Sisters salutes...

• Linda Douthit thanked her family and friends and the medical community for helping her through her ordeal with cancer:

"I can't imagine anyone being as thankful and grateful as I am at this time. In January, I was told by Dr. May Fan, after having my yearly physical, that there was a possibility of me having ovarian cancer. She immediately put me in contact with Dr. Joanna Cain in Portland at OHSU for my first consultation.

"My surgery was set for February 2 and at that time it was a fact that I did have cancer and the decision was made that I would start a series of chemo therapy treatments. I have finished my chemo and am starting to get more strength back each and every day.

"We all know that we have friends, but it isn't until something this powerful happens to you, that you realize your list of friends goes on and on. People were so kind with sending me letters, cards, emails, phone calls, paying me visits, flowers, making dinners for us and most of all for the many thoughts and prayers that were said for me.

"I thank God that mine was a good outcome...

"I want to thank my husband for all of the time he gave to me over these last few months. His endless hours at the hospital over my two-week stay, the trips back and forth to Portland, the meals he prepared and served to me, being awakened at 3 a.m. to get me that nice warm cup of milk when I had difficulty sleeping, but most of all for his support, his love and understanding.

"Even though I had the cancer, I had to remind myself that it was just as hard for him to go through.

"I also want to thank my daughters, Christine and Cathleen, for everything they did to get me through this difficult time. Christine sat in on our consultation and was that third pair of ears to make sure we all understood the procedure I would be going through. She also spent many hours at the hospital with David for the support he needed on my surgery day.

"Cathleen helped me in every way possible, from meals, cleaning the house, taking phone messages and returning calls on my down days, keeping up a website for my friends to check out my progress and anything else I might have needed. Thank you girls.

"Special thanks go to my grandkids, Grant and Alec, for their notes and many phone calls, to 18-month-old Daly Rae for visiting me at the hospital, to Hogan Mary for reading to me when she got home from school, for making sure I kept up with my exercises and for making sure that my water bottle was always full and to Wyatt for being so sweet to play games and cards with me and for our midafternoon popcorn snacks.

"Thanks to Dr. Fan and Dr. Stephen Greer and their entire staff for always being there to answer questions, to give me support and for helping me through this difficult time.

"It goes without saying how grateful I am to Dr. Cain and her associates for her expert surgical procedure."

• Molly Johnson, Sisters High School Class of 2000 graduate, has received her Masters Degree in Writing from Portland State University. She is currently in Benxi, China, teaching English for a year.