Nick, Australia
World Cancer Day: My Journey
At the end of January 2023, I was away for a best mate’s bucks party when I started choking on food. I actually had to "upchuck" before I’d even had a drink. The swallowing issues progressed quickly, but I ignored them. I was 34, my son was starting school, and my daughter was only two; I didn’t think I had time for medical tests.
Eventually, I began choking on water, and my wife forced me to get checked out. Even then, I was somewhat dismissed; at 34, I was "too young" for cancer. I was misdiagnosed with achalasia (a rare condition of the gastro-oesophageal junction). Another month passed before I went in for a Botox injection to treat the achalasia. Instead, I was woken early, taken into a room alone, and told I had Stage III gastro-oesophageal cancer.
By this time, I had lost 15kg and was living on protein shakes. The gastroenterologist acted immediately, calling specialists within minutes. Within days, I was booked with a surgeon, oncologist, and radiation oncologist.
By the time I started chemotherapy, I could no longer swallow even the shakes and required a nasogastric tube. The tumor was so tight I couldn't swallow my own saliva. I lost the ability to talk due to the pain and the buildup in my throat. I slept with a dental suction tool next to me and had regular hyoscine injections just to dry up my mouth. I endured daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy for six weeks, followed by a six-week break to prepare for major surgery.
The oesophagectomy removed about half of my stomach and oesophagus. The "Ivor Lewis" approach involved going through my right rib cage, deflating my lung, and removing the affected organs and lymph nodes.
The surgery was massive and the recovery was brutal, but it was successful. Following a further 12 months of immunotherapy, I am now 2.5 years cancer-free. However, the surgery brought lifelong complications. I’ve since had two emergency surgeries to repair Grade IV paraconduit hernias, where my entire colon herniated into my chest. My diaphragm is now stitched together and my colon is sewn to it, leaving me with a "stitch" feeling 24/7.
Despite everything, exercise has been the key to my recovery. I started with small goals and finished a 10km race just nine weeks after my last surgery. I always had my sights set on a marathon, and I completed the Gold Coast Marathon in July last year. This year, I’m shooting for my second marathon, aiming for a sub-3:30 finish while raising as much as possible for the Pancare Foundation - the only Australian charity supporting oesophageal cancer patients.
Cancer was the worst time of my life, but it has given me a renewed purpose: to raise awareness and ensure no one else has to suffer like I did.
Cancer can strike anyone at any age. Advocate for yourself. If I had received an earlier diagnosis, my journey may have been simpler and the risk of recurrence far lower. Don't wait.