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local Tuesday 7 February 2023

Jerwin Giel 8 years after cancer diagnosis:

“I want to be an inspiration for others”

(Oranjestad)—The world and he decided the same
celebrated World Cancer day to shave it off. Giel told
Day this past Saturday. This the newspaper about one
is a day to raise aware- of his fond memories dur-
ness and prevention for ing the new year, where
a disease that many lose they let him light a firework
their lives to and that others outside the hospital parking
overcome and keep fight- lot. “During the process, I
ing. would see the positive and
I stayed a happy person on
Jerwin Giel is one a young the outside, but inside I was
man who around 8 years actually becoming miser-
ago, had to confront the able,” he remarked.
hardest challenge of his life
when he was diagnosed After he finished chemo,
with cancer. In an inter- Giel shared that he thought
view with Bon Dia Aruba, he was done, but two days
he shared his story and later he was informed that
provided in sight on his life he had to go to The Nether-
after his fight with testicular lands to operate. They did
cancer at a young age. not tell him what type of
operation it was in Aruba,
Giel said that everything but he found out when he
started with a simple back arrived in The Netherlands.
pain. He was in and out of “They told me that they
the doctor’s office and re- would have to open me up
ceived many medications to remove all of my lymph
for this pain, but nothing nodes, because they had
seemed to work. became a teratoma. That
meant that they found
After that, he realized that teeth, hair, nails etc.,” he
his sperm production be- stated.
came scarce, and during
one of his usual work outs, Giel remarked that right
he felt a pain he had never before he entered the op-
felt before. In that same eration room, he cried for
week, Giel said that he the first time. “I cried a lot,
went to the doctor and ex- and I just couldn’t stop, no
plained his entire dilemma. matter how hard I tried. The
“When the doctor assessed nurses asked me to calm
me, his eyes widened after down, but I was hysterical;
I told him I had been expe- I just had to let everything
riencing back pain for sev- out.”
eral months now,” he said.
He continued by saying Giel highlighted that even
that his general practitio- though he told his jour-
ner sent him to Dr. Moreta cancer. “I told him to tell and receive three bags of er I went to the bathroom. ney from his perspective,
and asked him to do some my family, because I’m a chemo. Fridays were al- It kills the bad cells, but also with a strong and positive
blood work and make a CT joker, and they wouldn’t ways the hardest. the good ones,” He added. mindset, he remarks that
scan of his back. However, believe me if I told them,” In terms of the physical ef- he could not have gone
Giel, young and rebellious, He indicated. “I always look for the good fects of the chemo, he through it all without his
did not follow through with in bad situations, and I said that he felt them right supportive system. “I will
all his orders. Giel explained that at the found out that on chemo away. From his first day of forever be grateful for God
same time, the doctor day they give you what- chemo, he noticed that his and their help. I want to be
“I still remember the date, told him to get ready to ever you want to eat, so ears started ringing, like a inspiration for others. With
13 or 16 of December I go stay in the hospital, as that became something I firework went off right next a strong mindset, you can
was in class and Dr. Moreta they would be operating looked forward to. It was a to you. To this day, he still face any obstacle that
called to ask where I was. the next day to remove the way to make it bearable,” experiences this ringing. comes your way.”q
He told me to go to the tumor. After his operation, he recalled.
hospital and take some Giel spent Christmas with “I see it as selective hear-
pictures and bring them his family at home and had He shared that his body did ing now. Whenever I don’t
to him. That’s when I knew to undergo chemotherapy not react badly to the first want to listen to someone,
that something was off,” he treatment the next week. two rounds of chemo. He I just pretend that I can’t
remarked. Every chemo cycle took did however start to feel hear them. Again, trying
21 days, and Giel had to sick during the third cycle. to see the good in all this,”
After taking his pictures, he undergo 4 in total. He in- He noticed his hair falling Giel said.
went by the doctor’s of- dicated that for 5 days out and his lack of energy.
fice and that is where he straight, he had chemo. “The chemo was so strong He remembers the first time
received the news that he During those 5 days, he that I would taste it in my his hair starting to fall off. He
had stage 3-4 testicular had to stay in the hospital mouth and smell it whenev- recalls that he was in class, facebook.com/arubatoday/