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No time off for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Patrick McGrath

A bike parade and boomwhackers percussion at Lehman-Idetown UMC

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; When it was Jeff Thomas&#8217; turn to speak in the circle of cancer survivors sharing their stories, he got right to the point.</p><p>There was disbelief when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in May 2011, fear of dying and the daily affirmation of living four years free of the disease for the 55-year-old Franklin Township husband and father.</p><p>&#8220;Getting cancer and living through it was a gift,&#8221; Thomas told the group of approximately 30 people gathered in Kirby Park Saturday morning to mark the 23rd annual Cancer Survivors Day hosted by the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute.</p><p>They shared their stories and experiences, learning they had much in common in their ordeals and recovery and connecting with kindred spirits.</p><p>Thomas attested to the therapeutic value of talking about his ordeal, saying, &#8220;Stuff like this absolutely helps.&#8221;</p><p>Upon learning he had cancer his life changed immediately while he watched his family continue with their daily routines of work and school. He recalled going to the cancer wellness center Candy&#8217;s Place in Forty Fort and crying for two hours. The staff, volunteers and people in treatment had as much to do with his survival as the medical treatments.</p><p>&#8220;Somebody saves you just about every day during your treatment,&#8221; Thomas confided.</p><p>&#8220;Now I focus on staying in the moment, talking to people and having real conversations not the superficial ones I used to have,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Elenore Ferkel, 63, of Plymouth wore a button that read she&#8217;s a 3&#189;-year survivor and T-shirt imprinted with the message, &#8220;Cancer picked the wrong Diva.&#8221; Melody Priebe, 40, of Shavertown was at her mother&#8217;s side and has been since her diagnosis in 2011, during her two stem cell transplant treatments in 2012 and continues to be her caregiver.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s definitely a team effort,&#8221; Priebe said. &#8220;I drag her. She pushes me.&#8221;</p><p>Ferkel attested to the power of speaking with her family and others about what she&#8217;s been through and what she goes through. &#8220;It helps. Oh yes, it helps definitely,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Just the ability to pick up the phone and unburden herself provides a huge daily lift, she acknowledged.</p><p>&#8220;No one knows the experiences they have,&#8221; Priebe added. &#8220;I may have been there but I don&#8217;t understand it on their level.&#8221;</p><p>Judy Rattigan of Larksville sat across from them at the same picnic table and agreed.</p><p>&#8220;Some people don&#8217;t want to talk about it but it is good. It&#8217;s not good to hold it in. It&#8217;s good to talk about it and be with people that have,&#8221; Rattigan said.</p><p>Words spoken privately by Ferkel and Rattigan carried considerable weight too.</p><p>&#8220;Prayer is very important,&#8221; Rattigan said.</p><p>&#8220;I have like 15 prayers I say every day,&#8221; Ferkel said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Caregiver Bonnie Chocallo of Wyoming, left, hands the microphone to cancer survivor Judy Rattigan of Larksville as part of the &#8216;Circle of Survivors&#8217; where attendees have the opportunity to say a few words about their cancer experience during the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute 23rd annual Cancer Survivors Day at Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday morning. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_TTL091315Cancer_jl_11.jpg</photo0><caption0>Caregiver Bonnie Chocallo of Wyoming, left, hands the microphone to cancer survivor Judy Rattigan of Larksville as part of the &#8216;Circle of Survivors&#8217; where attendees have the opportunity to say a few words about their cancer experience during the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute 23rd annual Cancer Survivors Day at Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday morning. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Next event</strong></p><p>The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute will host the 23rd annual Cancer Survivors Day from 10 a.m. to noon, Sept. 26 at McDade Park, Scranton. To register contact the NRCI at 1-800-424-6724 or visit www.cancerpa.org. Walk-ins are welcome to attend the event</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Kirby Park program brings cancer survivors full circle