Elin Ekman was heavily pregnant with her fourth child when she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in the summer of 2020; an aggressive form of breast cancer. A couple of years later the cancer came back and had then spread to the skeleton, liver and lungs, which means that today Elin lives with incurable cancer.
In January, she was interviewed in Nyhetsmorgon and the samples looked good. But shortly after that she got a headache and it turned out that the cancer had spread to the brain.
– It was like falling into a black hole, I was terrified. I was so afraid of what would happen then to myself, that I would have a personality change and everything possible that could happen up in the brain, she says.
“It goes up and down from day to day”
This spring has been about recovering after treatment with radiation and high doses of cortisone, says Elin Ekman. Every week she is at the hospital and she also receives home health care. The treatment works well for her and has given her time, she says. But she lives with the side effects.
– Today I feel fine, but it varies a lot from day to day. Yesterday I basically lay on the sofa all day and was very tired and had body aches after the week’s treatment. So it goes up and down from day to day.
On the good days, she tries to live as normally as possible.
– Then I just enjoy being able to be awake and up without pain and spend time with the children. The children are the best thing I have.
Wants to be able to support his brother back
Her brother Petter Engvall stands on the side and tries to support Elin. He describes it as treating the cancer as a full-time job for Elin.
– There is so much that you go through that they just want to take away from you. You already have so much on your table, but then there is so much you need to go through for you to feel this way, he says to Elin.
As a relative, Petter Engvall tries to focus on the positive and it can be difficult to share his feelings and concerns. But as a big sister, Elin Ekman wants to be there for Petter even though she herself is struggling.
– I get such support from Petter and my family and I am so grateful for that. But at the same time I usually say that it is just as important to support him as well. I know Petter so well that I notice when he is not feeling well about things and I want to be there just like I have done before.
Wants everyone to have the same opportunity for treatment
Not all cancer patients respond as well to treatment as Elin has. And she wants to emphasize that more research and more funding for research is needed.
– Not everyone has the same chance and luck as I have had. It still gave me time. I see breast sisters fall away and it is incredibly sad. I want everyone to have the same opportunity to get treatment and be part of beating this.
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