Patrycja Sierszynska recovery from treatment

My story is quite long but I hope you’ll read everything.

I have never asked for any money and I know how hard times we have, the prices, taxes and inflation increased.

The 2021 and 2022 was the hardest time in my life. In September 2021 I was diagnosed with oesophagus cancer.

Initially, my GP ignored me saying I didn’t look like a cancer patient and asked me to come back next week if I lose any more weight.

In May 2021 I was 61.5kg. In September I weighed 53kg. I was losing weight so fast.

I couldn't swallow food from mid-August, and later I couldn’t even swallow water.

When I got endoscopy booked for 19th September, I thought I would come back home the same day and that it was just a routine examination. I told my daughter I would come back home later and drove myself to hospital.

I was so wrong....

They couldn't push the camera through my throat and I had to stay in hospital.

One day after the failed endoscopy I had a CT scan (20th September).

On Monday 22nd I had a biopsy and the following day, one of the consultants said I had a tumour.

My husband was with me, I cried so much... I thought I might die and leave my husband and Sofia behind.

The next day the doctors said it was cancer.

My first word when I heard this was: OK…there is nothing I can do…

Later I thought that I just won’t die. I won't leave Sofia and Michał on their own.

In the meantime, I had surgery - they put a feeding tube in my tummy. After 3 days I finally had some food, my weight was 50-51kg.

After a week, there was finally a bed for me in Churchill Hospital, and an ambulance took me there… my first time in an ambulance.

I had a PET scan on 27th September and the day before I had the surgery. The doctors and consultants said the stent might help to swallow some food. The surgery was quite quick but when I woke up, I felt so much pain in my chest and I was so uncomfortable. Every time I had a cough, I felt like someone was hitting me on my chest. I knew from the beginning that something was wrong and my body didn’t like it. The next day was even worse. I had high temperature and nausea. They even gave me morphine but that didn't help, and I slept a lot. After two days they removed it which made me very happy. The consultant said I might have something to eat! First time in 2 months I was able to eat something normal, some blended soup (chicken soup, really delicious) and some ice-cream.

I spent almost 3 weeks in hospital. During the night they fed me with high protein food - when I was discharged from hospital my weight was 49.95. I felt quite good but I was struggling with weakness and I was scared of the future.

In that time, I saw my little Sofia (6 years old) only twice. I missed her and Michał so much. This was the time when I realised, I really had to survive, because she needs me and I really want to see her growing up. He needs me as well. Also, I thought maybe he would need someone to help at home – or a new wife.

I would like to thank all the doctors, consultants, support workers and housekeepers. All these people are so brilliant !!! They work so hard, lots of them 12 hours/day or even more, they look after people and they have so much patience. I am so grateful for people who work in hospitals - thank you for saving my life.

On 4th October, I had a meeting with a doctor in Churchill Hospital and she said it would be an aggressive treatment: the tumour was 7mm and I couldn't have surgery. 4 chemo and 50 cycles of radiotherapy. When I learned about sides effects I was devastated.

The chemotherapy started on 15th October. Every 3 weeks I spent 8 hours in Day Treatment Unit (DTU) in Churchill Hospital.

Before my first chemo, I visited a naturopath in London. She gave me hope that I can survive. Her husband offered me hypnotherapy. That was something new and I said I wanted to try it. He was in training at the time, and I had to pay only £5.

After my first chemo I was exhausted – I vomited a lot, lost my voice and I had to go to hospital because I was dehydrated and had no strength. When the second chemo started, I was vomiting the same evening. Third chemo, the same story.

Every chemo was really hard.

I hated going to the DTU. People were looking at me because there weren’t too many young people there. This was the hardest time for me and my family.

After every chemo, I was very weak. I was also afraid that I would lose my hair. Thankfully that didn’t happen. A few people told me that not everyone loses their hair. Later I thought it doesn't matter anyway. My life is more important. I focused on staying alive.

In December I started radiotherapy. They made a special mask. I laid down for a few minutes - easy-peasy, I thought in the beginning. But as I had to come in 5 times a week for the next 6 weeks, I became very exhausted.

On 24th December, I had the first PET scan to see how the tumour reacted to treatment.

Few days later (28th) I felt really bad. I had a fever and no strength. Unfortunately, I had to go to hospital again. They did a lot of tests and it turned out I had Covid, delta variant.

