WXRT’s Terri Hemmert going off the air for cancer surgery

Terri Hemmert, the revered longtime WXRT-FM (93.1) personality, told listeners today that she’ll be taking time off for cancer surgery.

“Tomorrow will be my last show for awhile,” the midday host said in a note posted at the station’s website. “I’ll be going in for surgery Monday, and will need at least a month to recuperate.”

She said the unspecified cancer was found during the removal of some benign polyps in November. “The good news is it’s early … stage one,” she wrote. “More good news is I have a great medical team who didn’t give up testing.”

The polyp treatment followed a recent knee replacement and a diagnosis of spinal stenosis that also will require surgery.

“I asked if they could just flip me over and do the back surgery while I was there, but that’s not possible,” Hemmert quipped. “Doesn’t hurt to ask.”

Her Sunday morning “Breakfast With the Beatles” broadcasts will continue, cut down from two hours to one, and Hemmert, a 40-year veteran of WXRT, said she plans to keep listeners updated with posts on her Facebook page.

“You can also send out good thoughts, and if you believe in prayer, I’d appreciate that,” she requested. “My faith has taught me over the years that you don’t pray for magic tricks and easy answers. You pray that you have the strength to handle what ever comes your way.”