Shenanigan's for Joe Schermann

Zimmerman American Legion Post 560 Oct 17, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Zimmerman American Legion Post 560, 12674 Fremont Ave, Zimmerman, MN 55398, USA Please join us for Outdoor Games, Live and Silent Auctions, 2nd Amendment Raffles, Tip Boards, Booze Wagon and more... Meal will be Joe's favorite and $15.00 Per Person All funds raised will go to support Joe on his cancer journey. If you would like to donate to the silent auction, contact: Heidi Culbertson at 763-234-6271 or Jess Fillipek at 763-458-3939 Here is Joe's Cancer Story: My cancer journey started in the Fall of 2025, when I started having trouble with swallowing food and weight loss. I went to a couple of different specialists, ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) Specialist, Speech Therapist and had various scans at the Mercy Hospital to try and determine what was happening. I ended up at MNGI (Minnesota Gastroenterology) Digestive Health and they dilated my esophagus and took tissue samples for biopsy. The results came back as Stage 3 Esophagus Cancer. I was referred to an Ongologist in early March. More scans and tests were done, and they found that the cancer had metastasized to my liver, at that point since the cancer was in the liver, they diagnosed me at Stage 4. In March they decided it would be necessary for me to have a feeding tube (G Tube) put in due to my continued weight loss, at one point I was down to 99 lbs. I ended up in the Hospital a few times trying to adjust to the feeding tube and everything that goes along with it. Six weeks later they ended up having to replace the existing tube with a G-J tube. This was to bypass the food from going directly into the stomach and into my small intestine. This also took a while for me to adjust. I started my chemo treatments at the end of March. The treatments took a toll on me in the beginning. I had a lot of trouble with nausea and was sick a lot. Very tired and weak most of the time. Along with the treatments, I would go in, twice a week, to be hydrated and given additional nauseous medications. I experienced low blood pressure levels at times, which added additional challenges for me. In August, they discontinued one of my chemo medications due to causing severe neuropathy in my feet, hands and mouth. I’m currently on chemo maintenance medications and I’m doing much better. I’m much more stable now and tolerating the treatments a little better than in the beginning. The tumors in my liver are continuing to shrink and some have disappeared, all together. I’m moving in the right direction and beginning to gain weight. We had a consultation with a radiologist to determine if this is one of the next paths to go down. I have a 2nd opinion at Mayo Clinic in Rochester at the end of October…more to come. This was an absolute shock when I found out all of this and has been an incredible life changing. It was hard to grasp that all of this was real or even happening. Our lives were turned upside down, especially Due to my physical health, I wasn’t able to continue working, so had to retire earlier than expected. My journey has been filled with challenges that no one should have to face, and through it all, there has been so much courage, love and perseverance. Each step has brought its own uncertainty and emotion, and we are incredibly grateful for the care, encouragement, prayers, love, support and kindness that have surrounded me and my family. We continue to take things one day at a time, holding onto hope and appreciating the people who are walking