A father who refused treatment for his cancer for 7 years admits today that he would do things differently, and wants to raise awareness among the population.
“At first I was in denial […] I exercise, I eat well, for me it was not possible, realizing in my head that I had cancer”, deplores Raymond Vles.
In 2010, the then 54-year-old athlete learned that he had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a blood cancer that mainly affects adults aged 70 and over.
This photo was taken during a cycling event in 2016, 6 years after the diagnosis.
Courtesy Raymond Vles
“It’s a cancer that usually progresses slowly. In my case, it was in 2017 that I started to have very swollen glands”, confides the one who also experienced symptoms of fatigue intermittently.
He finally started his chemo-immunotherapy treatments in 2018 after several years of medical follow-ups.
Because of his good physical shape, the sportsman refused his condition, but he would be far from being the only one in this situation.
“Often sick people want to live, so they can have a form of denial […] around them they rarely talk about it,” explains Denise Page, Executive Director of the Regroupement des organizations communautaire en oncologie.
after cancer
Now in remission from his blood cancer, the 67-year-old father of a family takes a fresh look at the disease and invites people to learn more.
“If I had to do it again, I would start my treatments earlier,” explains Raymond Vles, who has to see his hematologist every four months to make sure there is no recurrence.
“It’s always a stress before the appointments, we do blood tests and we consult the level of leukocytes [globules blancs]“, he concludes.
Despite everything, he was able to return to a normal rhythm of life and continue to play sports. He even volunteers with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. He also received the Bénévole Premier Contact 2022 award for his involvement.
On the occasion of awareness day for the well-being of people with cancer, the Regroupement des organizations communautaire en oncologie recalls that people with cancer “need complementary services [en dehors de l’hôpital] such as psychosocial services, physical activities” and support of all kinds.
In 2022, there were over 23,000 cases of blood cancer in Canada, of which chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common in adults.