Eliane Frochaux has fought her way back to life after a serious illness. She was diagnosed with blood cancer 14 years ago and was treated at the USZ. Today, she helps out there as a volunteer.
I was still working at the airport after retirement age and suddenly became unusually short of breath when climbing stairs. I also had breathing problems when hiking. I couldn’t classify these symptoms and initially thought I was allergic to my cat. But my work colleague urged me to see a doctor. The dermatologist who tested me for allergies found nothing and sent me on my way. A blood test finally brought clarity: I had blood cancer, more precisely acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This diagnosis was of course a big shock.
Difficult time of treatment
I had to go to the USZ for treatment and initially thought I would be able to go home again after two weeks. But things turned out differently. The first chemotherapy started shortly afterwards and brought with it severe side effects: nausea, high fever, inflammation of the small and large intestine. The first four weeks felt like a fever dream. I didn’t even realize what was happening around me. Until then, I had always worked, was fit and physically active. Suddenly I was simply doing nothing, lying in bed all day and being artificially fed. That was a very stressful time. Fortunately, I tolerated the second chemotherapy somewhat better and was allowed to return home after two and a half months. When I read the doctors’ reports from back then, I realize how close it was. If the treatment had started two weeks later, I wouldn’t have made it.
Search for a suitable stem cell donor
Weakened by the treatment, I had to relearn a lot of things at home. Even simple walking was difficult for me during this time. At the same time, the search for a suitable stem cell donor was underway. My relatives were out of the question, but a young man in Germany was a perfect fit. After a few months, I had to go back to the USZ, where I received a stem cell transplant. Everything went according to plan and after a month I was allowed to return home. From that point on, I knew things were looking up.
Gratitude and a new task
I am very grateful for the excellent care and the competent doctors at the USZ, who always answered all my questions and accompanied me through this difficult time. I also wrote a letter of thanks to the stem cell donor from Germany. It took a long time for me to fully recover. It was a tough time, but I got through it.
After my recovery, I was looking for a new job, which is how I came to volunteer at the USZ. For 11 years, I have sometimes stood at the main entrance to the USZ and sometimes in the oncology and hematology departments – exactly where I was once a patient – and helped people. Be it just finding the way or simply having a nice chat. The contact with people and the opportunity to help mean a lot to me and give me structure. I am very grateful for my health and so I can also give something back to the USZ.
Leukemia
Leukemia (blood cancer) refers to a group of cancers of the hematopoietic system in which too many precursor leukocytes (white blood cells) are produced. Find out more about the four different types of leukemia, symptoms and treatments.