The Timing of My Colon Cancer and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Carla Deschamps is now a survivor of colon cancer after receiving her diagnosis in February 2020. Read her blogs here!

Someone once said, “A grandmother is a remarkable woman. She’s a wonderful combination of warmth and kindness, laughter and love. She overlooks our faults, encourages our dreams, and praises our every success.”

My grandmother was that and so much more. She was someone whom I admired, respected and loved — she meant the world to me. However, when I was diagnosed with colon cancer, I was restricted from doing certain things in order to protect my health. I was not able to leave the country due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, I was not able to fly to the Dominican Republic to visit my grandmother, which was heartbreaking to me.

I just want to take a moment and express how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted my life in different ways. In my previous blogs, I have shared affirmations, prayers and techniques that have assisted me in overcoming this life-changing event. Yet, I would have never guessed that I would be diagnosed with cancer in a period that changed my life forever, along with our society. It all started in February 2020.

To begin with, I was only able to leave my house to visit my oncologist, which was every three weeks. My oncologist also conducted blood work in order to keep monitoring the progress of my health. My immune system during that time was not at its best. I was still fragile from the recovery of my surgery. Due to this, I was able to get easily sick if I was exposed to certain things. So, I was unable to leave my house to buy groceries or go to any crowded places.

In April 2020, I began my treatment with chemotherapy. This was another time when I had to be extremely careful with my health. During the course of my treatment, I was very limited in who was around me. My immediate family members were the only ones who could come to visit me. Even then, I had to take precautions because getting COVID-19 during my treatment was not an option for me. I was afraid of how my body was going to react if that happened. My family understood my risks and they did everything in their power to protect me from this virus. Luckily, I did not get COVID-19 and everything went well during the first few months of my treatment.

Additionally, wearing masks every day was not my favorite part of my recovery after my diagnosis of colon cancer. I knew that it was one of the ways to protect me from getting COVID-19. I just did not like to wear them on a consistent basis. So, I made it fun by personalizing my masks. In the end, I learned to comprehend that I needed to do whatever it took to stay cancer-free, even if it meant wearing masks.

In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic — without a doubt — changed all of our lives. Many people lost their lives, and during this time, I even lost my grandmother. I was heartbroken that I wasn’t able to say my goodbyes during treatment. Even though it was a difficult time for me, I am extremely grateful for being alive today. It has given me the opportunity to share my story with you. I would like to end my blog by sharing a moment of gratitude.

Now, read this with me as I read it with you: I am so happy and grateful now that I have radiant, positive energy. It gives me an inner glow that is contiguous as others love to be around me. It is as bright as the sun, making everything shine. Let my light shine bright!!! Forever Blessed.

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