‘If you feel there is something wrong in your body, get it checked out and keep getting it checked out until you get an answer.’

TARYN RUTENBERG, CANCER SURVIVOR

Just after her thirtieth birthday, Taryn Rutenberg and her husband were
planning to start a family. An occupational therapist, Taryn was a busy
woman with an A-type personality. So when digestive cramps and bloating
started making her uncomfortable, she was quick to have it checked out.
What she could not know, was that she would have no control over her life
for the next two years.

‘There is no history of cancer or anything like that in my family, so when I
had the cramps and bloatedness, my GP referred me to a dietitian because she
thought maybe I was lactose intolerant or wheat intolerant,’ Taryn explains.

After being monitored by her dietitian for months and put on different diets,
nothing seemed to be working. ‘I still asked her at one point, at what stage do
we investigate this further to see if it isn’t something more sinister, but she
said that because I was so young and my bowel habits hadn’t really changed,
it shouldn’t be anything too risky.’

One day, when Taryn bent to tie her shoes, she felt a searing pain in her
right side. Certain that it was her appendix, she phoned her GP, who referred
her to a surgeon. The pain got worse and the doctors agreed that it might be
her appendix. ‘The radiologist had a look and said that there was an
unidentified mass, which could be the appendix. He said it wouldn’t be
cancer because of my age. I wasn’t even thinking about cancer, so I was quite
surprised that he even mentioned it.’

Taryn went in for a laparoscopy, which was converted to a laparotomy
during the surgery. They had found a grapefruit-sized tumour and had to
remove half of her colon. Her appendix was also taken out. ‘I spent three days
in ICU, which was horrible as they wouldn’t let me eat until they were sure
my colon had properly healed. I was tormented, because someone kept
bringing their friend hot chips in the ward and all I could do was suck ice!’
Taryn also had to have physiotherapy to help her walk, as she was so weak
after the major abdominal surgery. She was then transferred to a general ward
for a few days where she was allowed to eat.

While waiting a week for the results, Taryn still did not suspect the mass
they had removed had anything to do with cancer. When her family was
called into the surgeon’s office, it was only Taryn’s mom who had been a
nurse who suspected the worst. ‘They sat us down and showed us this
beautiful picture on the computer screen of this big, fat, pink, globular mass,
which was absolutely revolting – it’s burned in my brain. He said it was
cancerous.’

Assuming it was a death sentence, Taryn began apologising to her
husband for being the wife who was about to die. ‘I really thought it was over.

I thought that cancer was an end sentence.’ In the meantime, the doctors
needed to work out if the cells had gone through the intestine walls or not,
which would indicate whether she was going to need chemotherapy.

Notorious in her family for having a low pain threshold, Taryn did not know
how she was going to get through treatment. ‘I didn’t really know much
about the stages of cancer then, the prognosis, colon cancer or anything like
that, and, as it turns out, if you’re going to choose cancer, colon is the best
one to get because there is so much colon to go around.’

The worst was confirmed, and Taryn’s surgeon suggested that she put on
some weight before starting chemotherapy so that her body could cope. She
moved into her parent’s home in Centurion and her mom focused on feeding
her a high-fat diet. ‘The doctor said that everything, like yoghurt, must be full
cream and I must have all of the chocolates and the ice cream that I wanted
and just really fatten myself up. Bottom line.’

After the surgery, it was a waiting game until she was strong enough for
chemotherapy. Having planned to start trying for children, the couple began
to see a fertility specialist hoping to harvest eggs before the chemotherapy
began. ‘I think that was one of the most devastating things for me; I thought
that I was never going to be able to have children even if I did survive. I am
passionate about children and work with them every day and there was
nothing more I wanted than to have my own children.’ After a first round of
fertility treatment, Taryn was told that it had not worked and that they could
not wait for another cycle because she needed to start chemotherapy as soon
as possible. She was crushed and frustrated that her chance of having children
had been taken away from her (she was given only a 20 per cent chance of
having children after chemotherapy).

After having a port installed for the chemotherapy to be administered
more smoothly, the treatment began. It lasted six months and left Taryn with
extreme diarrhoea, some hair loss and peripheral neuropathy, a condition
where your hands and feet tingle and you cannot touch or eat anything cold.
‘It was in winter so I couldn’t do up my buttons or my zips and I couldn’t
hold a pen. Everyone kept saying that I must write a journal about what I was
going through during chemo, but I couldn’t hold a pen and I couldn’t type on
the keyboard. Even crying used to burn my eyes.’ The peripheral neuropathy
lasted for a few months after chemotherapy and Taryn was concerned that she
may never fully recover the feeling in her fingers. The cortisone she was given
to combat the nausea also prevented her from sleeping. ‘The chemo wore
down the healing capacity of my cells so any bumps or bruises took ages to
heal and my skin also started to peel – requiring a hectic moisturising routine.

The slightest sun exposure would result in severe sunburn.’

Every second week, when Taryn was not undergoing treatment, she would
go to work, until three months in when the side effects left her unable to do so.
When her platelets dropped and her white-blood count was too low, she had
to wait even longer for her next chemotherapy session, which was difficult
because she had hoped to be finished before Christmas. The delays made this
impossible.
Taryn’s support base was phenomenal, however. The school where she
worked drew up a meal roster so that every single night Taryn and her
husband had a meal to eat without having to cook. ‘I remember feeling like a
bit of a fake, because on the weeks when I wasn’t having chemo, I felt like the
Duracell bunny in comparison and was absolutely fine.’

