HSV Lloyd Sherman – Survivor – Hot Springs Village People

Why positivity is important during the journey of life

Many of you may know Lloyd as a Property Owner Advocate, running as a candidate for one of the three POA board vacancies in the recent election. But what you may not know is that Lloyd is a cancer survivor.

Lloyd Sherman Volunteering at HSV Chamber of Commerce — **Lloyd Sherman Volunteering at Hot Springs Village Chamber of Commerce**

Lloyd was having difficulty swallowing and seemed to have a tickle in his throat all the time. This started when he was living in the Republic of Panama in December 2013. Due to insurance issues and Medicare eligibility, Lloyd moved back to Dallas but had to wait six months before seeking medical treatment in July 2014. It was at that appointment his primary care doctor discovered a large lump on one of his tonsils and immediately referred him to an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) doctor. Lloyd was 66 when he had his tonsils removed on August 12, 2014.

Diagnosis of Stage 3 throat cancer

Testing of the tissue resulted in a diagnosis of Stage 3 throat cancer. He was puzzled as to the diagnosis because he never smoked and there wasn’t any cancer in his family. Working with his oncologist, they developed a treatment plan that would do the least harm to healthy tissue while destroying the bad tissue. Lloyd opted to have chemotherapy on Mondays, followed by radiation treatments, Monday through Friday, for 33 days. After Sherman completed all of his radiation treatments, and in concert with his 7^th dose of chemo, after the radiation, he was taken to the emergency room and admitted to the hospital for a week due to an extremely low blood count. During this time, Lloyd lost 40 pounds but was quick to say he wouldn’t recommend this ‘diet’!

Lloyd Sherman discovered beauty of Hot Springs Village

Sherman discovered the beauty of Hot Springs Village in June 2014 but wasn’t able to spend time here due to his cancer diagnosis and treatments. When his lease in Dallas ran out in November 2014, he decided it was time for him and his wife Linda, to explore the Village. So, they packed up their belongings and moved in December 2014, having found a rental to live in before finding their dream home. Lloyd and Linda have been happily married for 19 years and have three boys and five grandchildren. Lloyd was looking forward to retirement after working as a senior vice-president in an outsourcing computer services company and the last twelve years as a business consultant. When he finds time, Lloyd enjoys fishing and playing golf, especially on Ponce and Cortez. He is currently a Realtor with Triple D Realty, Inc.

Lloyd and Linda Sherman — **Lloyd Sherman and his wife, Linda**

Staying positive helped Lloyd and his family. At first he questioned God, asking “why did this happen to me?” but soon realized that he needed to have a positive attitude and get on with his life. It took almost two years for Lloyd to get his energy back. He is most thankful for his family and that he has been given more time on this earth so that he can make a difference.

You can make a difference

You can help make a difference, too, by supporting the 18^th Annual Village Walk for Cancer Research. The walk is on Saturday, September 28^thand will be held at the Balboa Pavilion, 476 Ponce de Leon Drive with the opening ceremony at 7:30 a.m. (rain or shine). You will find sponsorship and walker registration forms on our website walkforcancerreach.org. The registration fee is $30 (goes up to $35 after September 1^st) and includes a t-shirt. We need your support to help us reach our goal of $50,000 for the Conquering Cancer Initiative at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at UAMS and donating the monies raised to the “Seeds of Science” program for cancer research. Plan on joining us as we celebrate the lives of cancer survivors and remember and honor those who have lost their lives to the disease. You can make a difference by helping us help others! For more information, contact Melanie Pederson at 608-692-0458 (cell) or email chairman@walkforcancerresearch.org. Together we will “walk away cancer, one step at a time”.