白血病の闘病生活とは？　克服した女優が語る

Competitive swimmer Rikako Ikee (18) has announced that she has leukemia. What is it like battling leukemia? We spoke to someone of Ikee's generation who has been diagnosed and overcome the disease. "It started with cold-like symptoms like a cough and fever. I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a cold, but even after taking medicine for about a month, I didn't get any better. One day, my nose started bleeding like a broken water pipe and wouldn't stop for hours, no matter how hard I tried to hold it down. Then, what really made it worse was that even a light touch on my leg would cause a bruise." These are the words of actress Ren Tomoyose (23), who overcame acute lymphoblastic leukemia after a year and four months of battling the disease. Tomoyose was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 16, a second-year high school student. "Of course, I was shocked when I was told the name of my disease. My daily life was taken away so suddenly," she recalls. Then, the battle with the disease that began was a brutal one. Tomoyose said, "When I started chemotherapy, I wasn't 'thrown into hell' in an instant, but I realized that reality is so painful. I became anxious about the future." Chemotherapy tormented Tomoyose both physically and mentally. "Side effects appeared all over my body. In the images we see in dramas and movies, hair is supposed to be beautiful and smooth, but in reality, it falls out in patches. What's more, I couldn't shave the hair that fell out in patches. Putting a blade to my head could cause bleeding. So, even though it was patchy, there was nothing I could do about it." Even more shocking was the side effect known as moon face. My face became increasingly round and swollen." Steroids caused fat to accumulate in a concentrated area around my face, even though I wasn't eating, which caused mental anguish. Tomoyose recalled, "When friends came to visit me and said, 'You seem healthier than I thought you'd gain weight,' I still felt hurt, even though I knew they didn't mean any harm." Her physical strength also declined, and it became difficult for her to move on her own. "When I was no longer able to speak, I even wrote to my mother in writing, 'Why did you give birth to me when I was sick?'" Tomoyose said that, feeling helpless, she continued to blame her parents and herself. She added, "The words 'do your best' give me strength when I'm feeling positive, but sometimes they can put me in a corner. There are times when I feel cornered and wonder how I can push myself any further. But now I can read the thoughts and feelings behind the words 'do your best.'" Tomoyose, who overcame a grueling 1 year and 4 months of battling the disease, said, "I think it's quite difficult because the suffering is unique to the individual and immeasurable. For example, even for me, who has experienced the disease, everyday life has become somewhat normal." He continued, "When it comes to leukemia, I think there are a lot of speculations and pieces of information flying around, but right now I want you to focus on your treatment and your own body. We live in an age where it's easy to obtain information yourself, so it's important to be able to determine which information is correct. At this stage, I want you to block out everything else around you and focus only on your body together with your doctor."