"Live and let live" This was the sound advice of Christophe Bariou, the French-Filipino boyfriend of actress Nadine Lustre, when he opened up about his battle against cancer.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Christophe shared that he never thought he would share this journey as he “preferred not to be seen as the victim or to use this illness to appeal for pity.”
He added, “And while I was successfully overcoming it, I saw many around me losing their lives trying to, so it didn't feel right to talk about myself."
Then, he revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer and was told that he only had a few weeks left to live. According to Christophe, made him experience “the darkest sensation of fear.”
While this was not the first time for to be in a life-threatening situation, he said, “But this was different. The enemy was invisible and deep inside my own body - a body that I never doubted before, at the age of 27."
He added, "There is no shame in acknowledging I was scared but I was also angry and frustrated at life. I thought, I'll never have kids, my own family, or finish what I started in Siargao. I will never get my first barrel surfing. Why is this happening to me? Why me? I felt so full of life and suddenly finding out I had a couple weeks left to live was devastating… to say the least.
"At that point, I was about to choose to stay put in Siargao, live the best I could out of my last days and not even bother trying to cure myself since I thought there was not much hope left."
Christophe, owns a luxury resort in Siargao, was given a sign of hope when he learned that there was a chance for him to heal, but that he had to leave his life in the Philippines to get treatment in a specialized hospital in France.
“They discovered I had a very rare type of lymphoma and even mentioned it was so rare they had no statistics of survival but that they were still hopeful and my 6 month treatment started,” he recalled.
"Not only was I lucky enough to benefit from the best treatments available from the leading cancer research center in Europe, but all of this was completely free of charge thanks to the rights the French fought for. It just makes me think how unfair it can be in other countries when something as bad as this hits.
“After only 2 months of intense chemotherapy and immunotherapy, I was in full remission.”
Christophe then shared some of the lessons he learned with this experience, which included his life goals not changing.
He wrote, "Something I learned from this, going through all the terrible side effects of the chemo, is that despite everything, my life goals did not change at all. I wanted to get back on my feet as fast as possible and continue everything I started, but with more intention and even more motivation.
"When it comes to advocacies, it was a brutal reminder that life is fleeting. We do not have the luxury to wander and be mindless. I want to be mindful and conscious in every action. The best I can do is to lessen the suffering and cruelty around me, and promote kindness and compassion towards all forms of life - human and non-human."
He further stressed, "Our lives are way too precious to be wasted. In the same breath, other lives are too sacred to be robbed from them, too.
"I have no pretension of changing the world or saying anything revolutionary but simply hoping some readers will realize they should not wait for life to hit them hard to realize all of this. I can make mistakes, I can make bad decisions but one thing I never want to have again is regrets.
"Live and let live."
He then ended his post by thanking Nadine, his family, his friends and everyone who supported him.
"I can never thank enough everyone who supported me during these tough times - my partner at the time, my family and my friends."
MEANWHILE, TAKE A LOOK AT THE INSPIRING STORIES OF OTHER CELEBRITY CANCER SURVIVORS:
Fil-Am YouTuber, Wil Dasovich, vlogged his battle against colon cancer and shared his journey with his followers.
After his successful treatments, Wil remains cancer-free.
Kapuso comedian Tetay opened up about his struggle with cancer of the pancreas in an interview with Rhea Santos on 'Tunay na Buhay.'
After just three months of treatment, Tetay received news that his cancer was cured. Now, Tetay is living life to the fullest!
In 2018, actress Maritoni Fernandez marked the 17th year of being cancer-free.
In an interview with 'Startalk,' actress Glenda Garcia showed off her chemotherapy battle scars with a big smile.
Glenda has been cancer-free for half a decade now as she continues to flash her bright smile.
Jackie Forster's daughter, Caleigh Simone, was diagnosed with leukemia at just three years old in 2014.
Jackie and Caleigh's bond grew even stronger after their bout against cancer.
Actress and writer Bibeth Orteza, mother of Rafa Siguion-Reyna, was able to beat stage 3 breast cancer. Now she leads a life full of laughter, light, and love.
Broadcast journalist Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala was inspired to start the ICANSERVE Foundation, an advocacy group that promotes early breast cancer detection, after her own experience with cancer.
With the help of family, friends, and faith, actress Melissa de Leon was able to gain the strength to stand against stage 2b breast cancer.
Singer-musician Gary Valenciano shared in an interview that he had battled kidney cancer. His doctors discovered the illness after his heart bypass surgery in May. On Twitter, Mr. Pure Energy assured his fans that he's now doing okay.
Former 'Eat Bulaga' host Daiana Menezes tells PEP.Ph that she was diagnosed with Stage 2B breast cancer in 2018.
Daiana didn't undergo chemotherapy. Instead, she chose alternative methods such as hyperthermia, infrared sauna, and ozone therapy. She also revealed in her interview that she had a lumpectomy surgery. According emedicinehealth.com, lumpectomy is a surgical procedure that involves removing a suspected malignant (cancerous) tumor or other abnormal tissue and a small portion of the surrounding breast tissue. Daiana is now cancer-free and healthier than ever!
Actress Jaymee Joaquin shared in October 2016 that she is battling Stage 2A breast cancer. Months later, she began her chemotherapy at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. By July 2017, she happily announced that she was cancer-free.
In March 2019, she announced that her breast cancer had come back to haunt her. Nonetheless, she was hopeful of getting past it. In September 2019, she revealed that the cancer cells are “starving.”
On February 24, 2020, the actress revealed on her Instagram that she was diagnosed with cancer for the third time. She said, “I received the cytology report for the liquid build-up on my left lung and it turned out to be malignant. Yes! It's malignant so it means it's cancerous. And this makes me a three-time cancer survivor.” She then added that she'll be taking a more aggressive approach in battling the disease.
PBA courtside reporter Selina Dagdag and husband cager Kevin Louie Alas were beset with a big challenge early on in their marriage, after the former was diagnosed with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN).
Who would have thought that after tying the knot in 2020, Selina would face an enormous health problem.
She talked about her sickness in an Instagram post in April 2022, "Cancer was my biggest fear. And to have it in my twenties was a big shock for me. But I praise the Lord that He has already made Himself known to me during this season of my life. Back then, I would've thought this was a cruel prognosis. I would've been bitter, angry, even resentful. But through His grace alone, and the gift of His word- I know better.”
With a strong faith, the Alas couple beat the odds. And in July 2022, Selina confirmed that she's cancer-free. She took time to express her gratitude to her doctor for always being there through thick and thin.
Selina shared on Instagram, “We are so grateful we met you, Dra. Mel De Quiros! You have been one of God's greatest blessings in our lives, and we continue to thank God for you in our daily prayers." She added, “To all the doctors and would-be doctors out there, you are God's wonderful gifts to this world! Thank you for all the years you put in studying and sacrificing countless leisures to become instruments of our God's healing.”