Sometimes I wonder why me?
I consider myself to be a good boy, I follow societies rules, I don't do illegal drugs, I don't smoke, and I barely drink alcohol. Although I am not a gym going person, I do stay active. Yet why has my body failed me?
Since my early 30's my own body has been trying to kill me off.
I'm no first-class specimen of our species, but surely, I deserve a break and some good fortune in the health department?
The Andrews men in our family don't tend to live a long life, and there's no one particular reason for that, so often I draw the conclusion that we are cursed. For this reason, I am ever so cautious, always thinking about the next step forward, whatever that might be. You won't ever see me jay walking across a busy road.
Now, I am no medical specialist, so the following is purely my own opinion as to what might have happened by connecting dots, and a lot of google searching.
Cancer
In 2009 at the age of 30 I was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer, a mixed germ cell tumor that had already metastasized and spread. Stage 3. I had an operation and underwent 3 months of chemotherapy. The treatment went well, and after 10 further years of monitoring I was given the "all clear".
So how did I get cancer in the 1st place? The short answer, we have no idea. Was it because I was subject to secondhand smoke from cigarettes and drugs as kid? Was it because I might have been exposed to asbestos from a flat, we had recently renovated? Was it because I spent many hours stuck in city traffic congestion inhaling exhaust fumes? Was it too much processed food and sugar in my diet? Or could it be a combination of all of these things? I have no idea!
Eosinophilic Esophagitis
About a year after chemotherapy had finished, I started developing swallowing issues. Food would get stuck deep down my esophagus and I would have to regurgitate the food back up to unblock. Now because this was so recent my thoughts were that it might be cancer related. I mentioned it to my GP, and at the oncology follow ups but no one really listened. It wasn't until a year or two later when I was out to dinner with a friend that I experienced a complete blockage. Food uncontrollably regurgitated on the table in the restaurant. Geoff will remember this, I am sure. Despite the regurgitation, food was still stuck. Even saliva wouldn't pass, and I would vomit that back up to. So off to hospital and I was in surgery for 4 hours. This incident finally resulted in a more serious investigation, and I was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis, an autoimmune disease of the esophagus.... simply narrowing of the esophagus caused by a build-up of a type of white blood cells possibly due to an allergy or stomach issue such as reflux. Medication really had no effect, so I now self manage the issue by just eating very cautiously.
High Blood Pressure
In my late 30's I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Not a biggie, but possibly a link to what is to come. There are links with high blood pressure and other diseases.
Parkinson's Disease
In 2020, 11 years after my cancer diagnosis I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. I was experiencing symptoms a year before my diagnosis. I am tremor dominant but now 4 years in experience most Parkinson's issues. Medication hasn't been my friend with little improvement but with the addition of worse side effects.
Well I have discovered a new 2019 medical discovery “testicular cancer-associated paraneoplastic encephalitis,” the disease causes severe neurological symptoms in men. The disease begins with a testicular mixed cell tumor, which appears to cause the immune system to attack the brain. paraneoplastic encephalitis is also an autoimmune disease. Treatment is finding and eliminating the offending cancer cells to stop any further damage.
The more I read about this disease, there seems to be a lot of bridges being connected.
I had testicular cancer, mixed germ cell.
Eosinophilic esophagitis & paraneoplastic encephalitis are both an autoimmune disease.
High blood pressure can be linked to Parkinson's.
Parkinson's and paraneoplastic encephalitis are both neurological diseases.
Parkinson's symptoms are similar to paraneoplastic encephalitis.
Could have my cancer caused paraneoplastic encephalitis...? Damaging my brain?
Although I had no neurological symptoms at the time of my cancer treatment... perhaps the damage was already underway?
I don't know if you can be tested for paraneoplastic encephalitis... or what's involved, especially as I was treated for cancer 15 years ago.
But just maybe my experience with cancer is the underlying cause of all my issues?
I often go down a few rabbit holes when researching (and I use that term very loosely) on the internet, so I never take anything too seriously.
At the end of the day, these are the cards that I have been dealt. I only have the one life, and no matter what health challenges my body sends my way, it's not going to stop me from living my lifestyle dream every single day.
