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– The microphone is my psychologist, says the 29-year-old frankly.
Richard Melvoll (29) of Sandefjord was just nine years old when he received the surprise message that he had cancer. Little did he know then how much it would affect his life for the next twenty years.
– Suddenly I became very flabby and pale, and then bruises appeared especially on my legs. But he limped to school every day for that, Richard tells Nettavisen.
Now she wants to tell her story, hoping to help others in the same situation.
– I lacked role models even when I got sick, and that can easily be for other people in need, says the 29-year-old, who first told his story to the Childhood Cancer Association.
– He asked me to drink juice
After feeling bad for a while, the family took Richard to the doctor. It was the beginning of a long life or death battle for the young man.
– At first the doctor thought it could be just a virus, and they sent me home again and said I should drink juice and rest, remember.
But it wasn’t long before seriousness took hold of the Sandefjord family.
– Mom did not give up, since I did not improve. They took blood samples from us and that’s when they discovered that I had cancer, Richard says frankly.
He was immediately admitted to Tønsberg Hospital and was later transferred to the Rikshospitalet cancer ward in Oslo. For two years he was hospitalized and had to undergo very harsh chemotherapy regimens.
– At the beginning of the treatment, my body cost a lot, so I contracted sepsis, which is a poisoning of the blood in the stomach and intestines. Then her body temperature dropped below 30 degrees, making her completely blue and very close to dying, the 29-year-old says.
Also read: New Cancer Research: Bacteria in Cancerous Tumors May Affect Cancer Development
– Only time there were tears
– How was it as a child to receive the message that you had cancer?
– I was only nine years old and I knew that cancer was not a good thing. But he didn’t really know how bad it was. It was when they told me that I was going to have chemotherapy and that I was going to lose my hair that I realized it was serious. I think it was the only time there were tears during that period here, he says, adding:
– It’s not particularly fun to lose your hair so young.
Doctors thought Richard had had the cancer for a long time before it was discovered. He does not know exactly why he was affected, because he did not have cancer in his family.
He considers his time in the hospital bed very difficult.
– I have so much nausea
– It was a tough treatment, with many chemotherapy regimens, both in pills and in liquids. I was so nauseous from the chemotherapy and threw up.
The immune system was also severely weakened, so he had to stay away from his friends and all the activities he had been doing before he got sick.
– I missed two years of school and they did not allow me to meet friends because I had to be isolated. I also had a rare side effect from the cytotoxic drug, very bad diabetes, but it suddenly disappeared after 5-6 months, says Richard.
Also read: Gynecologist Kjersti Brenden helps women to get pregnant: – It is a challenge that many expect too much
– it was not like before
After a long battle and two tough years of chemotherapy, the news finally came that the cancer was gone. But he still didn’t feel better.
– I thought that everything would be as before, that I could start school and go to football. But that did not happen, because stomach problems meant that there were many absences and that I was not in shape. I was very tired and it was difficult to wake up in the morning, and it also had consequences for concentration and memory, he says.
The 29-year-old believes that it is incredibly important for other people in the same situation to know precisely this, that cancer treatment can cause late injuries.
– There may be better information now, but I did not receive information after cancer treatment that there could be late lesions. So he went back and forth to the doctor a lot, because he was afraid of having cancer again, says Richard, who has only recently been told his ailments are late injuries.
– If I had known that earlier, I could have worked better at a job, as I have always been too ill to function properly in work life. This is probably why I’ve never had a real earning capacity since cancer stopped, he says.
– I have been lucky
After cancer, he returned when he was 12 to the class he had attended before falling ill. Together with colleagues who had two more years of knowledge.
– In the last years of primary school, from sixth to tenth grade, there were many absences due to stomach problems, in addition to fatigue, which is a very common late injury, but of which I have not been aware until now. I have also had a very weakened immune system since I stopped treatment, so I have had several infections several times a year, he says.
Fatigue is a persistent state of exhaustion in which one does not improve after resting. The condition caused so many absences from high school that he did not get grades.
– So I never went to high school. I was lucky and was able to try my hand at different jobs, but often the problems are devastating and have made it short-lived, says Richard.
Also read: Cancer took over Gustav’s immune system (3) and then he became infected with corona
“Invisible disease”
He himself describes the ailments as an “invisible disease”, and relates a hard encounter with his environment, in which teachers and businessmen have not fully believed in him.
– The only job he had was even suspected and accused of substance abuse, because he was very tired and had many absences. So I had to do a rust test, but I have never received an apology, he says about the terrifying experience.
However, he has never given up and says that now he sees a light in the tunnel:
– Now I have learned a lot about late injuries, and that there are rehabilitation and coping courses, so I will try what is available to have a better daily life.
– The microphone as a psychologist
The 29-year-old also has a great passion for music, which has helped him through difficult times.
– I have liked music since I was little and I wrote my first song when I was 6-7 years old. So just listening to music has helped me a lot. When I was 12 years old, I discovered hip-hop, of which I have been a huge fan ever since. When I was around 16, I started writing my own music, and I’ve been doing this ever since and ever since, he says.
– How important has music been to you?
– It has been very important. Just writing lyrics I think is almost like therapy. That is why I released an album last year that I chose to call “Rap Therapy”. There I rap about things that have happened in my life. You could almost say that I use the microphone as a psychologist in some way, says Richard.
It is mostly a song that means a lot to him, “Hard Times”, which is about childhood and cancer, and how it has affected him and his feelings.
“It was a difficult time. That is what my voice has given me. I promise that things will get better, I can guarantee it», raps on the song, which among other things has been played on NRK.
– At least it will improve
Now Richard hopes that both with the music and with his message, he can be a role model for other cancer patients.
– The hope is that music can give some hope to others, if they need something to look up to. They also need to hear that things are looking up. It will be different than before, but at least it will get better, he says.
Also read: Camilla (26) survived cancer. Then the twin sister got the discouraging message.
– Have you received many comments about your music?
– Yes, there are several who say they can be related to the texts, that is, those who have gone through such things. Most people also think that it is brave and difficult to come up with.
Although it was some time before he even opted to openly face his ailments, he has no doubt that openness is for the best.
– In my youth, I began to distance myself from the disease, so I kept it hidden from new friends. But later in life I understood that it is an important part of who I am and that it is important to talk about it, says Richard.
Eight years ago, he was also unfortunate enough to end up in a car accident and seriously injured after colliding head-on with another car. He himself believes he has had a guardian angel since he survived, but he still struggles with pain in his legs and back.
– Make life worth living
Richard still chooses to look positively to the future and is very grateful for all the support from friends and family over the years.
After all, she is happy with life, even if it didn’t turn out the way she thought when she was younger. Now he has settled down with his own family.
-I have a coexistence and two wonderful children, only that makes life more worthwhile, he says.
– Do you want to keep making music?
– I want to, because I love making music. Think that it is important that everyone has a hobby or something that you enjoy doing. I just wish I could make more music than I do, but due to fatigue, there is always a low energy level, and I will always prioritize my kids first, says Richard.
You have a clear sentence to say at the end:
– It is important that other people in the same situation find a GP who has knowledge about late injuries after cancer, and not least that teachers, employers and doctors should acquire more knowledge about late injuries. Because it can help many.
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