By KATHY PAULSEN
Staff Writer
The people of our area have donated a lot of money for cancer research over the years. It has also been nice to know that the people of our area are also ready and willing to offer their help for cancer patients who can find themselves short of funds when they are undergoing treatments.
Sandy Jensen hadn’t been feeling good back around the 4th of July last summer so she went to Urgent Care. She later had a CAT scan and once the doctors in Owatonna had her test results, they told Sandy they recommended she go to Rochester. She made an appointment and was able to see a doctor a couple of weeks later. They told Sandy that what she had been experiencing really didn’t have anything to do with cancer — but they had discovered that she had a metastatic cancer, a carcinoid tumor.
It was felt that Sandy may have had the cancer for 10-15 years but had been undiagnosed. The cancer that Sandy has is slow growing and appears like speckles on X-rays. The cancer starts out in the small intestine and spreads into the abdominal cavity.
Sandy has already had to undergo two surgeries, the first in August, and the second one right before Thanksgiving, and hopes that she will not have to undergo any more.
Currently, Sandy is getting a chemotherapy shot once a month, which the doctors hope will stop the cancer or at least slow it down.
Sandy was not able to work for a while following her surgeries but continued to have medical expenses, as well as additional costs for travel and such for her appointments.
Sandy, daughter of Harold and Janice Jensen, of Ellendale, has one sister, Barb Marcus, and two brothers, Ron and David. She graduated from Ellendale in 1982 and participated in softball and basketball in school. She also played softball during the summer for a few years after she graduated.
Becky Lassahn, Barb and Lyn Dahl have been busy planning a benefit to help Sandy. The benefit will be held on Sunday, Jan. 7 from 11-3 at the Ellendale Community Building.
It is hoped that people of the area will help Sandy out a bit and support the benefit.
Becky had asked Sandy’s family if they could get Harold’s baked bean recipe so they could serve them at the benefit, but they were informed that Harold really didn’t have an official recipe. He just does what he has to do to make his delicious baked beans that many have come to enjoy over the years. Harold said that he would gladly make some of his baked beans for all to enjoy.
A bake sale and silent auction are also planned for that day. If people would like to donate items for the silent auction or the bake sale they are encouraged to contact Becky Lassahn at 684-3040 or they can just bring the items with them the day of the benefit.
Sandy is currently living in Geneva and has been working for Woodstream in Ellendale. She had health insurance at work, but that will be changing now due to the business closing.
Sandy said that she has been feeling pretty good despite what she has had to undergo over the past six months.