“By dinner time…it was so big that it was hard to walk,” says Lauren Onischuk.
On a typical Sunday morning in 2009, Lauren Onischuk woke up with unusual symptoms. His left ankle was swollen, as if he had sprained it. Even though he didn’t do anything to cause such an injury.
The Westlock man’s legs remained painfully swollen throughout the day. “By dinner time, his whole leg was… bigger,” he said. “It was so big that it was difficult to walk.”
Onischuk said she had planned to go to the hospital the next day, but went to the emergency room at her sister’s urging. The doctor on duty was unsure of the cause of the swelling, but called St. Albert Hospital and arranged for an ultrasound.
After the ultrasound, Onischuk recalls meeting a specialist who expedited the procedure for a biopsy (removal of tissue to determine the extent of the disease). It took several weeks, but eventually Onischuk learned he had lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes.
Lymph nodes are part of the internal network that supports the body’s immune system. Because these lymph nodes swell to fight cancer cells, Onischuk’s legs were also swollen enough that she estimated they were about 20 percent larger than normal.
When asked how he felt when he received his diagnosis, Onishuku recalled that he was nervous until he was diagnosed, not knowing what was going on. But when the news finally came, it was actually kind of a relief.
“I can understand why they don’t say the important words, because they don’t want to scare people until they know for sure,” he said, adding that once they understand what the problem is, He added that he can focus on what happens next.
Although lymphoma can sometimes be treated by surgical removal of lymph nodes, Onischuk underwent chemotherapy to treat the cancer.
Initially, he had to undergo fairly intensive chemotherapy, but eventually he was treated every three months.
While horror stories among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy are common, Onischuk said that aside from some minor side effects, the first round of chemotherapy went fairly well.
But Onischuk continued to undergo regular check-ups long after the first round, and in 2015 he said doctors found something alarming in his blood tests.
“I had a bad cough and felt like I was going to pass out. Other than that, there were no signs of cancer,” he said.
After her first treatment cycle, Onischuk said she felt better than she had in a long time. However, it wasn’t until the second cycle that side effects, including hair loss, began to appear in earnest.
“When it comes to hair loss, you know it’s a possibility, but when it actually happens, it’s surprising because it happens so quickly,” he says.
Fortunately, Onischuk has recovered and, although he continues to undergo regular check-ups, the 50-year-old’s cancer appears to have disappeared or is in remission. But he still has strange memories of his experience. His left foot isn’t as big as it used to be, but it’s still somewhat bigger.
Onischuk, who currently works as a millwright, tries to keep his life intact, but said he doesn’t like climbing ladders or bending them at certain angles. And of course he had to adjust his wardrobe.
“I used to wear tight jeans, but now I have to wear baggy jeans,” he said. “And your socks will stretch.”
While his encounter with cancer may not have been as horrifying as some of the stories out there, it was still a very unpleasant time in Onishuku’s life. But it was a chance encounter with another man at Cross Cancer Institute that helped him stay positive through that difficult time.
Onischuk said it was a beautiful spring day, just after winter, when he met the other man coming out of the lab. Onishuku recalled that he was chatting with a man who had a big smile on his face.
“He was given six months, which wouldn’t even make it in time for Christmas. But he was very happy because he made it…his first grandchild. “Through birth,” he said.
“Although he was still battling cancer, he had already had the great privilege of meeting his first grandchild. That made it much easier to keep my thoughts in check about the fight.”
When asked if he learned anything from his experience, Onischuk pointed to the sudden onset of his symptoms and how quickly the transition from daily life to battling cancer took place.
“Basically, enjoy life while you have it,” he said.
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