May 10, 2026 – Mid-chemotherapy

Here we are halfway there. At least, I hope so.

The chemotherapy session went well. Recovery, however, is still too slow for me, as usual.

Chemotherapy, in theory, I know what it means, but experiencing it is something else entirely. It's not a standard treatment: it destroys the tumor, and at the same time, it destroys the body. The benefits exist, but they aren't immediately apparent.

Contrary to what some might imagine, I don't feel better after each session. It's the opposite. With each round of chemotherapy, my body deteriorates: toxins accumulate, my immune system weakens, and my body and face increasingly show the marks of the illness.

It's a bittersweet moment. I've made it halfway, and that's important to highlight. Safyatou insists on the quality of my blood work. But I still have at least three more sessions to go, with effects that will continue to build.

Before the fifth chemotherapy, in a little over a month, I'll have a scan that will give a first indication of the treatment's effectiveness. I won't hide that I'm already apprehensive about this step.

This post is probably the least positive since the start of the treatment. But it seems important to me to say things clearly: chemotherapy is not a path to immediate healing. For this first phase, it's a phase of decline.

I feel the anticipation and everyone's desire to see me get better. I thank you for that. But I prefer to be honest with you: I am not yet healing, I am going through the illness.

Thank you all for your support.