Eleonora Giorgi, are you afraid?
“Seriously, on Wednesday I will start a course of chemotherapy at Humanitas in Milan. They told me that with the first one I could even sleep for three days, it would be very strong. I will have to repeat the treatments every 15 days. But I decided to fight with all determination.”
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma. How did you react to this diagnosis?
“Incredulously, I thought you were having lung problems. “It was a miracle that I discovered it at the right time due to a series of fortuitous circumstances.”
What are the circumstances?
“I had a bad cold, and on October 26, 5 days after my 70th birthday, I found myself having a mammogram. At that moment the bad cough came. “I’m going to do an X-ray while I’m at it,” I told the sonographer. And that angel: “Ma’am, book a CT scan.”
What happened?
“The examination revealed small nodules, two of which were serrated. My pulmonologist prescribed a PET scan that detected pancreatic cancer. If the nodules in my lungs were metastases, I would now have a year and a half to live. Instead, the biopsy said that after chemotherapy I would be able to have surgery.
First thought then “judgment”.
“At first I selfishly thought that if I had to die, it wouldn’t matter: I had a wonderful life and I didn’t like getting old at all. Then I looked around and saw my sons Andrea and Paolo in pain, and I felt their great love: one of the positive things about this moment is that they are in their hearts.”
Pancreatic cancer is one of the major killers.
“I eliminated a lot of fears by documenting myself and my kids right away. Knowing this in time is crucial. Obviously I examined other well-known cases, such as that of Fedez and Steve Jobs. I was surprised to find that Jobs relied on alternative therapies for a long time. “I have complete faith in science.”
It’s often a silent tumor, has it happened to you too?
“No, I had some symptoms. Two years ago, routine tests diagnosed me with high blood sugar: the doctors attributed it to an incorrect diet, because I eat sparingly! Or alternatively they blamed the sedentary lifestyle on Covid. To be on the safe side, I had an ultrasound of my pancreas and it showed nothing: I should have looked into it more. “I’m here to say don’t ignore any signs.”
However, his mental state appears calm.
“I thought I could be a role model for others. Even while doing the biopsies, I used my acting skills, like when I didn’t even have to move my eyelashes to look dead. “I was so calm that the doctors praised me.”
Why did you decide to talk about it publicly?
“Mirta Merlino, just before the broadcast, made me feel so welcome. It was that rock in my heart and I thought: “Maybe here I can ask my fans for all the love I need.”
Has he been criticized?
“No one had anything to say about it.”
Will he return to the show to provide an update on his health? “Yes, because I want to give courage to those who fight like me, there are also many young people and this hurts me. It will also help me not feel down: I will lose my hair and eyebrows, but those moments will give me an excuse to put on makeup or wear a black turban or a fluffy wig. Feeling alive.”
Speaking of young people receiving treatment, Fedez is fighting his battle.
“I know you talked about depression. Like my aunt, I would like to meet him to smile at him and make him feel the serenity I have inside. “I would like to remind him that he built a wonderful family and a great career.”
“Professional web ninja. Certified gamer. Avid zombie geek. Hipster-friendly baconaholic.”
