A couple of weeks ago I got the five-year all clear from cancer. It was more of a relief than a cause for fist-pumping celebration.
I'm pretty sure aberrant cancer cells don't work in time spans, one year, five or 10. They can kick off at any time. However, our over-taxed medical profession has to set parameters on how long they see people. The care I've received over the last five years has been remarkable and humbling.
A virus was the trigger for my throat cancer. That's a positive as these sorts of cancers have a high rate of survival. I learnt this during a multi-disciplinary meeting with specialists, nurses, a dentist, dietician and speech therapist to evaluate my condition and make a call on a treatment plan.
Having a camera up my nose in front of 20 or so health professionals wasn't much fun. However, the conclusion that it was treatable set off a surprisingly enthusiastic ripple of smiles and nodding heads. Oncology is a tough area to be in with more losses than wins on the board.
The major part of my treatment was radiotherapy and so I was assigned to a specialist in this area who I saw after the meeting. He reinforced the survival rate of 80 per cent while running through the long list of consequences and potential side effects. He told me something I'd hear at least once a week from the start of treatment. Yes, I'd survive but the radiotherapy sessions, five per week for seven weeks, and three doses of nuclear-strength chemotherapy are one of the toughest treatment plans on offer.
And so it turned out to be. By the end of it, I was down to 52kg and didn't eat solid food for a couple of months because of the damage to my mouth and throat. I was very fortunate to have my best friend and selfless carer, Carolyn, to keep me on track.
Just to rub salt into the wounds, I was partially deaf from the chemo and hearing aids are as much as a top-of-the-range mountain bike.
There was no courage involved and there was no 'battle'. Just a long, at times painful, slog being bombarded by radiation and chemicals and awash with pharmaceuticals for pain and nausea. Recuperation and recovery followed, starting with slow motion walks in my backyard, the SCION campus. The angels at the Cancer Society introduced me to the Team Steel programme, physiotherapy and Pilates designed for post cancer treatment rehabilitation. Weekly massage at the Cancer Society was a real blessing and they subsidised counselling sessions.
I work at QE Health Wellness and Spa. We specialise in holistic health care programmes for those with chronic, ongoing illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis. Physiotherapy, a fully-equipped gym, occupational therapy and spa treatments are all part of these.
So is leisure, aka arts and crafts. Creative pursuits are very therapeutic. The laughter that regularly drifts out of the light, airy and colourful leisure studio is proof of that.
Which brings me in a very roundabout way to something that was a critical part of my recuperation. Helping artisan, engineer, designer, bike builder, Jeff Anderson, to hand-craft my very own Jeffson. Steel is real.