I have thought long and hard about putting my story “out there”. Mine has a great ending, but there are many who are not as lucky as I am. Anyway, information is power, and I hope someone will be empowered by this article. At the moment my brain is less than efficient, but I will attempt to share what I can with you.
In March a lump was discovered in my throat and further investigation was recommended. Belize was put under total lockdown in April because of COVID-19, and honestly I was scared to go to any medical facility. By July, my voice was getting hoarse and I had problems swallowing and breathing. So I plucked up my courage and went to see Dr. Anastacio Cob, an ENT specialist at Belize Healthcare Partners. He looked down my throat with a laryngoscope and found a tumor at the base of my tongue, taking up about seventy percent of my throat. He did a biopsy and I was diagnosed with a large carcinoma. It was oropharyngeal cancer in the cells of the oropharynx, which is the middle part of the throat and connects the nose, mouth and throat to each other and allows you to swallow, breathe and speak.
When I told family and friends, they treated me as if I were fragile and had gotten a death sentence. Some could not even say the word — like, “I heard you have….ummm…that you are sick”. My reply to one was, “Yes, I have cancer. It’s okay to say the word: C A N C E R. It won’t bite you; say it: CANCER”. Up to 20 years ago, cancer WAS considered fatal. Nowadays, it is a curable illness. The number of people who recover from cancer goes up every year because of new treatments and better management of the illness.
When I first heard the diagnosis, I think I got numb and zombie-like. But I am pragmatic and a realist; and whenever I am faced with a problem, I learn all I can about it, find out the choices and solutions available, and take action. Dr. Cob pointed me in the right direction; and I found my way to Dr. Ramon Yacab at the oncology department of the KHMH. Yes, there really is an oncology unit at KHMH through the efforts of Global Oncology and the Belize Social Security Board.
Global Oncology (GO) is an American community-based global health organization whose mission is to improve cancer care and research in resource-limited settings through a variety of programs and efforts. GO first worked with Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow, who survived breast cancer because she was able to leave the country to receive treatment. As a result, she became a tireless champion of improving access to care locally. GO is piloting a new program to help patients eliminate the provider, system and personal barriers; and more easily access cancer care at home. Belizean medical oncologist, Dr. Yacab, is leading the first ever public oncology treatment program in Belize.
On May 7, 2020, the Social Security Board gave a donation of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) to the KHMH to help complete the oncology unit. Hospital administrators say that there is an increasing number of Belizeans with cancer who have turned to them because they are unable to travel abroad to get treatment. The oncology unit at the hospital has been offering some services since April 2020, but its remaining upgrades have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Yacab recommended I have an ultrasound, blood tests and a computed tomography (CT) scan, taken by special x-ray equipment which makes 3D and cross-sectional images of organs, tissues, bones and blood vessels. The CT scan showed the size and location of the tumor, how far it had grown into surrounding tissues, and if it had spread to structures or lymph nodes in other places. This information was helpful in guiding the decisions I would make about the best treatment for me.
And my journey began — a journey of blood tests and intravenous chemotherapy every three weeks for 4 months; falling hair, nausea, no sense of taste, tiredness, numb fingers and leg pain, and diminished brain capacity.
It has been two months since my last chemo session, and most of the side effects are gone or going – even my hair is growing back. The tumor is gone too, and there are no lumps, bumps or foreign masses in my body at this point in time; i.e., I am cancer-free. But in the same way a tumor grew the first time, it can grow again and is more likely to develop in people who have had it before. As with any sickness, the earlier cancer is detected and treated, the more successful the treatment. Once you have had cancer, it is important to have regular checkups as advised by your doctor. Scientists are working on a blood test that will show if you have cancer cells and make testing much easier in the future. There is no medicine one can take to prevent cells from becoming cancerous, but lifestyle changes go a long way to stopping this from happening.
Some behavioral or environmental triggers can cause changes in the body’s cells that push them into a cancerous state. For example, the chemicals in tobacco smoke damage the lungs and increase the risk of lung cancer; too much exposure to radiation, such as ultraviolet rays from the sun, can increase the risk of skin cancer. These types of triggers act on the body slowly over time, so the cancers that result from them don’t show up until a person is older.
The tendency to develop some types of cancer is believed to be inherited. Genes are the basic physical units of inheritance that control the way our cells function, especially how they grow and divide, and your genes might carry a predisposition for cancer. For example, if a close relative has had cancer of the breast or the colon, you may be more likely to inherit the tendency to develop those cancers. Most often, cancer-causing genetic changes accumulate slowly as a person ages, leading to a higher risk of cancer later in life. Each person’s cancer has a unique combination of genetic changes and mutations in the DNA.
Soooooo…. This is what I have learnt:
Strengthen your immune system by eating more adequately and healthily, and by including supplements in your diet that build up the immune system and enable the body’s own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.
Watch what you eat.
Stay away from processed foods which have chemicals added to improve taste and prolong shelf life. There are more natural, healthy alternatives. Certain types of food are not beneficial to the body as one ages. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. So go light on the milk. Cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment. A meat-based diet is acidic, and it is best to eat fish and a little chicken. Also, meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. By refraining from (or eating less) meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. It is best to drink purified, or filtered water, to avoid toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Try for a diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, cooked beans, seeds, nuts and fruit, which puts the body into an alkaline environment. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.
Exercise and breathe properly. Cancer cells do not thrive in an oxygenated environment, so daily exercise and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
Do not use plastic containers in the microwave. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. The combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Use glass or paper. Use no plastic wrap in microwave either. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.
Don’t freeze plastic bottles with water in them, as this releases dioxins from the plastic, and dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.
FINALLY: Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the Cancer Warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit and to relax and enjoy life.