I spent 6 days in hospital, the New Year’s Eve as well. I cried so much at midnight when I saw the fireworks, being alone in hospital. The next day my husband came with our daughter and I waved at them through the window because they couldn't visit me.

In the meantime, I had radiotherapy again. I was so weak that they had to transfer me to bed.

On 5th of January, I had my last chemo. In a separate room because I was still testing positive for Covid. I should have been happy because it was my last chemo but I knew I still had one week of radiotherapy to go through.

After 4 hours they took me for radiotherapy. I started feeling very weak, so I asked them for a wheelchair. Every day I was weaker and weaker - I usually came to the hospital with my husband or friends would drop me off and a nurse or a social worker would come to the car to collect me in a wheelchair.

On 14th January I had my last radiotherapy.

The oncologist had some good news for me: the tumour had shrunk!!! Finally!

But the side effects of radiotherapy weren’t over. I was spitting a lot of saliva because I still wasn't able to swallow anything. Also I noticed that my anxiety and a general struggle with life was overwhelming.

In the middle of February I had an online consultation with my naturopath and she taught me how to eat and how to cook - I changed my diet from that day. On the same day I also had a meeting with my therapist - we had our last hypnotherapy session. Few days later I was finally able to start eating again - I cooked some soup with green veggies - in the beginning I ate around 50-100 ml! My main food was still nutridrinks.

On 05.04 I had a PET scan and on 27.04 I had an endoscopy.

On 18th May I had a meeting with the oncologist, and he said I was healthy! This was the best news in my life, healthy again!!!

On 1st July I had another PET scan but unfortunately it showed some abnormal lymph node in my stomach. I was devastated. But he said I could go on holiday and enjoy my time.

On 15th September I had another endoscopy. 3rd this year. 6 hours without food, 1 hour waiting. After the endoscopy I felt weird. Weaker than last time and I was quite sleepy.

They probably gave me too much sedation. I couldn't walk on my own and couldn't drive for 24h. They gave me a wheelchair and we went home.

I slept all evening and night. In the next two days I wasn't able to walk normally.

On 29th September I had another PET scan.

On the 4th of October I had a meeting with the oncologist. The PET-CT scan had shown several areas of increased avidity, including in the upper oesophagus, a right hilar lymph node, left lower lung node and the upper abdominal lymph nodes. They said this was strongly suggestive of recurrent metastatic disease and told me to consider 8 cycles of chemo.

However, a biopsy of the upper oesophageal lesion showed only fibrotic changes with no evidence of cancer.

The last letter I have received was on the 20th of October 2022, and it broke me down.

It said I should be aware that the recommended treatment is likely to be life prolonging only rather than curative. If it remains oligometastatic after a course of systemic treatment, they could potentially consider me for stereotactic radiotherapy. This means I can be in re-emission.

On 14.11.2022 I had an appointment with my GP - she suggested I have long Covid and fibromyalgia. I feel increased sensitivity to pain.

The treatment has already affected me in so many negative ways. My constant tiredness - even if I sleep for 8-9 hours. I'm still tired and need a nap during day.

I am sensitive to loud noises - one of the doctors from the oncology team said it is a side effect of chemotherapy – Cisplatin and Capecitabine.

I can’t walk too far because I have a back problem.

My immune system has been weakened, and I lost 20kg in half a year. Additionally, I couldn't swallow normally for almost one year! I started eating from February but the main food was only nutritional drinks.

I'm very sensitive to cold weather and need few layers especially during the winter.

I become worried when there are too many people in the same place that I may catch something, and I might have to go to hospital again.

I'm so worried about my life and future.

I try not to complain but very often I feel like I live in someone else’s body; physically I feel like I was 80 not 36.

Right now, I put on 7 kg. I enjoy every food I make or when someone bakes or cooks for me.

I would like to raise £3500 to cover below expenses:

Hypnotherapy (£70 for 1 session)

Herbs: £550,

Tinctures – help to reduce my stress: £55

Vitamins: C, D, Magnesium, Zinc, Potassium, Omega 3: £200

Vegan protein powder: £30

Homeopathic consultation plus remedies: £50 (reduces sides effects of pain and fatigue, helps to boost my energy and immunity).

I'm hoping one day I'll wake up completely healthy with no worries about my life. I really would like to live as normal as I used to live.