CANCER times
TWO
When both partners face cancer, they form a unique bond.
By Bridget McCrea
WILLIAM AND LYNN DOCHNAHL had already battled two rounds of cancer under their Pendleton, Oregon, roof when, in August 2010, the shocking news came: William had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. How can it possibly be? the couple thought to themselves. How could we both have gotten cancer? After shaking off their disbelief, the Dochnahls got down to
business. Initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 1981, and again in 2002, Lynn, who is now 64, tapped her own knowledge bank and energy reserves to help William, 69, with his diagnosis and treatment and the subsequent side effects. "I really wasn't expecting anything like this to happen again in
the family," says Lynn, who helped her husband select a treatment center and prepped him on what to expect from the experience. She also helped William research the disease itself, and together they learned everything they possibly could about prostate cancer. "Getting diagnosed was a shock, but Lynn was a great sup-
8 cancer fighters thrive | summer 2012
porter who knew a lot about what I was about to go through," says William. "She had already experienced the cancer treatment process and knew what to expect from doctors and caregivers." Married since 1972, the pair worked together to tackle the chal-
lenges of William's cancer, while continuing to manage Lynn's ongoing breast cancer treatment, a scenario that forced the cou- ple to focus their combined efforts on thwarting the disease. As a result of his own diagnosis, William now has firsthand
knowledge of how tiring and overwhelming cancer and its treat- ment can be, and has stepped up to the plate to help his wife cope. He now feels he is able to discuss the disease more intel- ligently and less emotionally. "You really can't know what the other person is going through unless you've dealt with it your- self," he says. "Only then can you know exactly what challenges she faces." Lynn, who works part-time as a kindergarten paraeducator, says balancing her everyday life with the side effects of
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Photos: Brendan Moore