"There are times when you can't sleep because you feel bad." How a bone marrow transplant ended for young Belarusian musician Henry
"The last two scans were clear, so everything worked out, a healthy person!". Young Belarusian musician Henadz Burakouski, who at 30 learned about a large tumor in his chest, told Radio Svaboda how he is recovering after a bone marrow transplant.
Henadz Burakouski is 31 years old. He lives in Warsaw. By education, he is a musician and a builder of nuclear power plants, working as a taxi driver. The history of his illness began more than two years ago. Suddenly, his whole body began to itch intensely, and for half a year, doctors could not correctly diagnose Henadz. Doctors decided he had skin problems and prescribed ointments. Finally, a lump appeared on his chest. It was Hodgkin's lymphoma — a tumor 15 by 12 centimeters that pressed on his lungs and even broke his sternum.
Six months of chemotherapy did not help. For his body to cope with the neoplasm, Henry needed to undergo a bone marrow transplant and another course of chemotherapy, which completely destroys the immune system. During this period, Henadz was not allowed to leave the house because he was very vulnerable to any viruses. He had the transplant last October. Svaboda spoke with him before the operation.
Henry admits that the bone marrow transplant was difficult. The most challenging period was about a week.
"All body systems are exhausted. There are times when you can't sleep because you feel bad. I had so little strength that I couldn't get up, eat, or even shave. I was constantly vomiting. I just lay in a semi-drowsy state. I tried very hard to eat because it was extremely important. When the bone marrow slowly started to activate, I began to feel as if a light was igniting inside again," he says.
Initially after the transplant, Henry was greatly helped by his friend Aliaksei, who specially moved in with him from Vilnius for several months.
"He cooked, cleaned, watched over me, and reminded me of the rules – what was safe and what wasn't," shares the interlocutor.
Clear Scan
Almost five months have passed since the bone marrow transplant. Henadz is returning to a normal life.
"My condition indicates that the bone marrow has engrafted well, and overall we have achieved all the goals of the transplant. The last scan was in February, and there are no traces of the disease on it. Blood counts are still low, but this is most likely influenced by supportive targeted chemotherapy," Henadz says.
Sometimes, he doesn't feel very well because of the medication he will be receiving until October.
"There are days after the drip when I'm very distracted and feel somewhat unwell. There's another side effect – my hands hurt and my fingertips go numb because this therapy slightly damages the nerves. However, with chemotherapy, the risk of recurrence is significantly lower. One dose every three weeks, a couple of days of weakness and distraction, but then you live an almost normal life," Henadz explains.
Next, Henadz will undergo new body scans to check if the tumor has returned. If everything is fine a year after the bone marrow transplant, i.e., this October, the guy will be declared cured. But doctors will continue to monitor him.
"With lymphoma, it's like this: the longer there's no recurrence, the lower the probability of it happening. After five years, the risk is no greater than that of a normal healthy person. Sometimes I still worry about a potential recurrence – the breastbone, which the tumor broke, is healing, and sometimes something aches there, and I imagine it's growing again. But after the scan, everything goes away," Henadz admits.
Work, Music, and a Bicycle
Henadz has already returned to working as a taxi driver.
"Doctors allowed me to gradually return to work. My tests are already stable, although the indicators are not very high yet. But I got vaccinated, installed a special protective screen in the car – and drive into the city. It's pleasant overall. Though at first it was a bit difficult, as I had gotten out of the habit of sitting in a car for a long time," the guy says.
In February, Henadz also helped with the technical part of a theatrical project.
"It turned out to be quite a busy February," he concludes.
He plans to rest more and focus on music. After he fully recovers, he promised to organize a concert for the people who supported him, including financially, during his treatment.
"I really want to perform in the summer! I definitely want to have a concert with my songs in a cozy place. I plan to do a livestream of this concert and will definitely share information about it on all platforms where I organized fundraising," the musician says.
He believes that three to four days of taxi work will be enough to support himself, and he wants to dedicate the rest of the time to creative pursuits.
"I also really want to buy a bicycle – the weather is just right to add some sport. But for now, from this spring and summer, I have a clear expectation: I don't want to rush anywhere or chase anything, just slow down, stroll, read, listen, sing something," Henry shares his plans.
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