Going on vacation after months of hard work on a ship and knowing that I will be together with my family again was always a wonderful feeling. But that contract, I was so eager to return home that the last month onboard I spent counting down the days.
And when it was finally my turn, I grabbed the suitcase and was the first one to leave the ship. Back home, I enjoyed the time with my family, but I also had to renew the documents before returning to the ship for another contract. Due to the complexity, renewing the medical certificate was my priority, so the first institution I visited was the medical center recommended by the cruise line. The examinations were always very rigorous, and the cruise line’s expectations for me to be perfectly healthy always made me upset. However, that strict medical examination saved my life. After reviewing the results, the doctor informed me that they were not particularly favorable and advised me to undergo more specific testing. I did that as well, and the results were shocking. The doctor told me that I had retroperitoneal cancer and would have to start with chemotherapy. My family and I found that to be really tough to process, but all I could do was stay strong. After receiving the bad news, the first thing I did was visit the town’s cancer society, which assisted me with documentation and reducing the medical bill. But that was still not enough, and after a few months, I was without money and with cancer aggressively spreading in my body.
For all that time, colleagues were asking how I was, but I had decided to keep my health condition secret. However, one day, one of my best friends from the ship called to ask why I hadn’t returned. We were very close, and I opened up myself completely to how challenging my condition was and my difficulty in providing enough funds for the treatments. And not only did she express her regret for my situation, but she also initiated a campaign for me using one of the online crowdfunding platforms. That movement spread like fire among other crew members, and soon I had the money to pay for the whole treatment.
One year and 45 chemotherapies later, the cancer disappeared entirely from my body, and after another medical examination, I was ready to return to the ship. My heroes welcomed me as the closest member of their family, and the bond we developed during that time is still unbreakable.
