Should you share your story to help others with the same illness, or to reassure yourself? It’s probably both at the same time. Talking about your experience is already a way of overcoming the illness and not being afraid of it anymore.
My stomach cancer was discovered six years ago; it has been a complicated journey with crucial moments where luck can help, and painful moments where courage is required.
I can list the stages, using my weight as a benchmark: 78 kg, removal of the stomach, septic shock, hemorrhagic shock, induced coma, scar stenosis with dysphagia, dilations… 61 kg. Jejunostomy feeding… 68 kg. I regained my youthful weight and a normal life for almost four years. I was told that I was cured and that monitoring was over. There were no signs of recurrence. I didn’t really believe it, because I was starting to have difficulty swallowing again. Tests revealed nothing.
This dysphagia worsened, and I could neither eat nor drink. I was malnourished and extremely weak. My weight dropped dramatically… to 114 lbs! Another exploratory operation was performed. It revealed that the cancer had returned in the peritoneum, five years after the initial diagnosis, which is rare. The doctors prescribed chemotherapy via a pack, along with refeeding via a PICC line, 13 hours a night. After 10 months, I gained weight… 61 kg. That’s where I am now.
After all these painful ups and downs, I must admit that I never gave in to despair. I rarely suffered during uncomfortable examinations. In those moments, I think about the days ahead, and that helps me get through them. I also keep my mind occupied by writing the story of a heroic grandfather, planning a few projects, and doing some activities: guitar, bookbinding, watercolor painting. At the same time, I force myself to walk regularly, at least two to three kilometers a day. This is a therapy borrowed from an acquaintance who was very ill and who, ten years later, is still in good health and in good spirits.
My cancer has become a chronic disease, kept at bay by chemotherapy. I hope to be able to enjoy this pleasure of living for a few more years, while waiting, who knows, for the spectacular advances promised by medical research.