My Story

This morning in 2012 in Paris, hopes are showered when the diagnosis falls following intense fatigue and pain in the upper chest. Doctors told me it was leukemia and made me understand I had little chance of survival. What follows is a month and a half of intensive care and chemotherapy. Effective, but far from sufficient. Days are numbered.

« I was then told about an experimental treatment. I signed a release. And in less than a month, doctors cannot find a single cancer cell in my blood.» A bone marrow transplant must still be considered and carried out to achieve remission. Total body irradiation is performed to prevent rejection. A last-chance operation, but not without consequences. « It burned everything. I lost 35% of lung capacity and have a meager resistance to stress heat.»

But the transplant worked. And the cancer went away. I spent several months in isolation to prevent infection (the immune system was decimated by illness and operations) and regain strength. I had to relearn how to stand up, walk, regain weight from 50kg/110lbs, and deal with many complications thrown my way.

Then, I faced another equally big challenge: living an everyday life if that would ever exist again while navigating the concept of invisible handicaps, and physical and health limitations. Each anniversary is a victory over the cancer, but the scars are forever.