libra1-Recuperato

A personal visual diary
on
the Art of Disease
by
Mauro Fiorese

 

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Chapter 3
Post-production/Cure

 

ombra mauro

After I realized that last year’s motorcycle accident was not a big deal once compared with the actual Big Picture, the Guy finally introduced himself to me as:
Malign (Nickname)
Adenocarcinoma (First Name)
Lung Cancer (Family Name)
Stage 4 (Age).
Left upper Lung (temporary address)

That
was not making me feel really better at all, but at least I was more aware of who I was dealing with.
I knew this Guy had a goal: expansion!

bunker

Doctors didn’t really use a very “technical” approach with me about the actual disease but they really did for what was concerning my Cure.
There’s a protocol for Chemotherapy that can be adapted to every case and for almost every single patient.
I was a little afraid only to enter that place called Oncology.
A place I sometimes considered a sort of Bunker. But that was probably just a consequence of a mix of both personal experiences and the World of Movies .

unità operativa di oncologia

maurovistacalziniletto donna con braccio davanti

mauroconcuffie persona con fasciatura gamba

My first Chemo was not a real shock at all. First of all because I was familiar with the Subject: my parents founded the first Hospice for terminal cancer patients in the Region and my Mother accompanied a lot of people of all ages as well as several friends to a new step of their so called Existence.
An ironic paradox for me.
But a useful one.

nebbia

I was a little confused, at that time, only about timing. How long will that be lasting? And I was also a little afraid of how long I could… oh, whatever!
But MY therapy was supposed to go on for a while so I went through a new surgery to insert a central vene caterer, called Power Port, running under my skin from my neck to my chest in order to speed up the therapy process that I was going through every week.
And it would have been my new roommate for the next years.

maurospiaggia

collopeloso

Chapter 4: Chemi/Chemo

 

maionese

The first big change was in my diet: I became VEGAN!
Jesus Christ, Vegan?
Me? And what about il Capuccino, il Parmigiano, il Prosciutto, la Mozzarella, il Salame?
But moderation became the Magic Word and benefits were just around the corner.
I was preparing myself and my body to welcome poison residing inside us.
A sort of simultaneous destructive and healing process.

chemiosacco

Three cycles of Chemotherapy – just to start – and a lot, A LOT of changes.
Not to mention that I didn’t really know how long (again) they would have last.

contenitore plastica dottoresse

piedi contenitore anziano mauroocchiolino

I erased the word “others” from my vocabulary.
Inside the Yellow Room we were all different and we were all the same.
We were all going through something scary, frustrating, painful and we were all facing it differently.
But with a lot of Dignity.
I lost my hair, yes. But that issue wasn’t really my biggest concern honestly.
I actually learned a lot about wigs.
And that was sad to me.

donna senza capelli

parrucche

maurofotometà sfuocata

Side effects?
Let me think… I have a nice list including Nausea, Weight loss ( that was good!), Diarrea and/or Stipsi, lack of Memory, Emorragic urine (that’s BAD with capital letters!), Hair loss, Muscles and Bones pain and more.
But I also gained ability in seeing things much more clearly: thinking, talking and acting more clearly (with myself at first place) and finally… selecting!
Selecting a LOT more and with a great sense of doing the right thing.
How liberating!

leoccasioni

The “Chemistry Room” is modern, yellow, quite, enlighted and provided with everything: coffe and the, biscuits, smiling volounteers, internet connection and a HD tv Screen.
One day I left my IPad at home (consequence of Memory loss) and watched a morning tv show.
The subject was: “lost chances”.
How illuminating!

lampi

portachiusa varco piante sediacampagna

How often do we miss opportunities?
Not only those we consider “great” and often obsessive opportunities, such as “making money” or “meeting the right person”, but mostly by missing little things.
By looking up to the sky, for example, more often than what we do in order to be inspired.
Or smelling and tasting some food by closing our eyes for a moment, not just to feed our body.
Let’s say to live HERE, NOW.
We miss, little, precious epiphanies.
And that happens every day.
And sometimes it’s too late.

Mauro Fiorese all rights reserved
October 2014.

To be continued…