Symtom, diagnos och behandlingar genomgick

Jag fick diagnosen 2018 stadium tre kolorektal cancer vid 38 års ålder. Ingen förväntar sig att ha cancer men jag hade symtom ett tag. Det bekräftades i min skanningsrapport att jag hade cancer. Min behandling varade i ett år som bestod av cellgifter, strålning och operation. Symtomen som jag hade var oregelbundna tarmrörelser och blod i avföringen. Jag hade de symtomen i ett par år. Läkare sa att jag var för ung för denna typ av cancer tills mina symtom började bli värre. Till slut gick jag på koloskopi. Inom tio minuter efter min koloskopi stod det ganska klart att jag hade cancer.

Min reaktion efter nyheterna

Jag gick in i koloskopin och trodde att jag hade colon irritabile men gick ut med kolorektal cancer. Så det var en ganska överraskning för mig. Men när min behandlingsprocess väl startade började jag acceptera det som hade hänt.

Att klara sig känslomässigt och mitt stödsystem

It took me a couple of weeks to come to terms with what was happening to me. My survivability was 50-50 as per the doctors. I had young children who were five and seven at the time and a wife. I started to think about damage control and how to get through it. I've always been healthy and ran marathons. So I started to incorporate training into my treatment plan. I kept training, like running. My children knew I had cancer, but they were too young to understand what it meant. My wife supported me all the way through. And as a family, we got through it. Not only do I have heaps of support from my family but also from my wider family. It really helped a lot. 

Medvetenhet om cancer

Awareness is important as timing matters a lot in the case of cancer. I had symptoms for two to three years before my diagnosis. If I didnt think that I was too young or too fit for this disease then I would have taken some actions earlier. I think if people have better awareness, then they can act sooner. It's good to see that awareness is starting to spread, particularly about my type of cancer and colonoscopies. 

Alternativa behandlingar

Jag valde några kompletterande terapier. Jag använde cannabisolja inte för att bli av med min cancer, utan för att hantera symptomen i samband med kemoterapi. Min träning och kondition spelade också en viktig roll. Jag var väldigt aktiv under min cancerupplevelse. Dessutom försökte jag äta en hälsosam kost.

Breakout-metod

I work with cancer survivors, especially through the breakout approach. It helps them understand how important their mindset is when it comes to their cancer experience. A person either sees their cancer journey as a catastrophe or an opportunity. And once we make that decision, we start to work through that. But don't get me wrong, cancer is a dreadful disease. There is a lot of cancer that can take us. So the mindset is a very important part of breakout. Coherence helps people understand the importance of mindfulness. So, meditation, breathwork, and other mindfulness-based strategies can really help. So, the breakout method is a multidisciplinary and multifaceted approach to cancer or to helping cancer survivors rather than the usual conventional methods like medication and pain relief.

Erfarenhet av läkare och annan medicinsk personal

Min erfarenhet av läkare och medicinsk personal var mycket god. Jag var på Irland vid den tiden i Dublin. Det medicinska teamet var underbart. Så jag kände mig verkligen väldigt bekväm under min cancerupplevelse. Jag fick det bästa möjliga resultatet som jag kunde hoppas på.

Positiva förändringar

I wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for cancer. Before I had cancer, I worked in a lot of corporate and leadership roles in big companies and led a stressful life. There was a change of perspective in your life. I have reevaluated my priorities and started to focus on what's important. Shortly after I finished my treatment, we moved to Spain. I have coached cancer survivors and worked with leaders across the world. So I'm delighted with my life and cancer is a big part of that.

Meddelande till överlevande och vårdgivare

My main message is don't let your life revolve around cancer. Let cancer revolve around your life. People get consumed by it after being diagnosed. There's so much more that you can do with your life, whether you have cancer or not. Cancer is not a death sentence anymore. People have very good probabilities now. You can take it as an opportunity to change your life. Don't let it be the end, let it be the beginning. If you are someone who is on the cancer journey, you must get your treatment.