The Friday Flyer • May 5, 2017

CANYON LAKE’S NEWSPAPER • MAY 5, 2017
Signature Dessert opens in the Canyon Lake Towne Center Pg. A4
Grandson honored with blood, bone mar- row drive Pg. A7
CLAA to hold Art Show on Sunday at country Club Pg. 13
Canyon Lake offers
‘simple life’ for cancer
survivor and wife
BY RON WILBUR
COLUMNIST, THE FRIDAY FLYER
In October 2011, Canyon Lake resi- dent Gary Veenhuizen got news that no one wants to hear, “You have cancer.” His first thought was, “This is not sup- posed to happen when you turn 60.”
Gary and his wife Kathy had been living the dream: building a business that supported their family for over 30 years, and just finishing construction on a new home, lovingly crafted after years of planning. Their four children were
now adults.
The happy couple was supposed to be
preparing for their “Golden Years”on that October day prior to their 38th wedding anniversary. Instead, the doctor’s words
ripped through them like a jagged knife. Gary was at the doctor’s office because of a swollen tonsil that wasn’t responding to treatment. Tonsils had caused problems all of his life, but this was different. This time his in- flamed tonsil was the canary in the coal mine. A biopsy following a tonsillectomy revealed
cancer.
Gary and Kathy were at a point in life where
they had been before; they would need to meet adversity together. Gary remembers, “It was a turning point. We had been in a headlong,
carefree rush into the future with no sense of mortal- ity.” Questions flooded his mind, “Is this the end of my life? God, I thought you called me to do something. Are you pulling the plug now?”
Kathy’s thoughts were desperately searching for similar answers, “What happens if this is terminal and I have to continue on without my husband?”
A PET scan soon showed up to ten lymph nodes with cancerous activity. The doctor’s diagnosis was Stage III lymphoma. The treatment protocol would be chemo, but no radiation. The plan called for eight treat- ments. Gary was working on his dissertation for a Doc- tor of Ministry degree in Nov 2011 while still in the initial stages of treatment. Remarkably, after just four treatments Gary was moved into maintenance mode because his body was responding well. His cancer was declared in remission in 2012.
It was time to close one chapter of life and open an- other.
As the couple shared recently, “We never lost hope but we both saw the need for an immediate course cor- rection in our lifestyle.”
A life change. An end to stress. A different way of living.
Following a new imperative, the Veenhuizens sold their 30-year old painting business in 2013, as well as their dream home. They embarked on a new life, mov- ing first to the Oregon coast and then to Canyon Lake
uuCONTINUED PAGE A8
Before moving to Canyon Lake, Gary and Kathy built their "dream home" in Portland, lifelong love of working with wood. He had developed and honed his skills as a Oregon. The house was a canvas for their artwork and an expression of Gary’s craftsman making furniture and cabinets, and the new home reflected those interests.
PHOTO BY PROVIDED BY GARY VEENHUIZEN