An architect who was given a shocking cancer diagnosis has revealed the one stubborn sign that was ignored for over two years.
Anthony Vecchiofrom Sydney, suddenly began suffering from “terrible” acid reflux and indigestion in 2021 – but the medication his GP prescribed didn’t seem to be working.
He was misdiagnosed several times – many assumed his symptoms were due to his diet or a bacterial infection.
The 36-year-old began to worry as his distressing episodes only got worse and eventually saw a gastroenterologist for an endoscopy and colonoscopy in December 2022.
Anthony was devastated when he discovered a tumor growth at the lower junction of his oesophagus.
“Between the day of discovery and the consultation appointment, I hit rock bottom.” “I had no self-esteem, I felt depressed, tired, upset and cried a lot,” Anthony told FEMAIL.
Anthony Vecchio, from Sydney, suddenly suffered from “terrible” acid reflux and indigestion in 2021 – but the medication his GP prescribed didn’t seem to work
An architect who was given a shocking cancer diagnosis has revealed the one stubborn sign that was ignored for over two years
“I didn’t eat much and didn’t sleep well. When I went to the doctor for the biopsy results, it was confirmed that I had a malignant cancerous tumor cell.”
Anthony was born with severe, profound hearing loss and struggled with various health issues, including asthma, throughout his life.
“Due to my hearing impairment, I had difficulty connecting with my family and peers and spent most of my life single until I was in my early 30s.
“My childhood and adolescence were really challenging because I couldn’t really hear anyone and I was never a top student or the go-to person for anything.
“I’m very lucky to have a supportive family – I don’t know where I would be without them or how I would have been able to get through my cancer diagnosis.”
But Anthony is not the only one in his family who has had to endure the debilitating illness.
“Romina and I had been together for almost two years when I proposed to her in December 2020.
“We had planned to celebrate our engagement but had to cancel after I found out my mother-in-law had been diagnosed with aggressive gallbladder cancer.”
“She sadly succumbed to the terrible disease and died after fighting bravely for six months.”
The 36-year-old began to worry as his distressing episodes only got worse and eventually saw a gastroenterologist for an endoscopy and colonoscopy in December 2022
Anthony was devastated when he discovered a tumor at the lower junction of his oesophagus
Anthony revealed that dealing with this difficult loss also affected how he viewed his own cancer journey and couldn’t help but draw parallels between the two situations.
“Fortunately, my tumor was localized and could therefore be treated – I was really lucky that it hadn’t spread to other parts of my body.”
Esophageal cancer typically has no worrisome symptoms and shows no negative health effects until the disease reaches stage three or four.
“According to the surgeons and other health specialists I have seen, it is rare for a young person to develop esophageal cancer as it occurs more often in people over 50 who have a history of heavy smoking, drinking alcohol and poor diet .”
“Growing up, I was never the most active person, but I exercised a few times a week and never indulged in drinking or fast food.”
Anthony began treatment in January 2023 and completed 23 rounds of radiotherapy and five rounds of chemotherapy within five weeks
Anthony shared that the doctors and nurses at his treatment facility were kind, patient and helped him move forward on his road to recovery
Anthony began treatment in January 2023 and completed 23 rounds of radiotherapy and five rounds of chemotherapy within five weeks.
He experienced several serious side effects including fatigue, nausea and incontinence.
“It was really hard to stay positive during treatment, my family and work were the only thing that kept me going,” he said.
Anthony underwent a six-hour operation at Sydney’s Chris O’Brien Lifehouse to remove two-thirds of his esophagus and the upper part of his stomach.
“I remember waking up and being shocked at the huge scar,” he said. “The lymph nodes around my stomach were removed as a precaution, my stomach was reconstructed and moved to connect it to the upper esophageal tube.”
Afterwards, he was unable to eat or drink for two weeks and had to feed himself through tubes that went in and out of his body.
The costs of specialists, hospitals and other incapacity expenses were too high to cover through donations and savings – so Anthony had to return to work part-time weeks after his surgery
Anthony underwent a six-hour operation at Sydney’s Chris O’Brien Lifehouse to remove two-thirds of his esophagus and the upper part of his stomach
“The first few days were terrible, I couldn’t even get out of the hospital bed and walk around the room.”
Anthony shared that the doctors and nurses at his treatment facility were kind, patient and helped him move forward on his road to recovery.
“Shortly after the surgery, I had to go back to work part-time because we couldn’t afford not to work,” he sadly shared.
The costs of specialists, hospitals, surgeries and other unemployed expenses were too high for donations and savings to cover.
“I still have reflux and indigestion, but it’s not as bad as before,” he said. “After everything I’ve been through, it’s hard not to go to the worst places.”
Anthony’s cancer journey is not yet over and he is currently undergoing regular check-ups, appointments, scans and pathology tests to monitor his esophagus and stomach.
You can cover Anthony’s treatment costs with a donation Here.
