By Alyssa Pederson, Winona Daily News

WINONA — The Rev. Lyle Kath knew throat cancer would be a battle. And though he won, severe scarring in his throat left him nearly voiceless. With only part of his tongue, gruesome scar damage and an overabundance of salivation, Lyle’s voice is muffled and strained.

But struggling to speak hasn’t kept him from preaching the word. He’s simply taken a quieter route — as a writer.

In 2003, Lyle, 59, was diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cancer, only a month after becoming senior pastor at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church in Winona. Seven weeks of chemotherapy and radiation couldn’t stop the cancer, so doctors operated on his throat and neck. As a result, Lyle suffered from fibrosis, loss of muscle and “the worst scar damage” his doctor had ever seen in his 30 years of practice.

Lyle was left with no choice but to resign.

“Acceptance has been the hardest thing,” he said.

In 2005, Lyle had a trachea tube installed in his throat after countless nights struggling to breathe. He has resorted to a dry-erase board to do a lot of his talking.

“I was always a talker,” he said. “I love people, and I love to socialize. With the white board, my jokes have lost their timing,” he laughed. “(The white board) is something I’ve learned to live with.”

Now he hopes to reach out to those who will face similar battles.

“Cancer tried to take away my title of pastor but couldn’t do it,” he said. “There are other ways to preach.”

So Lyle picked up a new form of ministry — as a writer. He added bits and pieces about his experience with cancer. By March, he had a book.

“Conquering Cancer through Faith in Christ” was recently published. Lyle and his wife, Jody, found copies waiting for them after returning home from out of town.

“He wrote and gave himself deadlines,” Jody said. “His determination and tenacity came out even more with the obstacles he’s had to overcome. The fight of communication not just by speech but by writing has really come through more in the last five years than ever before because it has become a necessity. He needed this outlet. For the most part, (writing) has kept his mind busy and off the negative. He kind of turned (his troubles) into a positive activity.”

His book has been made available at 30,000 Christian and secular bookstores, including Barnes & Noble upon request.

Aside from writing, Lyle volunteers for TLCare through Trinity Lutheran in Rochester, Minn. He visits Lutheran members from across the country who do their doctoring at local hospitals. He is also a proud grandfather.

And although he’s still adjusting to things he cannot change, his faith keeps him positive.

“Cancer has made maturing spiritually happen a lot faster,” he said. “We’re all transforming into (God’s) likeness, but cancer hurried my transformation experience along some. I’m thankful to the Lord for the inspiration to write what I did, and, hopefully, I’ll help someone else who struggles with cancer or the trials of life.”

Lyle is now cancer-free.

And even though he has nearly lost his voice, he is far from at a loss for words.