How Neglecting Symptoms Killed A Young Man Slowly
"Cancer has no answer', was the first thing my husband told me with a blurry smile on his face when we received his colonoscopy reports," says Rimpa Roy Banerjee, a resident of Barasat, West Bengal. As we mark World Cancer Day, here is a story of a wife who lost her husband within a few months of their marriage to a disease that was silently killing him for over 14 years.
Colon cancer, also known as large intestine cancer is marked by the growth of polyps, in the inner linings of the Colon. If left untreated, colon cancer can also spread to other areas of the body and cause death. Today, we will hear the painful journey of a 27-year-old man who died of colon cancer, which according to the doctors was a small tumour when it started some 14 years back. However, with zero treatment, it slowly and silently changed into life-threatening malignant cancer.
Speaking to TheHealthSite.com, Rimpa Roy Banerjee recollects that it was a usual evening when her husband, Late Susanta Banerjee complained of severe pain during urination, followed by high fever and chills. "My husband informed me that uneasiness and a strong burning sensation accompanied by acute pain during urination were becoming a big problem for him. Upon being asked he revealed that the problem was there since he was in class 4," Mrs. Banerjee said. "This was the very first time when my husband opened up to me about his problem, and I could sense that he was in terrible pain that night," she adds. Soon his condition started deteriorating and the frequency of fever with strong chills doubled. Taking the degrading health issues into consideration, Mrs. Roy Banerjee took her husband to a doctor where he was diagnosed with last-stage Colon Cancer. According to the reports, the colon was completely damaged by the malignant cancer cells (almost 90 per cent of the colon was severely damaged by cancer by the time the diagnosis was being conducted).
"I went numb and was out of words for a moment when the doctor informed us that cancer has reached the last stage and only a miracle can save him now from death. But we didn't give up. I and my husband, both fought together till his last breath."
"A colon is the digestive tract's lower end. This is why some symptoms can be mistaken for usual gastric or acid reflux. My husband used to complain of indigestion and acid reflux during the initial days of our marriage. Had I known that something so deadly was residing within him and is slowly dragging him toward his death, I would have made sure to get him tested a long time before. But we mistook it as indigestion due to his food habits," says Mrs. Roy Banerjee, with tears in her eyes.
Upon being asked about the signs that started making visible appearances, Mrs. Roy Banerjee said, "In the initial stages he used to have painful and forceful urination, but later on he used to complain about acute lower abdominal pain, vomiting or nausea, and loss of appetite." One of the most unusual signs was the sound of water which started coming from Mr. Banerjee's stomach -- according to the doctor the cancer was spreading to other body parts, which is why the body was getting filled with water.
One of the most prominent signs of cancer is sudden and unexplained weight loss, which mainly happens due to the loss of appetite that the patient face during the course of the disease. "My husband's weight drastically dropped by 24 kilos within 4 months post-diagnosis. He weighed 82 kilos, but after all the tests and medications, his weight dropped to 54kg," Mrs. Roy Banerjee said.
But, whenever I think about those scary nights, when I was counting the days, I feel his death was destined. I knew I lost the battle when the doctors informed me that he has only 1 month and 11 days left. I was broken from inside, but never showed anything to anyone, not even my husband." Mrs. Roy Banerjee said. "My husband was well aware of the reports and that his death is nearing. The last two days were extremely painful for him." She adds.
Highlighting the last few hours of Mr. Banerjee, she said, "He was in extreme pain on the night before his death. He couldn't bear the pain and even tried to cut his body with a blade that he found in his shaving kit. The cuts were severe and he lost a lot of blood, which eventually killed him within hours."
"It all ended. The pain was gone, his body was numb. I couldn't believe that my married life was over and I will never hear him say anything to me. I knew my husband was gone and with that, the journey of those few months post-diagnosis came to an end," Mrs. Roy Banerjee said.
Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a lack of proper awareness is what remains the major contributing factor to the increasing mortality rate of cancer globally. To help people who are at risk of developing cancer, we need to spread more awareness. And, this story was one of the small contributions that we are making in order to bring to light the untold stories of such cancer patients who could have been here with us if they were informed about the disease and its symptoms.
Stay aware, and stay safe!
