“It was hard. I suffered a lot from the side effects. Maybe not a good story, but I think I know all the toilets in Amsterdam by now. My intestines no longer work properly and I have to find a toilet quickly. So they are always in a strategic position. But it’s not nice.’
Not touched
Last week, however, Serge-Henri was told that radiation treatments hadn’t helped. “The tumors are still present and a lot of scar tissue has formed as a result of the radiation treatments. Therefore, they cannot re-radiate. So I don’t know what kind of treatment the oncologist will suggest me. All I suspect is that he will say I will need an ostomy. I just don’t know if I want to. I have to think about it carefully.’
Insecurity
Serge-Henri finds uncertainty particularly difficult. “Doctors don’t tell you how much time you have left. Six months, three years… Probably also because they don’t know it themselves. I am 76 years old and I know that I do not have eternal life. Now, if they said I have three years left, you might survive. On the other hand, something can happen to you tomorrow. So you never know.’
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Image: Peter Smulders
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