What started as a stomach ache two years ago soon became the battle of Sydney man Paylen Brodbeck’s life.
Brodbeck, then 25, thought he simply had a food poisoning attack after a night at dinner.
But the illness and pain lasted two weeks. Then three. A visit to the doctor resulted in a prescription for codeine.
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Weeks later, on November 23, 2020, a date Brodbeck said he would never forget, the 25-year-old, with a little push from his ex-nurse grandmother, went to the hospital.
Doctors suspected he had appendicitis and went in to remove the appendix, which was inflamed.
But during the surgery, a doctor noticed that Brodbeck had some spots on his liver. A biopsy was done and sent for testing.
Paylen before being diagnosed with cancer. Credit: SuppliedPaylen on its 26th anniversary last year. Credit: supplied
Less than a week later, the 25-year-old, who was still in unbearable pain, was told he had small tumors of blue round cells, a rare type of sarcoma.
When doctors uttered those words, Brodbeck said he “shut up.”
“I didn’t ask too many questions at the time,” he said.
“I remember they said small cell, and I said, ‘Oh, it’s small, so it’s okay,’ and they said, ‘No, small means it’s very aggressive.’
“The movie Gravity was on hospital TV and I was just watching Earth … it was weird watching it and thinking I might leave it.
“I was insensitive to all of that.”
Paylen before being diagnosed with cancer. Credit: supplied
Aggressive treatment
Since he was a young man, Brodbeck assumed he would simply “get over it.”
He went through four rounds of chemotherapy and four rounds of immunotherapy.
Initially, the cancer reacted well to treatment, but by mid-2021, a PET scan revealed it had returned.
Brodbeck received more chemotherapy, with a drug called “the red devil.”
Paylen when he was diagnosed with cancer. Credit: supplied
“That made me incredibly sick. I was silent for three days, I couldn’t talk. It was pretty crazy,” he said.
Intense treatment also caused total hair loss and continuous nausea.
Additional surgery was not an option, as doctors could not find a primary tumor or a location for the first tumor.
Another PET scan in March this year revealed that two spots remained on Brodbeck’s liver, resulting in another month of radiation therapy.
This ended about three weeks ago and Brodbeck is now waiting for the next PET scan to tell him if he is cancer free or not.
Paylen lost all his hair. Credit: SuppliedTreatment had a big impact on Paylen. Credit: supplied
“This is going to be very good or very bad,” he said.
“The last month and a half has probably been the hardest.”
Brodbeck has been trying to keep his head high, but cancer has taken its toll on his mental health.
His life with his partner has also been put on hold.
“She’s always been there to help me. It’s reassuring that it’s definitely her,” she said.
Paylen is now waiting to see if he is cancer free. Credit: supplied
“(But) if you really can’t see what will happen in the future … what do you do? It is difficult.
“You get the feeling it’s unfair to marry someone if you’re going to die.”
But the whole trip has given a new life to the now 27-year-old.
“I try not to say no to anything now,” he said.
“You start to look at the world in a different way.
“You think you’re lucky to end up here, so you can enjoy it too.”
Uncertain future
While forced to quit his job as a carpenter to focus on cancer treatment, Brodbeck took an online construction course.
“It was something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said.
But it has run out of revenue and with regular bills continuing.
To help him, his friend James Sloane has organized a fundraiser to give him the means to live his life.
Paylen at Christmas last year. Credit: SuppliedPaylen on its 27th anniversary. Credit: supplied
Brodbeck shared his story in hopes of encouraging others to take his health seriously.
“If you feel something is wrong with your body, don’t say,‘ She’ll be right, ’” she said.
“That’s what I did and I was lucky to have someone kick me in the back and say, ‘No, you’re going to the hospital.’
“I also told my classmates from the first moment that they were going to have a blood test. I didn’t realize what (doctors) can see with just a blood test … I hated needles all over the place. life.They never did it to me (blood test).
“And don’t take a day for granted.”