'Live and let live': Nadine Lustre's boyfriend Christophe Bariou reflects on surviving cancer
MANILA, Philippines — Filipino-French entreprenuer Christophe Bariou, boyfriend of actress-singer Nadine Lustre, has opened up about his previous bout with cancer.
In a lengthy post on his Instagram account, Christophe detailed his past cancer diagnosis, admitting his hesitance to share because he might be viewed as a pitiful victim while others with the sickness were dying.
Christophe said he was diagnosed with cancer three years ago at age 27 and was told he only had a few weeks left to live.
"I experienced the darkest sensation of fear, which is something I thought I had already known because it wasn’t the first time I was in a life threatening situation," he continued. "But this was different. The enemy was invisible and deep inside my own body – a body that I never doubted before."
He admitted he was scared, angry, and frustrated at the thought of not being able to start a family or carry on handling his luxury resort in Siargao, adding there was confusing devastation to being told his time was running out.
The diagnosis prompted Christophe to stay in Siargo to "live the best I could out of my last days and not even bother trying to cure myself." A few days later, however, some doctors told him of an opportunity that led him to immediately go to a specialized hospital in France.
"They discovered I had a very rare type of lymphoma and even mentioned it was so rare they had no statistics of survival but that they were still hopeful and my 6 month treatment started," Christophe shared.
He took the time to note his treatment was free of charge because of the rights people in France fought for, lamenting that other countries were not as lucky.
Continuing his story in the comments section due to character limitations, Christophe said he was in full remission after just two months of intense chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
"Something I learned from this, going through all the terrible side effects of the chemo, is that despite everything, my life goals did not change at all," Christophe continued. "I wanted to get back on my feet as fast as possible and continue everything I started, but with more intention and even more motivation."
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"When it comes to advocacies, it was a brutal reminder that life is fleeting. We do not have the luxury to wander and be mindless. I want to be mindful and conscious in every action. The best I can do is to lessen the suffering and cruelty around me, and promote kindness and compassion towards all forms of life – human and non-human," he reflected further. "Our lives are way too precious to be wasted. In the same breath, other lives are too sacred to be robbed from them, too."
Christophe admitted having no pretension to be revolutionary or change the world but simply hope that others would not wait to realize how fleeting life can be and regrets can make up a big part of it.
"Live and let live," Christophe ended, expressing gratitude for his partner at the time before Nadine, his family, and his friends.
Numerous people praised and showed support for Christophe including Billy Crawford, BJ Pascual, and Katarina Rodriguez.
Nadine met Christophe in Siargao back in July 2021, and confirmed they were in a relationship at the turn of the following year.
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