A natural, gifted storyteller, Ratermann discusses his story at the 2010 Health Literacy Missouri Summit.

Marty Ratermann, a craftsman and furniture maker, works from his shop west of Rocheport, Mo. In 2008, Ratermann was diagnosed with Stage 4 rectal cancer. After a grueling recovery process, he has been in remission for more than a year. He now provides a moving account that details how his situation could have been prevented with better communication between him and his doctors.