahoma, have brought in food, cleaned house and driven the children to their events. Staff at Cimarron Public Schools have been understanding, aiding the kids as they miss days to be with Mom.

Private Christian schools in Enid also have reached out to the Wehrenberg family.

A second grade class from Emmanuel Christian School gave Jayci and Chase Christmas presents, including mp3 players, toys and clothes. Then in February, Oklahoma Bible Academy raised nearly $17,000 during S.P.U.D. (Students Performing Unselfish Deeds) Week to help cover medical and travel expenses.

The three churches in Lahoma came together for a benefit dinner earlier this month. Middle OK Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will partially match the funds raised.

“It’s been pretty amazing,” Wehrenberg said. “I didn’t know so many people cared.”

She is on leave of absence from counseling, but hopes to return this fall or early next year. If she’s not too exhausted, the family will take the travel trailer and try to go to the lake a couple of times before her colon surgery.

“I don’t know,” Wehrenberg said. “We’ll eventually be done with it (the cancer). I haven’t worried about it. It’s more of an inconvenience.”

Her faith has played a huge role in how she is dealing with being a person with cancer.

“Whatever His will is. We’ll either beat it or it’s my time,” Wehrenberg said. “We’re making progress. They’ll (the doctors will) keep doing what they’re doing. There’s the doctor’s diagnosis and there’s God’s.”