The 'C' Word

Some 10 years ago, I didn’t really have the privilege of fighting the traffic into work, fighting off deadlines or grumpy customers. Unfortunately, my fight was with cancer. Before an early-2016 diagnosis with Germinoma in my head (Affecting my pineal, pituitary and my left ventricle) I was a dying man. 

Work and study became harder and harder as my body went into a deeper state of anaemia, losing 20 Kilos in a year, deteriorating vision and the exhaustion to boot. I had ignored the early warning signs to my own detriment. Me drinking 10 or so litres a day and urinating it all out didn't ring any alarms; the constant headaches didn't trigger me to act and the increased time on the lounge didn't sway me. When I finally acted on it, I was told it was all in my head... and then only to be told a couple of months later that it was literally and physically all in my head. 

The rest of 2016 would come in the form of treatment; radiation and chemotherapy to fight the beast that had taken so much from my adolescent life. I lost a whole lot. My pituitary gland now rendered useless (Now classified as an Addisonian. My cortisol, thyroid function and testosterone would now be managed via medication), I could potentially have some memory and fertility problems much later in life (Not to mention the risk of getting secondary cancers). A pain to manage to be sure but easily managed. In September 2016, I had done it. I waltzed out of my last radiation session determined that my life was going to be better from now on in. I thanked all the amazing cancer teams and nurses and bid them Gooday; adamant I would never see them again apart from during check-ups. 

The next couple of months would be amazing thanks to the amazing people at the Starlight Foundation and Virgin Australia. Not only did I get to 'fly' in a full size 777-300 simulator and sat in the jump seat of my now beloved 737 VH-VOS; I got a 2-week Internship learning what it’s like to be in the Virgin Australia family exploring all facets of life in the aviation industry. I was ready for the rest of my life be it in IT or an aspiring pilot. Unfortunately, that would not be the case. 

In Late June 2017, I was diagnosed with Therapy Related AML; blood cancer born potentially because of radiation and chemo received to cure me of my last fight. This fight would be comparatively a lot harder. My bone marrow, my very immune system, would be pummelled into the ground and replaced with the immune system of a non-descript German between the age of 20 and 30 who happened to be a 12/12 genetic match (Literally perfect). That time immeditatly after was unfortunately no walk in the park. Now introduced to the very ‘foreign’ entity know as ‘my body’, the now stronger German immune system acted like any good immune system would and attacked my body in a process called Graft verse Host Disease (GvHD). Taming this would require a tonne Immunosuppressants and several other drugs to help me cope with the side effects of said Immunosuppressants (yay steroids). 

As of 2026, It’s all done. Spat out of the Haematology wing as ‘Officially discharged’ and just the yearly social call with the Oncology folks. Well and truly finished. A changed man for sure, but thankful to my doctors/supporters and most importantly…still here.  

My story since that time has been one of triumph. I’ve moved out of home - finally finding my independence and confidence, thanked my donor (didn’t hear back) and started going out into the big bad, scary germy world (enjoying it). The thought of cancer is less an ever-present thing in the back of my head nowadays, but fortunately this time, not in the physical sense. I’ve now got a whole lot of catching up to do but looking forward to every moment.  

I'm now here to do the thing and ready for the infinite! Please let my story be a warning to you all. Don't take your body for granted. Get regular check-ups with your GP. Make sure you report any abnormalities. Be it with random lumps or problems with your nether regions; no one is invincible. Cancer doesn’t take sides. It doesn’t care how old you are, what religion you follow, what you’ve been through before, what ethnicity you are, if you’re male, female or otherwise, how many people that rely on you as a parent, teacher, colleague, guardian or friend… It is the leveller of all things and disgustingly indiscriminate. Many words could be used to describe it, but if anything, screw cancer.