Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Smiling, being optimistic and full of energy and starting awareness campaigns are not the sort of things one would expect from a cancer patient. Yet, these attributes are the marks of a cancer survivor who is determined to beat cancer and help other patients survive.
Twenty-one-year-old Saudi stage 3 cancer patient Hamza Iskander never had it easy. He was born a fighter and his congenital heart defect equipped him with the stamina and courage that he would later need to fight cancer head on. “When I was six years old, I had my first open heart surgery so the doctors could install a mechanical valve in my heart. Complications brought me back to the operation table a year later. And then when I was 12 years old, I had my third heart operation because my body had grown but the mechanical valve of course had not. Life was a challenge and being in and out of the hospital taught me to appreciate life even more,” said Hamza. Hamza's childhood illness created in him a strong urge to be normal and playful, just like other children around him. “I felt that I had to prove to everyone that I was normal and smart and could go to school and be a successful student. I slowly trained my body to exercise. I enjoyed playing soccer and even played professionally on Al-Ahli Soccer Team for a while. I also became a cricket player on the Saudi National Cricket Team. Later, I graduated from high school and enrolled in the College of Business Administration (CBA) and acted in a television advertisement,” said Hamza. Last year, when Hamza was in his third year of studies at CBA as a finance major, he suffered from severe chest pain, dizziness, weakness, fainting episodes and blood in his vomit. His family suspected it was his heart condition. After undergoing an endoscopy and a series of tests at the hospital, doctors' initial diagnosis was a tear in the esophagus and stomach ulcer. Hamza was treated and released from the hospital. His symptoms, however, did not subside and he lost a considerable amount of weight. Three months after being discharged, he began vomiting blood again and was back in the hospital. More tests and scans revealed Hamza had an 8 cm tumor in the esophagus and the cancer had spread to his stomach. “What wounded me beyond words was the way the physician blatantly broke the news, without offering hope, taking the time to educate me about cancer, or even offering consoling words or a simple pat on the shoulder. To be honest, when I first heard the word ‘cancer', I felt I was doomed. I had never indulged in any risky behavior like drinking alcohol or smoking. I was supposed to graduate that year. I felt like my life was falling apart, I was losing my body, losing my charm and my ability to study,” recalled Hamza. After the initial shock began to wear off and Hamza deeply reflected on his life, his parents, family, and his relationship with God, he realized that caner was just one more challenge in his life that he could overcome. “Cancer was a turning point in my life. I owe it to my parents who have invested so much in me to remain strong, to put up a fight and remain positive during the course of my treatment. During these times, I have become closer to Allah. I wake up very early every morning and I pray, supplicate and read the Holy Qur'an for an hour,” said Hamza. The road to recovery is not an easy one and at times it is unpleasant, painful, and draining both physically and emotionally. Due to the sizable tumor in the esophagus and its metastases to the stomach, surgery was not an option as it entailed removing a large portion of the esophagus and stomach which would severely diminish his quality of life. Hamza is currently in the United States on a treatment plan of a combination of intense chemotherapy along with radiation. He has approximately 5 more weeks of treatment ahead of him. “My oncologist was amazed with the results of my first four chemotherapy sessions. I managed to actually gain 6 kilograms which is almost impossible due to the nausea and upset stomach that chemotherapy causes. The chemotherapy kills the taste buds on the tongue so I lost all sense of taste. It also caused terrible nausea, headaches, and red, irritated spots on my back, and hair loss. I kept telling myself that this would be temporary and I forced myself to eat several small snacks and drink a lot of water throughout the day. I also use aloe vera and honey which are very soothing and healing. Tests have shown that my tumor has responded very well to treatment and has shrunk in size,” said Hamza. An equally important part of Hamza's cancer treatment regimen is to smile and remain positive. To help other cancer patients remain in high spirits while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment, he started the “I fight cancer with a smile” campaign. He even wears a Hug a Cancer Patient t-shirt and receives an average of 30 hugs and motivational words of support from well-wishers and kind hearted people as a result. Hamza's message to all cancer patients and to anyone who has a family member suffering from cancer is: “If you have cancer, you can fight it. Cancer helps you learn more about yourself and helps you enjoy the simple things in life. It is a difficult illness but it is not the end. No matter how dark the night is and how bad the treatment can make you feel for a day, the next day will be better and the bright sun will come out.” When he returns to Jeddah, Hamza plans to start a cancer support group, help more people fight cancer with a smile and increase awareness on cancer.