During treatment, Taryn was told to avoid anything that contained folic
acid and was banned from seafood, including prawns and sushi, and certain
cheeses. She was also advised against consuming alcohol and caffeine. A
friend gave her a soup recipe (see page 156), which, she says, ‘was the most
fabulous recipe, because sometimes I just didn’t have the energy to make
myself anything. My mom would make the soup and freeze it in little packets.

In the morning, I would take a packet out and then at lunch time, I just had to
put it in the microwave and eat it. I could actually feel it really rejuvenating
my body.’

On the weeks when she felt healthy, Taryn would buy herself an ice cream
just because she could. On the weeks when she was ill, she would eat whatever
she could stomach.

During treatment, Taryn was buddied up with a young woman in her
twenties who had ovarian cancer. They had coffee a few times and kept in
touch until one day Taryn could not get hold of her. ‘It was only when I
contacted the chemo centre that they told me she had passed away the Friday
before. I remember I was driving and I just stopped in the middle of the road
and was paralysed, I couldn’t believe she was dead. I think that they deal with
death so often that it becomes blasé for them, but for me, I then confronted
the fear of death all over again.’

Sometime later, she made friends with another woman who was also
dealing with an advanced colon cancer, but she too passed away. ‘It was then
that I learnt not to make friends at chemo. At the same time though, there
had been something cathartic about being able to share with her what I had
been going through and tell her what worked and what didn’t. There was
something healing for me being able to pass on information and do
something, even if it was for a short period.’

During the chemotherapy, Taryn spent a long time thinking about what
she had done to get cancer in the first place. ‘I went to see a dietitian who
specialised in oncology and I said, “Right, I don’t know why this happened
to me. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, there is no genetic link, my mom has
always given us fruit and vegetables our whole lives, we didn’t eat takeaway as
kids and I exercise regularly.”’ The only thing that Taryn could conclude was
that her sweet tooth and love of pastries, buns, muffins and biscuits had
contributed to her sickness because of the amount of hydrogenated fat and
refined sugars they contain. Her A-type personality and her ability to stress
about things quite easily were also factors that she considered: ‘I’m quite a
stresser, I like things to be organised and I try to keep everybody happy, so I
think the stress levels were high, but not abnormally high.’

Having done regular Pilates up until her surgery meant that she recovered
quickly. ‘The surgeon said that he couldn’t believe how quickly I had
recovered and put it down to the fact that I had done Pilates – my core
muscles were very strong.’

Despite the disruption to her life, Taryn says she would not change it for a
second. Not only was her faith solidified, but she says it was amazing to see
how family and friends rallied around and supported her. ‘The support we
got, the support that my husband got, there were prayer chains sent around
the world – it really was a humbling experience. I also really learnt to
appreciate what it is like to feel well and healthy and not to take this for
granted.’

Two years after her treatment, Taryn and her husband were able to start
trying for children. They were told that it was unlikely they would conceive,
but that they should try for three months before looking at alternative options.
They conceived within the first month and their little boy was born nine
months later.

While Taryn still worries that the cancer might come back at some point,
she says it has made her very conscious of her lifestyle. She sees a wellness
consultant in Pretoria to help manage stress and follows a specific diet, with
supplements. She is aware of the impacts of refined sugar and drinking tap
water. Her biggest aim is to make sure that her son will never have to suffer
something similar. She warns her friends and family to pay attention to their
bodies and to persevere if they feel that something is not right. ‘I felt a bit let
down by the health professionals, because every time I mentioned it to them,
they just blew it off because of my age. Cancer is occurring more frequently in
younger people and we need to be more diligent with screenings and listen to
our bodies so we can take action early as this is critical to the prognosis.’

While she is not a completely different person and still likes to be in
control every now and then, life has changed for Taryn: ‘I always say it was
hell to go through, but it changed me as a person. I don’t sweat the small stuff
as easily any more and I don’t take life for granted, because it was nearly
taken away. It’s just realising from a faith point of view that you are not in
control. If you have an A-type personality you like to think that you are, but
you aren’t.’

A NOTE ON EARLY DETECTION

According to the WHO: ‘Early detection of cancer greatly increases the
chances for successful treatment. There are two major components of early
detection of cancer: education to promote early diagnosis and screening.’67

By educating yourself on the possible warning signs of cancer so that you
may recognise them if they affect you, you are already increasing your
chances of early detection and, therefore, successful treatment. Early warning
signs can include lumps, sores that fail to heal, abnormal bleeding, persistent
indigestion and chronic hoarseness. By taking note of such symptoms and
getting yourself checked out immediately, especially when it comes to cancers
of the breast, cervix, mouth, larynx, colon, rectum and skin, your survival
rate can be greatly improved.68

Having regular check-ups and screening tests will enable professionals to
pick up any cancer that may be in your body before you experience
symptoms.

Breast oncologist Dr Elizabeth Murray says that once you have been
diagnosed, you should immediately see a specialist oncologist and, if it is
operable, a surgeon. Breast cancer in particular, she explains, ‘really should be
managed through a combined multidisciplinary panel of specialists’. Her
advice is for cancer patients not to put off treatment and not to keep it a
secret. ‘Talk to people about it to relieve the stress, but don’t let them stress
you out with all sorts of advice and mythical cures. Get a second opinion
from a specialist instead.’

She also suggests that you do not read up too much on the Internet, as this
can be more alarming than beneficial. Murray explains that allowing an
oncologist or doctor to talk you through the information and to help you to
digest it will make you far less anxious than reading up on it on your own.

She adds that getting a second opinion if you are concerned is perfectly fine
too. ‘You can also check on the credentials of your specialist through the
Health Professions Council if you are worried.’

Ask as many questions as you need to before and during your treatment.
In terms of prevention, as Taryn says, listen to your body and ensure that you
have anything out of the ordinary checked out.