Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger announced Tuesday that he has lymphoma — cancer of the lymph nodes — and has begun chemotherapy at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
He said he doesn’t intend to miss many county meetings, or falter on issues facing the commission.
Tharinger, D-Dungeness, missed a commissioners’ work session Oct. 18 and their regular meeting Oct. 19.
But he attended Monday’s work session and chaired Tuesday’s formal meeting. He did not appear to be ill.
Tharinger, 55, issued a news release about his illness before the Tuesday session started.
It read, in part:
“Steve has been feeling increasingly tired and depleted of energy over the past few weeks. Last week, after several tests, he learned that he has stage 4 lymphoma. . . .
“Steve and Yvonne (Yokota, his wife) are being very realistic about the situation. They know this is a challenge that many others have faced.
“And, they know that the more people know about this reality, the less scary it is. They are studying cancer and facing this challenge together.”
To keep apprised
After Tuesday’s meeting, Tharinger said “this good team” of county administrators and fellow Commissioners Mike Chapman and Mike Doherty will keep him abreast of county issues.
He said he hopes to move his semi-monthly chemotherapy treatments from Seattle to Port Angeles.
“I don’t expect to miss too many beats,” Tharinger said.
