Christopher’s Cancer Journey
Discover Christopher’s oropharyngeal cancer journey. Learn how a self-exam, the power of a positive outlook and a supportive partner helped him battle cancer.
Christopher // 30 Stories Campaign™ // Oral Cancer Awareness
In the summer of 2021, I was in the pub with two of my mates. One of them said he had a lump in his neck that he’d gotten surgically removed. So then, we all started feeling around for lumps on our necks and, lo and behold, they found one on me. Later, I got myself checked by an ENT who performed a core needle biopsy. The test came back positive for oropharyngeal cancer which had spread to my lymph nodes.
The biggest thing I learned from this was the importance of self-examination. I checked my neck, which is the only reason I fortunately caught my disease at an early stage. My cancer diagnosis served as a wakeup call for me. I realized in that moment the reality that anything can happen at any time. That’s when I decided to retire sooner than I planned.
Get Screened
Detecting cancer early can increase your chances of survival and decrease the overall cost of treatment. Perform a self screening, find free screenings near you or make an appointment with your healthcare provider or your family dentist. Not many people realize that their dentist is trained to look out for signs of cancer in your mouth.
Awareness and knowledge equal power. Only by reading all the negatives and all the positives […] can you stay on top of it.
After my diagnosis, I decided I would get ahead of my health by learning everything there was to know about my cancer. Luckily, my partner read everything she could find on oropharyngeal cancer. She accompanied me on all of my appointments and asked my doctors all the important questions. She did everything, and I am so lucky I had somebody to do all of that. Awareness and knowledge equal power. Only by reading all the negatives and all the positives of your cancer—from credible sources, of course— can you stay on top of it.
After consulting with my doctors, we decided surgery wouldn’t provide the best outcome anymore. So I went straight into radiation and chemotherapy. I started off with three large chemotherapy cycles instead of the typical seven small ones. My radiation treatment, however, would take seven weeks.
During this time, I made sure to ask the doctors for specific recommendations. I asked them to point me to the right resources, so I could read stories about others who have gone through my cancer. When I explored the stories—even now, knowing what I went through—I realized that I went through nothing compared to what many other people must endure. And they got through it.
I decided to keep the mask from my radiation therapy and plan to mount it on my office wall as a memory of what I’ve endured.
I always felt like I had a positive outlook all the way through my treatment. I did not feel any particular need to get any stronger in that respect. I always thought “Yeah, it’s gonna turn out good.” I realize that’s a strange thing to say and I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the process, but I found it interesting—like the radiation therapy! I always wondered how it would feel for others who get claustrophobic. I decided to keep the mask from my radiation therapy and plan to mount it on my office wall as a memory of what I’ve endured.
Despite my positivity, there were definitely challenging moments. I felt weakest towards the end of treatment. One particular day, I was going to become a US citizen, but I felt exhausted. I thought to myself, “I just won’t be able to go to the car and go through with the ceremony. But I have to because if I put it off, I may never know when I can do this again.” Luckily, the taxi driver saw I wasn’t feeling well, and he gave me a pep talk. He made sure we got as close as possible to the building and even helped me to the door. It was a good day. I got my citizenship, and thanks to that driver, I got through it.
I finished my treatment in late fall of 2021, and so far, not many things in my life have changed. My journey started, we (my partner and I) went through it, and now I’m back to how I felt in the beginning. I mean, I lost weight and my sense of taste, but everything is back how it was now.
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…remember that many support groups exist with people who have a first-hand understanding of your diagnosis. They may even have had similar experiences. Don’t be afraid to join…
I definitely have a great appreciation for my medical team, especially the nurses—they were amazing. All the people I met in the hospital were wonderful. I didn’t meet a single bad person. I try to emulate them and their remarkably warm bedside manner by making it a point to talk to people more than I did before.
I decided to retire once I thought I could afford it, and I now live my life the way I wanted. I tell others to take opportunities while they can. On that note, by the time this article publishes, I will have embarked on my retirement in Sri Lanka with my lovely wife. I’m very excited for this move. But I’m most excited for the fact that I feel back to normal. I feel I didn’t lose anything. Life carries on, and it’s all good.
To anyone faced with the difficult challenges of a cancer journey, remember that many support groups exist with people who have a first-hand understanding of your diagnosis. They may even have had similar experiences. Don’t be afraid to join these groups. You’ve got to stay positive. I’m finally through to the other side of my journey, and now I make the most of it.
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