A Cocktail of Life: Cancer, Clarity, and Cleaning Out the Clutter
Do you ever feel like you’re living a perfectly healthy life, yet something just feels off? For months, I put my constant nausea and indigestion down to a typically erratic eating schedule. Skipping breakfast, a big boozy lunch at a launch, then nothing until supper – a classic Jozi lifestyle. But even when the pandemic hit, and the launches dried up, my symptoms stubbornly persisted. I was living and eating as healthily as possible, but still, I always felt nauseous, never hungry. I went to the doctor, blood tests were normal, ultrasounds were normal, and I was told I was fine. But I didn’t care what the results said; I knew something was wrong.
The Wake-Up Call: A Tumour, Not Indigestion
After pushing for more investigation, we opted for an MRI, expecting to find a digestive issue. What my doctor found instead was a tumour. Doctors never say, “We think it’s cancer,” do they? They say, “We need to investigate.” A biopsy confirmed the worst. Suddenly, the last couple of months became a very “interesting cocktail” of medication, radiation, and more medication.
The strangest part about this whole ordeal? I was not in any pain. Cancer is one of those bizarre diseases; you might not even know you have it, and you might not even feel it. Honestly, I really wouldn’t have been able to tell you I had cancer had my doctor not informed me. The real discomfort, for want of a better word, came from the treatment itself.
A Biohazard of Radionuclear Waste
I’ve been a biohazard of radionuclear waste for a while now, thanks to five weeks of radiation. Radiation is a bizarre experience because it’s completely painless. You wouldn’t even know it’s happening without the machine’s noise. But, it can certainly clap the wind right out of your sails. My morning ritual of walking around the river became a monumental effort. On radiation days, it was a miracle if I could even make it to the river, let alone walk around it.
Then there’s the cocktail of potent pills that rewire everything: sense of smell, taste, sleep patterns. I had hot flashes like they were going out of fashion, changing my t-shirt three or four times a night. Murphy’s law ensured I got the medication that made me gain weight, battling water retention, after I’d worked hard to lose twenty kilograms the year before. Talk about a life-changing experience; it literally turned my world upside down.
JoziStyle Opinion: The Silver Lining and the Chafe
Every bad experience, I believe, has a lesson. You have to learn something from life, even at rock bottom. For me, cancer has truly burned the chafe out of my life. It makes you reassess who and what is genuinely important. Your loved ones, your colleagues, even the security guard at your gate – every person in your life holds weight. If they aren’t important, you probably don’t need them.
This journey also taught me about the shocking isolation of the disease. I discovered twelve Facebook friends who were also going through cancer treatment and hadn’t told anyone. They felt it was an intrusive disease and didn’t want to burden others. I found this bizarre. I would never have coped without a support structure.
The consensus I came to with other survivors is that no one can truly share your cancer journey. Everyone reacts differently. Radiation might deplete one person; chemo might finish another. This individuality is why it’s so lonely, but it’s also why reaching out for help is so essential.
Spring Cleaning for the Soul
Speaking of cleaning, it is spring, after all. And just as I’m a firm believer in cleaning up the kitchen before the odours start to fester, or doing the washing before the laundry piles up, the same urgency applies to your health. Don’t leave your physical self festering.
Cancer might not always be preventable, as it’s often a genetic predisposition or a result of complex lifestyle choices we don’t fully understand. But I can tell you this: early detection can save lives. My journey would have been fundamentally different had we not been vigilant and pushed to check out something that felt “off,” even when the tests said I was “fine.” It was something we weren’t even looking for that saved me.
So, this is your friendly reminder. If something feels wrong, go and check it out with your doctor, sooner rather than later. Rather be told you are wrong than to find out you could have avoided further intervention. And if you are facing this battle, please know you are not alone. I am available for you. Sometimes, it is easier to talk to a stranger than to the people closest to you.
What unexpected lesson have you learned from a difficult life experience? Share your thoughts below.
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