Cancer survivor shares experiences

By RACHEL WEDDIG

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Students from the River Bend Alternative Learning Center heard testimonies from a cancer survivor, a woman whose mother and brother died of the disease and a representative from Target Market (TM) during Thursday's Great American Smokeout.

"My face swelled up so much, I couldn't even recognize myself," said survivor Peter Reinhart, describing his condition after surgery for throat cancer. "I was out for 16 hours after my surgery. When I got out of bed, I didn't even recognize myself because my face was so huge."

Reinhart told students he had smoked cigarettes for 20 years and had surgery to remove a tobacco-related cancer.

"It looked like I had a big cold sore on my tongue so I went to the doctor," Reinhart said. "I knew it was serious when I had to see a couple of different doctors that day."

After biopsies were taken, Reinhart was called in to learn the results.

"I walked in the door and the doctor told me I better have a seat," he said. "I then realized it was bad news. He said I had cancer and that he had made an appointment for me at the Mayo Clinic, and said it was up to me if I wanted to go."

Reinhart described his thoughts after learning he had cancer.

"I was mad. I know I maybe didn't lead the most perfect life, but I know I didn't deserve a death notice," Reinhart said. "Then I felt self-pity and thought, 'why me?'"

Reinhart said the hardest thing he ever did was tell his mother.

"When I told my mom I had cancer, my dad was a smoker at the time," Reinhart said. "My mom later told me that my dad quit smoking that day, and said he put out the cigarette he had been holding in his hand after I left."

After arriving at Mayo Clinic, Reinhart learned he would spend 10 to 12 days in the hospital following surgery. He now has been cancer-free for 13 years, but he has a speech impediment from the surgery.

As a result of her mother and brother dying from tobacco-related cancer, Patty Eveslage, a registered pharmacist, wanted to talk to the students about smoking.

Eveslage said her nephew, who was 5 or 6-years old at the time, had to call 911 after his dad stopped talking.

"The EMT only lived a block away, but by the time they got there my brother was already gone," Eveslage said. "He was only 37 years old and played basketball. The autopsy showed he had a clot the size of a quarter in his heart, which stopped his heart dead."

Eveslage explained nicotine replacement therapies available such as gum, patches and inhalers and nasal spray to help smokers quit.

"Smoking is like a ball and chain on your leg," Eveslage said. "Do you really want to drag that ball and chain around every day for the rest of your life?"

During a slide presentation from Corey Spoden, a field director with TM, students learned about TM and the negative health effects associated with smoking.

TM is a group of Minnesota teens targeting tobacco companies. TM travels throughout the state revealing to teen-agers how tobacco companies target them. TM is paid by funds from the 1998 Minnesota tobacco settlement.

Spoden showed slides of advertisements from major tobacco companies and said the companies usually use glamourous women or "tough-looking" men to lure smokers.

"Tobacco companies spend $8.2 billion a year on advertising -- that's $22 million a day," Spoden said. "Marlboro, Newport and Camel are the most popular brand of cigarettes among teens and coincidentally those companies advertise the most."

During the tobacco trail, more than 33 million documents were discovered that proved tobacco companies target teenagers.

When a student remarked that TM is like the tobacco industry because it's trying to persuade teen-agers to join, Spoden said there's a big difference between TM and tobacco companies.

"A big difference is we don't kill people," Spoden said. "We're not trying to manipulate youth into joining Target Market. I work for the health and well-being of each one of you."

Students felt that the speakers helped them learn about the different tobacco-related cancers and the consequences of smoking.

"I think the gentleman who talked to us about his cancer was a big inspiration," said student Willow Dale. "I have smoked for six to seven years and now am trying to quit because my dad has just been diagnosed with cancer and I am seeing what he has to go through."

"I thought the presentations were pretty good, especially Target Market and the cancer survivor who gave examples of what tobacco can do," said student Greg Gonzales. "From the other lady I learned more about the nicotine therapies available to those who want to quit smoking."