Omar Butler and Viveka Rodríguez have faced a long process to achieve oncological remission.
Omar Butler, lung cancer survivor, and Viveka Rodríguez, multiple myeloma cancer survivor. Photo: Medicine and Public Health Magazine. Fabiola Plaza.
receive a diagnosis of cancer implied for Omar Butler and Viveka Rodriguez, patients Puerto Ricans from cancer lung and multiple myelomaan absolute change of life, emotional stability, daily routines and even ways of thinking and understanding life.
In the case of Omar, he went to different doctors to arrive at his diagnosis, since on one occasion he began to expel blood from his mouth, but he associated it with routine brushing of his teeth, first he went to the dentist and later, he underwent different exams with him Dr. Pedro Solivan, hematologist oncologist and there he received a devastating result: cancer of lung.
“10 or 12 years ago I had quit smoking and in my youth I smoked, I didn’t realize it, if it wasn’t because when I brushed my teeth, I spilled blood, I went to the dentist and I continued there until they continued to do tests and they detected a mass in my lung that was cancerous, “he said. .
His process was extensive, he was 68 years old when they found a 7-centimeter tumor in his lunghe was successfully operated on and began treatment with chemotherapy, radiotherapy e immunotherapywhich lasted regarding 3 years.
In his words, he expresses that, “the best thing I might do was not waste time and in less than 7 days following the diagnosis they were operating on me. It is worth the operation and treatment because today I lead a normal life and I go to the doctor to take care of myself, this is a process until I die, I keep checking myself”.
The symptoms of lung cancer may be associated with other conditionsTherefore, Dr. Solivan indicates that it is very difficult for a patient to reach an early stage and that generates greater complications for surgical procedures or adequate treatments.
It is worth mentioning that this type of cancer does not have an associated genetic predisposition, however, Omar’s specialist and treating physician explains that “the greatest number of risks of cancer of the lung is the smoking patient, the poor diet and the patient’s life status”.
Omar faced a treatment that he describes as difficult and extensive, but certainly worth it. “As soon as I got out of the operation, I started treatment, it was 5 hours a day and the radio was very annoying because I mightn’t eatI weighed 145 pounds, lost 45 to 50 pounds and spent 18 days in intensive care.
His message to people who are in the process of being diagnosed or are patients in treatment is to be positive, “you can’t sit and fuck yourself or stop doing your things, because it gives you depression, you have to prepare for it”.
He also stressed that family support is essential, since they are also part of the process and live it as patients. “I had a hard time, but I’m alive,” said Omar, who is currently in complete remission.
living with multiple myeloma
Viveka Rodriguez She is also a patient of Dr. Solivan and her process began following a fall she had, in which she hit her chest, the pain continued and later she developed a mass that grew over time.
The patient spent 6 months searching for the reason for the pain she presented and on one occasion, being a neighbor of the specialist, he saw her and told her that it might be multiple myeloma. Immediately, the tests were immediate and she was diagnosed with this type of cancer.
Myeloma is the tumor, the plasma cellsand the multiple are the problems that myeloma creates when it is active, one of them is low immunoglobulin, kidney failure, bone involvement or deformity.
“The night before, before taking my exams, I didn’t sleep, I kept thinking regarding my children, I have 3 sons, I am a divorced mother, and I thought regarding how I am going to handle the situation,” Viveka said.
His treatment has been long and complicated, “I think I have gone through all the lines of treatment that exist,” he added, “when I started, they gave me an autologous transplant, that is, with my own marrow and was in complete remission for a little over two years. Then I got another injury on rib 8 and 9, an injury that was quite large, it was pushing my stomach and liver, it was super painful, the pain was intolerable, because the tumor breaks my bones.
The tumor that Viveka had in her chest had fractured her sternum and the one in her ribs had hurt her once more, so she took medication to withstand the pain, “the cancer starts in the bone marrow and as it grows, it breaks down the bones”.
After those years of treatment, he presented tumors once more, he went from having one to more than 20, in his words he expresses that he missed several treatments and tumors continued to appear. “I entered a clinical study for CAR-T, we were all very happy because I was going to be part of the study, but my disease was so advanced that they had to take me out of the study, so they did a second bone marrow transplant to ‘buy time’, that’s how the words were, they did it to me and I had more time, just over 1 year free from cancer once more”.
But not everything ended there, following a year, Viveka presented a tumor in her chest once more, which grew rapidly and therefore she had to start treatment with radiotherapy. “Then another tumor came out behind my jaw and it was pushing my carotid artery” he added and described that it was one of the tumors with which he suffered the most, because he was hungry and might not eat, he might not breathe and it affected his speech and pronunciation. “After that, they gave me radiation and fortunately I was able to receive the CAR-T treatment, not as a clinical study, but part of the treatment and to this day I am in complete remission, thanks to the Lord and my doctors.
For the patient, apart from the treatment process, one of the most difficult things was her children. Since the first diagnosis she received, she has always tried to stay strong and prevent them from seeing her suffering, although it is inevitable.
“My children are 4 years apart each, and what I decided was to talk to each one individually, taking into account their age at the time and their maturity. That was in 2015, the oldest was 17, he was going to turn 18, the middle one was 14 years old and the youngest was 9 and the one who took it the hardest was the youngest, perhaps because he was the one who understood the least, that’s why before After talking to them, I educated myself and spoke to them in the correct way,” he explained.
However, he narrates that his youngest son did not understand the situation and upon hearing the word cancer She put her hands on her face and asked Viveka, “Mommy, are you going to die?”, a question that was difficult for her to answer, but she did not want to lie to her son and told him that it was a possibility , but what trusting in God and facing it as a family they might overcome it.
“It affected us in many ways, when it was my first diagnosis, my eldest son was graduating from fourth year, he had everything planned to go to university outside of Puerto Rico and when he found out he told me: mommy, I’m going to postpone the university and I am going to stay with you because for the transplant process you need a caregiver who is with you all the time and I am going to stay with you.” Faced with this situation, Viveka says that she felt guilty for delaying her son’s plans, but they made a decision to go to Tampa, in the US, to receive an allogeneic treatment and that he might study.
“Then I go back, and my eldest son comes in December to spend Christmas as usual. When the results came out once more, the myeloma panel came out positive and he told me that he was going to get his things and return to Puerto Rico. He brought me when had chemotherapies at the Hospital Auxilio Mutuo and he got up early with me,” he added.
In the last two years, Viveka’s older children have been her support and support between the constant tests and treatments, “for me it has been a pride, they divide the tasks and they have taken care of me”.
Your message to patients who face the cancer of multiple myeloma is that do not be discouraged by hearing the word cancer“trust in God, I believe that everything negative brings positive things, and in my life the cancer has served to establish priorities,” he added, “the first thing is to work on that relationship with God and trust him, you also have to educate yourself regarding the condition and choose a good doctor who is an expert in the type of cancer who suffers and trust the specialist”.
Certainly, for the patient, the process is more difficult each time a new tumor appears, since it arrives when you least expect it, but you have to face it and treat it. “I created a page on Facebook called ‘Multiple Myeloma Puerto Rico’ and the purpose is for patients write your questions, experiences and that all of us as a community help each other, expressed Viveka.
Get to know the testimonials of the patients cancer survivors here.
