My name is Herta. I am Austrian and live in Vienna. A wonderful city with an excellent public health care system.
On December 20, 2021, I was filled with excitement and anticipation. It was my final day as a sales representative in the medical business. Following the holiday season would be my official retirement. My mood was fantastic as I looked forward to the New Year. In the spirit of all the shopping and holiday preparations, I kept an appointment with a physician who specialized in hemorrhoids and anal issues. That physician's diagnosis would not only have a profound effect on 2022, but also on my entire outlook.
Three weeks earlier I had a talk with my primary care physician about my anal bleeding. I also informed him that hemorrhoidal creams and suppositories did not help. Nevertheless, he prescribed cortisone suppositories, which only worsened my condition. I now believed that something might be seriously wrong. This increased concern sounds like many other survivors, who, like me, sought a second opinion.
This remarkable surgeon, a specialist in hemorrhoids and anal issues, was interested in my medical history, listened to me, and asked questions. A proctoscopy was performed and a biopsy taken. She recommended a visit to a hospital for further tests. Two days later the histology arrived on my phone and my journey began. The final diagnosis was stage G2 anal squamous cell carcinoma, not HPV associated. It was located at the linea dentata. Although it had not spread to the lymph nodes, it had infiltrated the sphincter muscle system.
The initial treatment consisted of one MMC infusion, thirty-two radiation sessions, and oral chemotherapy during radiation days. The second MMC infusion was impossible due to a thrombocytopenia that occurred as a side effect of the treatments. The skin defects that resulted by the end of the radiation period healed after a few weeks. The radiation team was so kind, helpful and professional that I will always remember them with a smile.
One fortunate aspect of the treatment was the radiation oncologist was always the same person. The weekly meetings and first post-therapy checks were done by him. Because I trusted him one hundred percent, I followed his recommendations, including nutritional guidelines. His advice was to adhere to a whole Plant-based diet (https://www.pcrm.org/health-topics). I stopped drinking alcohol and refrain from consuming soft drinks and processed foods.
This year I decided to join a three-week rehabilitation program. My initial thought was that it was unnecessary and, frankly, I did not want to be associated with cancer patients. I was wrong. It was a tremendous help and an experience that I now recommend. My targets were to handle negative recidivistic fear thoughts, which appeared this summer, and to improve the techniques of my sphincter muscle training. My conversations with other cancer patients made me realize that anal cancer is not the worst you can get.
Today, I am living a happy and fulfilled life, because of the caring and dedicated health professionals who helped me every step of the way. I am grateful for them. Now, I will keep moving.
