I have started a new project that expresses my feelings and emotions from the past 6 months. I was diagnosed with Squamous Cell carcinoma, a form of cancer, in October 2016. I had to undergo surgery which involved surgeons removing my tongue and replacing it with muscle tissue from my leg. I had 11 teeth removed from the back of my mouth to prevent further complications with the after affects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I couldn't drink water for a month and food was being pumped into a tube either through my nose or my stomach. Treatment lasted for 1 month and it was the hardest thing I had to go through. I am still learning to talk, eat and generally learn the basics of life again but I’m so happy and blessed that I am able to paint again and tell my story through art. Hopefully this can help people who are going through a tough time and give them strength through the most difficult times. I will be uploading weekly posts with new paintings that walks through each step of what I went through. It feels good to share with you all :)
“Fallen” - Oil on canvas.
I had gotten a call from the specialist informing me to come in and see him as the results from the biopsy I had a week before had come in. My wife made our way into Manhattan, we live in Brooklyn and sat in the room waiting for the doctor. He told us that I had cancer. My heart dropped and I looked at my wife not knowing what to say. For a moment it felt like I had died. I felt like the chair I was sitting on was being pulled away and I hit the floor then continued to fall. I didn’t know what to do but at the same time I knew that I had to get through this. I had to pick myself up and look forward. It was going to be a tough journey and although I wasn’t sure what was involved that I was going to fight. I was living a happy life and I wasn’t going to let this beat me.
“Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up!”
Amar x
https://www.amarcstewart.com
