Breathing Easy Again - A Beverly resident overcomes a cancerous tumor in her lungs through intricate thoracic surgery. Thom Dickinson, pancreatic cancer - Since 1994, Thom and Jane Dickinson of Danvers have participated in the North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) Cancer WALK every year without fail. But their involvement with the cause extends far beyond the Cancer WALK itself. The couple never anticipated that they themselves would come to rely so heavily on the Cancer Center. Bruce Getchell, Danvers, non-Hodgkins testicular lymphoma - For someone who is officially retired, 68-year-old Bruce Getchell is a busy man. The former transportation supervisor works part-time as a truck driver for Boston Steel Manufacturing Company, delivering truck chassis throughout the northeastern United States. In February 2005, Getchell's busy life changed dramatically when he received a diagnosis no one wants to hear – cancer. Carl Shaumbaugh, Salem, stage IV non-Hodgkins lymphoma - Carl Shambaugh is well known in sports circles in his hometown of Salem, and beyond. A few years after graduating from high school he participated in open try-outs for a spot on the Boston Red Sox. And in 1996 and 1997 he played semi-pro football for the Lynn Havoc, helping them clinch New England Football League championships both years. In August 2003, on a day he was scheduled to pitch back-to-back baseball games, Shambaugh woke up in such pain that he could hardly walk. Michael McFarland, Peabody, throat cancer - Peabody resident Michael McFarland understands a thing or two about challenges. He joined the U.S. Army in 1968 and was sent to Vietnam, where he served until 1969. During his year overseas, he was exposed to Agent Orange, a powerful defoliant believed to have harmed the health of many U.S. veterans. None of these experiences could prepare McFarland for one of the biggest challenges of his life – a diagnosis of throat cancer in September 2004. Karen Gold, Ipswich, inflammatory breast cancer - In the Spring of 2005, Karen Gold of Ipswich was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and highly aggressive disease. Shortly after her diagnosis, Gold began receiving the first of 52 weekly infusions of Herceptin, an anti-cancer therapy treatment used primarily with breast cancer patients. Charles Leveroni, Marblehead, non-Hodgkins lymphoma - Imagine coming to work one morning and discovering that all of your colleagues had shaved their heads the night before. Now imagine that scene playing out in one of the most prestigious financial firms in the world—a place where conservative dress and hairstyles are the order of the day. Marlene Switzer, Newburyport, breast cancer - Marlene Switzer of Newburyport is editor-in-chief for the Community Newspaper Company's North unit in Beverly. When she's not at work, she's often busy hiking, kayaking or biking with her husband George or spending time with her children and grandchildren. When Switzer was diagnosed with breast cancer by Lahey Clinic breast surgeon Dr. Stephen Karp last year, one of the things that concerned her most was how it would affect her busy daily life.
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