rehabilitation, specialized diet, non-reimbursed treatment, commuting, private visits to specialists

As a result of the treatment, I lost two important functions for humans: speech and eating function. Due to my disability, I will not be able to return to my job. I feed enterally. I'm learning to take meals orally. I am struggling with the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy: thyroid damage, radiation reactions and neuropathic pain in the mouth, swelling of the neck and face. I get tired easily and I also have memory problems.

 

My dream is to eat independently and communicate freely. Medicine is rushing forward. I hope that there will be a reconstruction method that will enable me to fulfill my dream. I am simply motivated by the desire to live, take care of children, and help others. I am 40 years old, I raise two children on my own. The biggest motivation is for my children not to lose their mother.

I am a fan of Game of Thrones. In my head I have the words of George RR Martin "What do we say to the god of death? Not today!"

I am proud of how many adversities I have overcome. I have a huge appetite for life. I'm kind of a sucker.

The first symptoms of the disease appeared in the spring of 2021. It was a pain in the tongue, an ulcer on the side of the tongue, and difficulty eating. For half a year I was looking for help from various specialists. I was treated by an otolaryngologist, maxillofacial surgeon, periodontist and dentist. Unfortunately, none of them could accurately diagnose me. At the beginning of 2022, my condition was already very bad. Seeing that I would not receive help where I lived, I started looking for specialists in other cities. And so, at the end of February, I came to Poznań. I was diagnosed immediately. T4 keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, infiltrating adjacent structures, with node metastases. After the diagnosis, I underwent a gastrostomy procedure, i.e. enteral nutrition. By then I was no longer able to eat or drink on my own. I was very weak, I had problems moving, I felt the life was leaving me. Remembering those days gives me chills and I think how close death was.

At the beginning of April 2022, I underwent extensive surgery. It lasted seven hours and required the cooperation of three medical teams. Fortunately, all changes were removed. The surgery included removal of the tumor along with the tongue, floor of the mouth, salivary glands and lymph nodes in the neck. The defect was filled with muscle taken from my thigh. Professor Wojciech Golusiński and the doctors working with him who undertook such a difficult operation gave me a second life.

After the surgery, I was very weak. I was in intensive care for several days. Later, I took my first steps in the ward. Every, smallest movement was a huge challenge. I was breathing through a tracheostomy tube. These were the most difficult moments in my life. I am very grateful for the support I received then from every person working in the ward: doctors, nurses, psychologist, speech therapist, rehabilitation therapist. Seeing their dedication and professionalism, I felt very safe. My family and friends were always rooting for me. This gave me great strength to fight.

A few weeks after leaving the hospital, I returned to the hospital for additional treatment in the form of simultaneous radio-chemotherapy. I received the maximum amount of radiation that a person can receive, as many as 33 doses and 5 cycles of chemotherapy. I had to stay in hospital throughout the treatment due to its toxicity and severe side effects. It was mainly severe pain in the mouth, changes in the mucous membranes, swelling causing breathing difficulties, nausea, and exhaustion of the body. During treatment, I experienced sepsis.

Throughout 2023, I underwent intensive rehabilitation. Commuting to medical check-ups and tests at a center that is 200 km away from my place of residence. Monthly, private check-ups with a professor of oncological laryngology. Movement, speech therapy and anti-swelling rehabilitation. Learning to swallow. Speech learning. Dental treatment after radio-chemotherapy. High-energy liquid diet. Nutrients, dietary supplements. Vocational retraining. It costs approximately PLN 3,000 per month.

This collection is a great hope for a better life!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support!

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