There is no extra time in this battle. Please help me to defeat cancer!

The treatment is in progress, there is no turning back. The costs are dramatically increasing and I am holding on to life. I can’t give up. I want to come back. To my life. The kids. The family.

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If someone had told me some time ago, that there was a huge ransom to be paid for my life, I would not have believed it. And yet, I am a tumor hostage. Tumor has taken full control of my life. It took away a lot, but until I’m alive, I can hope for victory.

When feeling worse, you always blame some external factors: stress, some worse time in life, or overwork. Really, you think it it can be anything BUT something ultimate. When I heard the diagnosis, it came as a shock. So I got to know the reason for my pain, and time started ticking away in my brain. Ticking off the days that I would still have left alive. Ticking off the moments for enjoying being a father. Light-heartedness was forever gone, and it was replaced by fear. But that was not everything I felt at that time. My body switched to a survival mode. All that mattered, was to combat cancer, and find a way to slip out of the mortal embrace of an illness which attacked my body without any warning.

I have always been into sport. This has taught me to be strong and determined in achieving goals. I know that reaching for your aim takes huge amounts of effort; oftentimes, pain is included as well. There is, however, one fundamental difference between competing in sports and competing against cancer. Namely, a loss in sports results in months, or years of hard work. It’s just a lesson learned for the future. In case of cancer, the loss is the end. There is no extra time in this battle. No second chance, nor rematch. 

In this dreadful situation, I’ve been searching for help everywhere. I was informed that stomach resection could save my life, but some other physicians claimed it wasn’t the best solution at that time. Contradictory information, variable concepts of treatment, and the thought that for most people, the malignant stomach tumor is a death sentence. My family, my friends and I were holding on to hope. It was last minute that we found this Austrian Clinic, where physicians put a lot of attention into examining my case. They’ve prepared a treatment plan and told me they were ready to support me in my life-saving battle. When I saw the battle quote, my heart sank … It was hundreds of thousands zlotys! I will never raise such an amount; that’s not possible – such thought ran through my mind, but only for a short moment. Because if I give up, my body will not be able to defend itself. Everyone says we will make it through, and we will be able to collect the needed amount – and I have always fully trusted my nearest and dearest. Give me a virtual five, give me a chance to combat my opponent. One round is only a temporary advantage. I need full mobilization! Can we nail it together?

The worst thing about being ill is the uncertainty. I haven’t seen my kids since my arrival to the clinic; and I can’t stop thinking that is something goes wrong, this good-bye which took place a month ago, will be our last. I promised them I’d come back and we’d do something together – something we didn’t have time for in the past. Tumor changes your perspective. It allows to appreciate things which would normally seem ordinary. Better late than never, right?  Look around and do whatever you’ve been putting off believing there will be time for this. This time will be over before you know it. 

If it wasn’t for the clinic, I wouldn’t be here now. Actually, with such tumor, one doesn’t talk about the chances of being cured, one talks about relieving pain and submissive awaiting of death. To such an option I say an absolute ”NO”. Giving up without a fight is just not me. I am sure that with your helpful hand, I will rise stronger.