Pieter Le Roux – Life connections

Pieter Le Roux shares how his leukaemia diagnosis steered his counselling career into making valuable life connections and how he sees this as what life is all about. 

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Pieter Le Roux (44) lives in Helderkruin, Gauteng. He is a cat dad. 

After a trip to USA, in December 2013, for the Top 100 upcoming youth pastors, Pieter was extremely tired. He put it down to travelling. Three months went by and his fatigue was at a high. 

“I went to my GP; when he touched my stomach, I screamed with pain. He put it down to a bleeding ulcer. I felt better for a few days and then crashed. It got so bad that I couldn’t even stand for a minute in the shower or I had to sit down, and I was awfully pale,” Pieter recalls.

Pieter was admitted to hospital and various tests were conducted as well as a bone marrow biopsy. “I was waiting for the treating doctor and he walked in and before he was in front of me, he blurted out, ‘Don’t hate me but you have cancer.’ He went on about how he couldn’t believe he missed it. All I was thinking was can he stop talking about himself and talk about my cancer diagnosis. He then asked where I wanted to be treated. I had never had cancer before so didn’t know. He then stated, ‘Go here, it’s closer.’”

The doctor in the red dress

Since Pieter had T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), he consulted with a haematologist that same day. “This warm, friendly doctor walked in. I will never forget she had a red dress and gold sandals on. She first got to know me and asked what I do. 

I told her I was a part-time therapist, part-time pastor. Her response was, ‘I’m so glad you’re a believer, I’m too. This is what we are going to do, you pray, I pray, and let me do my job.’ She was such a caring doctor, such a contrast to the first doctor,” Pieter says. 

The then 33-year-old needed to start treatment immediately but didn’t have authorisation yet from his medical aid. The haematologist told him she would take responsibility for the risk as if treatment wasn’t started, he wouldn’t be alive in 20 days. “An hour later, I was getting my first chemotherapy cycle in my arm,” says Pieter. 

Bone marrow transplant

Six intensive chemotherapy cycles were administered for 21 days each. Due to the nature of Pieter’s leukaemia, he needed a bone marrow transplant immediately after chemotherapy. Unfortunately, his sister, Elane, wasn’t a match so a national selection search was done but there was still no match. Finally, a match was found on the international bone marrow registry. 

“Before the transplant, intensive chemo and radiation took place while I was in isolation in hospital; this was to wipe out my bone marrow. The day of re-infusion (with donor’s stem cells) is like a second birthday. Mine was on 15 October 2014. It’s basically a very complicated blood infusion. When it enters your body, it feels like it goes straight to your lungs and makes you short of breath. For a few days afterwards I was completely fatigued and couldn’t even lift my head off the pillow. Slowly, I got my energy back but still had to be in isolation for 21 days as I didn’t have an immune system, and in case of complications.” 

Maintenance therapy to build up the immune system and bone marrow continued for three months post-transplant. “The first month after discharge is strict isolation at home, the second month, people can visit, and the third you can start going outside. During these months I was still getting treatment,” Pieter explains.

Side effects

Pieter lost all his hair, experienced nausea and constant fatigue. “The chemo that is injected into the spinal fluid (intercurrent central nervous prophylaxis) was the worst. The treating haematologist has to inject it. That was the worst headache ever, worse than the nastiest migraine.” 

The long-term side effect that Pieter has today is his eyesight. He wears glasses when he drives and reads. “I was told it would affect my eyesight and this was seen in the later stages of treatment,” Pieter adds.  

He was also informed that chemotherapy would affect his fertility but fortunately the haematologist booked him out for an hour the day after his first session to go bank sperm.

Mom’s keeps her diagnosis a secret

Pieter’s mom was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in July 2014, three months after his diagnosis. She only shared the news with Pieter’s grandmother and sister, saying Pieter first needed to get healed. That November, she underwent surgery which had complications and that is when Pieter found out. She continued with treatment but in April 2015, she passed away.

“I had the privilege of doing her funeral service and to me she was the epitome of love. She got what was love was all about,” Pieter says. “I was never angry with my gran and sister for keeping it from me. I understand why they did it.” 

Pieter’s grandmother was a breast cancer survivor but in 2018 she passed away due to another blood cancer and complications. So, he is only left with Elane, his sister. They have a beautiful, close relationship and work together; she is a practice manager. 

New direction and purpose

All in all, with treatment and recovery, Pieter took a year off work. Once he was in full health again, he continued as a therapist. 

“My haematologist would refer so many patients to me. I made a joke with her saying she is filling up my practice. That’s when she said she needed a therapist at her practice. In 2016, I joined her practice and have never looked back,” Pieter says. “Our relationship changed from doctor patient to a deep spiritual friendship. Our industry is about oncology and medicine but at the core, it’s about people that we need to care for, and it’s been incredible to share this with her.” 

Pieter is still a locum pastor for certain churches, but he sees his therapy work as a ministry. “Because I’ve had cancer, my patients allow me into their lives a lot quicker. There is an instant connection. It’s such a huge honour to walk alongside my patients, guiding them and offering them hope.”

Special gift of facing mortality

Pieter admits he contemplated his death many times during treatment. He says he was physically faced with it and it was overwhelming. But he adds that there was a special gift in that it made him more aware of the here and now. 

He says, “That is all we actually have, the here and now. It taught me to appreciate the moment and the little things like having a coffee with someone, and it’s grounded me in my job; I sit with my patients and I’m fully present. It’s all about the connection, that is what life is about.”

Meeting his donor

Five years post-transplant, Pieter wrote a letter to the registry asking if he could be put in contact with his donor. The decision is up to the donor and Pieter’s donor agreed. 

“He is a German donor and such a lovely man. At the time he was an accountant but after the donation, he changed his career path and became a medical doctor. That’s how much it impacted him,” Pieter explains. “We’re still in contact over email, but the hope is one day to meet face-to-face.”

Photos by Mandy Steenkamp Photography | Follow @mandysteenkampphotography