Diego’s Cancer Journey
After battling tonsil cancer, Diego shares his new zest for life and travel. Read about Diego’s courageous journey and his insights on life post-treatment.
Diego // 30 Stories Campaign™ // Oral Cancer Awareness
The winter of 2022 marks the time when I first learned about my tonsil cancer. I had told my primary doctor that something felt strange in my mouth, and she told me to immediately get a scan. After a follow-up biopsy, the team found out right away that it was cancer. My life turned around because I never expected to hear such bad news. However, I definitely got lucky since my doctors caught the case early. I always made it a point to keep my appointments with my doctors, and this time I was especially glad I did.
This beginning stage when I learned of my diagnosis was the most difficult. I kept thinking “why did this happen to me?” I have always believed in watching what I eat, exercising regularly, and just generally taking care of myself. Overcoming this stage of grief proved difficult, but slowly, I embraced my circumstance with growing familiarity.
I knew that worrying would get me nowhere and that remaining anxious should be the last thing to do. The most important thing I realized was to listen to the advice of the doctor. Two of my nephews—both doctors—told me not to read anything online about the condition I had because that would make my mind go crazy. “Just follow the direction of the doctor,” they would say.
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.
…when I received the report of my last PET scan… I felt like I could breathe freely and easily.
I placed a high importance on getting treated by the best people I could find. I sought out opinions from multiple physicians—many of whom offered different treatments for the same diagnosis—but after weighing all my options, I chose to undergo surgery. My surgeon made me feel the most comfortable. He presented the treatment plan in an understable manner that just made the most sense for me to pursue. So, he went in and removed the tonsils and the base of tongue, and so far, everything seems under control. My doctor tells me we still have to keep an open eye and monitor my situation, so I make sure to follow-through with my appointments and keep up with his instructions.
Since… a lot of my taste buds… were removed, many foods taste flavorless. It’s still a really strange feeling I have to get used to.
Throughout my follow-up appointments, and even during the ones before my surgery, my sickness would play games with my mind. I always felt locked in a haze of uncertainty, never knowing what to expect next. I constantly felt like there was a knife to my head. Now, as more time has passed since my operation, I can comfortably say I feel different. In fact, when I received the report of my last PET scan, which showed everything looking okay, I felt like I could breathe completely freely and easily.
Of course, not everything is back to normal. My operation definitely changed the way I taste food. Since the base of my tongue and a lot of my taste buds and papillae were removed, many foods taste flavorless. It’s still a really strange feeling I have to get used to.
Would you like to read more stories like this?
Explore the journey of survivors, the advancements in treatments and empower yourself with knowledge.
Cancer served as a wake up call to enjoy life more.
I was in Colombia a few weeks ago and went to a special restaurant and asked for a plate of fish that I always loved. But surprisingly, this time, I didn’t like the fish—I couldn’t even taste it, it had no flavor from the first bite. So I asked for something else, which I was able to enjoy more. Certain plates I can enjoy, which I am getting more used to including regularly in my meals, but others I’ve had to discard.
Beyond tasting food, the way I view life has indeed changed. Cancer served as a wake up call to enjoy life more. Realizing I only had one life to live made me start living even more. Since I retired from my job, I always had plans to travel, and now I expect to travel even more and everywhere I can.
I tell my nephews that sometimes it still feels like I have a knife to my head because I never know when my cancer may return. But the good thing is, that my doctor told me the risk of recurrence for this specific type of cancer is low, and that gives me some peace of mind moving forward.
As I look ahead, I am hopeful for medical science advancements to remove cancer’s label as a death sentence. These advancements in combination with great doctors make me grateful as a cancer survivor and excited for innovations to come.
Interested in Sharing Your Cancer Journey?
For someone recently diagnosed with cancer, reading the stories of other caregivers and survivors can inspire.
Hey, Wait!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news and promotions.
newsletter
Hey, Wait!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news and promotions.
newsletter
