There were days when Wayne Register lay on the bathroom floor in pain, struggling through the effects of colorectal cancer treatment. Just a few feet away, his wife, Lana, was curled up in bed, battling the exhaustion and sickness brought on by her own chemotherapy.
Neither had the strength to care for the other the way they wanted. Both were fighting cancer at the same time, facing an uncertain future while holding tightly to their faith and each other.
Some days brought tears and difficult conversations. Others brought laughter, whether they were throwing marshmallows at each other, watching old movies or finding humor in their latest gardening disaster.
Laughter would become one of their greatest strengths when life took an unexpected turn. Within two years, both Wayne and Lana were diagnosed with cancer, eventually facing months of overlapping treatments, surgeries and recoveries.
Through the uncertainty, they leaned on their faith, the support of their community and each other. Along the way, they discovered new reasons to laugh, new ways to serve others and a deeper appreciation for the life they continue building together.
“You have to have humor to get through what we had to,” Lana says.
Two Diagnoses and an Unexpected Turn
Wayne, a longtime team member at FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, first noticed changes in his digestive system in 2022. He underwent a colonoscopy that revealed a large tumor, and soon, Wayne was diagnosed with stage 3C colorectal cancer that had spread to nearby lymph nodes.
He began radiation followed by chemotherapy at the Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, with plans for surgery once the tumor had shrunk. However, follow-up examinations revealed a remarkable response. His care team found no visible evidence of cancer. He was cancer-free.
Still, Wayne kept working with his colorectal surgeon, Louis Barfield, MD, and oncologist, Siva Yadlapti, MD, at Our Lady of the Lake and closely monitored his body.
For about a year, life began returning to normal. Wayne watched his youngest daughter graduate from high school, helped her move to college and began enjoying life as an empty nester with Lana.
Then, in November 2023, Lana received unexpected news following her annual mammogram. She had triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease.
Lana began chemotherapy that December, followed by surgery and radiation. As she worked through treatment, the couple faced another devastating development.
In March 2024, Wayne learned his colorectal cancer had returned.
For approximately nine months, the couple navigated overlapping treatments, surgeries and recoveries, leaning on each other through some of their most difficult moments.
Facing Cancer Side by Side
With his cancer returning, Wayne underwent an eight-hour surgery at Our Lady of the Lake and received a temporary ostomy. Months of recovery followed before surgeons were able to reverse the procedure.
Meanwhile, Lana continued her breast cancer treatment, often facing the same exhaustion and uncertainty as her husband.
At times, both struggled to find the strength for everyday activities. Their shared experience gave them a unique understanding of what the other was enduring, even when they were too sick to offer much physical support.
“You have all those hard moments, but laughter, if you can find any reason to laugh, it works,” Wayne says. “Having each other to go through it with, and just being able to pray with each other, we knew there was hope on the other side.”
Lana remembers the determination she felt when Wayne first received his diagnosis, long before she knew she would face cancer herself.
“We are getting before pictures because we’re going to have after pictures,” Lana recalls telling Wayne. “We have to make it for each other. We have too much to do.”
Today, both report clear follow-up examinations and remain under regular monitoring.
Finding Laughter in the Hardest Moments
Even during their most difficult days, Wayne and Lana found reasons to laugh.
They jokingly named themselves “Team B&B,” short for “Boobs and Butts,” a nod to their respective diagnoses. When they had energy, they attempted gardening, although their harvest of two cucumbers and an unsuccessful batch of homemade relish left plenty to be desired.
Their love for the outdoors also gave them something to anticipate. During his initial chemotherapy, Wayne purchased kayaks, even though he wasn’t physically able to use them yet.
“I’m going to act in faith, and I’m buying the kayaks even though I can’t use them yet,” Wayne remembers thinking.
“We have a life to live after this, so it pushed us and motivated us to keep going,” Lana says.
Wayne also held onto plans for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Utah’s Mighty Five national parks with close friends and fellow Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital Flight Team members. After postponing the adventure because of cancer, the group finally completed the trip in September 2025, marking a meaningful milestone in Wayne’s recovery.
Since completing treatment, the couple is embracing a dream Lana has long held: exploring and camping in America’s wilderness, seeing firsthand the colorful landscapes of fall to the blooming beauty of spring.
“We need to stop waiting for the ‘chance’ and start living it out,” Wayne recalls Lana telling him.
Through every setback, their faith remained central to their outlook, along with their ability to find joy in the smallest moments.
“You’ve got to find the simple things, pleasures, and the joy of being together,” Wayne says.
A Community of Care and a New Calling
Throughout their treatments, Wayne and Lana received tremendous support from their church family, friends and colleagues at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.
Friends delivered meals, helped with yardwork and offered encouragement. Wayne’s colleagues even organized a surprise fundraiser to help ease the financial strain of treatment.
“That’s just the character of the people where we work,” Wayne says.
For a couple accustomed to helping others, learning to accept that generosity became an important part of their experience.
“We’re givers and servers, people that love to serve,” Lana says. “How can you know the blessing that you give unless you receive it for yourself?”
The experience also brought Lana into the FMOL Health family.
A nurse herself, Lana witnessed the compassionate care Wayne received and became familiar with team members through her own treatment experience. Encouraged by those connections, she joined Our Lady of the Lake in December 2024.
Today, she works at the Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute Infusion Center on the hospital’s main campus, caring for patients facing challenges she understands personally.
She often introduces herself as “Lana Banana” to make patients smile and offers prayer and encouragement when they need it most.
“This is probably my favorite job, working at the Lake and being able to help people with cancer, to help give them hope and to be a ministering spirit,” Lana says.
Wayne has also returned to his work at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, where he now serves as nursing supervisor for the Universal Care Unit.
A New Appreciation for Life Together
Today, Wayne and Lana are embracing the activities and moments they once looked forward to during treatment. From outdoor adventures to time with their children and grandchildren, each experience carries a renewed sense of gratitude.
Their story has also given them a message they hope others will take to heart, particularly when it comes to recognizing symptoms and staying current with cancer screenings.
“I’ve seen so many people fight so hard that didn’t make it,” Wayne says. “The ones that are fighting the fight right now, the ones that are pushing through, doing what they can, and their caregivers — those are the heroes.”
For Lana, the experience reinforced the importance of surrounding yourself with people who offer encouragement when it’s needed most.
“You need people to speak into your life to motivate you to keep going,” Lana says. “Just looking forward to what are you going to do when this is over with.”
Wayne encourages anyone facing a difficult diagnosis to hold onto hope, accept help from others and find something each day that gives them a reason to keep going.
“Don’t give up hope,” Wayne says. “You have to find reasons every day.”
On November 7, Wayne and Lana will be recognized as LSU Geaux Heroes during the Tigers’ game against Alabama, celebrating their resilience as cancer survivors. Together, with their youngest daughter, Wayne’s sister and close friends by their side, the occasion will be another opportunity to celebrate how far they’ve come and the many moments they still have ahead.
