Relay for Life's "Honorary Survivors" share stories

Each year the North Mississippi County Relay for Life chooses survivors to be the Honorary Survivors for the event. The Honorary Survivors are said to represent every survivor through sharing their journey through cancer.

This year's Honorary Survivors are Tammy Hodge and Tommy Bennett, and these are their stories.

Tammy Hodge

Tammy Hodge first got involved with the Mississippi County Relay for Life in 2003, just one year after she was first diagnosed with breast cancer, in November of 2002. Cancer has a long history in her family -- her mother, aunt, sister and grandmother all either suffered with or died from cancer. Hodge said being diagnosed with cancer was tough at first, but she found solace in knowing it was her and not someone else in her family who would be fighting the disease.

"When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I was asked how I feel, and I just said I was going to do what the doctors tell me, and thank God it wasn't my kids or somebody else in the family," she said.

Relay for Life Honorary Survivor Tammy Hodge (left) said the key to her perseverance throughout her multiple battles with cancer was the support of her family, including her daughter Ami Hopper (right), and the American Cancer Society.

After a mastectomy on her right breast, Hodge went through six courses of chemotherapy and was cleared of all cancer by her doctors. Hodge went about her life for seven years, but her fight with cancer -- which she previously believed was over -- had really only just begun.

In December of 2009, Hodge's doctors discovered that her cancer had returned, this time it was stage four liver cancer. She underwent surgery where half of her liver was removed and again started chemotherapy. Hodge's cancer went into remission for a second time, but just as before, it would show up again just a few months later.

This pattern repeated itself over the course of the next few years and Hodge ended up being diagnosed with cancer two more times, once in April 2010, and once in April 2011 -- and both times it occurred in her liver.

Hodge said this was a tough time for her, but she tried to stay upbeat and really relied on her family for strength. Hodge said her husband Bryan and her two daughters Ami and Victoria were great supporters throughout her ordeal with cancer.

"It really throws you for a loop, especially when you've had it this many times," Hodge said, "But my family has been my lifeline. I mean, my husband is wonderful and my girls, of coarse they're great too."

Hodge's cancer has now been in remission for 8 months -- having finished her last chemotherapy treatment in September of 2012. For Hodge, this has been a long journey, but with her family and the support provided by the American Cancer Society she was given her a huge boost.

"I get a lot of support from the Cancer Society and they offer many types of counseling and stuff like that," said Hodge.

Hodge said she is proud to represent those who have won the fight with cancer as an Honorary Survivor, and encourages people to keep fighting for a cure.

"I'm very honored to be doing this. When I was diagnosed the second time I was given a 30 percent survival rate -- that's all they would give me. Now there 's too much technology that they offer now for people to die from cancer. We've all got to keep fighting for a cure," said Hodge.

Tommy Bennett

Tommy Bennett was diagnosed with stage four tongue and throat cancer in the spring of 2010 after going to the doctor for a persistent sore throat that wasn't responding to antibiotics. After about four months of trying different medications, Bennett heard the dreaded word, "cancer." As scary as that news can be, Bennett said when he heard the news, he wasn't too shocked because he had the feeling he'd had cancer for some time.

After an extensive surgery, his doctor sent him for chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Bennett, a non-smoker, said 98 percent of patients diagnosed with the cancer he had were smokers, putting him in a very small minority of non-smokers to get this form of cancer.

Tommy Bennett, one of the 2013 Relay for Life honorary survivors, appreciates the work done by the American Cancer Society, highlighting the organizations importance by by pointing out that almost everyone has had a brush with cancer in some form or another -- either personal or through friends or family members-- adding that the services provided can be life saving for many.

In March of 2011, after several months of treatment, he began having complications from the radiation which caused two blood vessels in his throat to burst, causing him to nearly bleed to death. After the surgery to repair his blood vessels, Bennett was sent to another specialist who told him they had found more cancerous cells on his tongue and lymph nodes, and that they would have to remove the majority of his tongue and his voice box, which would have taken away his ability to talk or eat on his own.

Bennett wasn't happy about the idea of losing the ability to eat and speak, and told the doctor he wasn't interested in spending his life in that condition and asked how long he had to live.

"I'm not looking for quantity, I'm looking for quality, you know," Bennett said.

During this time, the doctors also found two suspicious looking spots, one on his lung and one on his kidney. Originally, Bennett was told these two spots needed to be taken care of before doctors could proceed with any other treatment options, but after getting a second opinion, Bennett was told that the two spots found wouldn't affect his current treatment options. So again, Bennett went into surgery.

This time, however, Bennett received some unexpected news when he woke up. The doctor told him the tumor on his tongue was gone and the other spots, which were believed to be malignant, were actually benign. Bennett said the doctor told him he'd love to take credit for what had taken place, but that he couldn't.

"I said, 'No, I can see how you couldn't, there's only one person who could,' and that's the way I look at it," Bennett said.

This September will mark two years that Bennett has been cancer-free. He said he's a firm believer in prayer and truly believes that that was a huge part of what helped him through the ordeal.

"Several people have told me, and I guess I tend to agree, I'm a walking miracle," he said.

Bennett said he's confident that one day a cure for cancer will be found, and the work being put toward that cure is the reason it is so important to support the American Cancer Society.

"I hate it for the doctors, but hopefully one day that cure may put them out of business, and Relay for Life is just a ton of people fighting for that cure," said Bennett.

Everyone deals with cancer differently, and for Bennett a big part of his perseverance through cancer was accepting what was happening.

"I'd go into a doctor's office and I'd accept what they were telling me," Bennett said. "People thought I was giving up and they'd ask me why I was giving up, but I wasn't giving up. I was accepting what was happening. I think that helped me. I hadn't given up but I was facing reality. That's what helped me, just being realistic about it."

cpinkard@blythevillecourier.com