In a rare turn of events, a husband and wife walk hand-in-hand through the painful challenges — and unexpected joys — of living with both mesothelioma and carcinoma
Christian Kidd, a punk guitarist in Houston, was holding his now-wife Alexis’s hand when she received the unfathomable diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma in 2007. They had been dating for less than a year at that time, but something in both of them knew they would fight this cancer side by side.
A decade later in 2017, Christian was diagnosed with stage 3 squamous cell carcinoma. His experience supporting Alexis through treatments — including cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC — helped prepare him for the changes that would come in his own life.
Today, Christian shares how he and Alexis face the challenges of fighting cancer head on, hand in hand.
Supporting Each Other Amid Two Diagnoses
Alexis has always gone out of her way to make my birthdays special. The day we received the news about her mesothelioma diagnosis was the first one we ever spent together.
I remember holding her hand in the doctor’s office and feeling so numb. I was amazed that she had it in her to make sure my birthday was so nice after being given this terrible news.
We had been dating for less than a year at that point, but I knew I wanted to be there for her. I just didn’t know what to do because everything seemed so impossible. All I did know was that I would never give up on her.
When I was first diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on the base of my tongue, I realized that I was more worried about Alexis than I was about myself.
Even though she hasn’t needed any treatment for mesothelioma for years, she does have other health problems, like arrhythmia and kidney issues.
I was very lucky to have the benefit of her experience in my corner, but I sometimes felt like it wasn’t fair for her to have to take care of me, juggle all my medical and treatment appointments, take care of our animals, and work, too. But at the end of the day, it couldn’t have been any other way.
“My wife is always going to be there for me, and I’m honored to always be there for her. Look what we’ve already gone through together. We can make it through anything as long as we’re holding hands.” — Christian Kidd
Read Christian and Alexis’s full story and hear from 6 other mesothelioma survivors in our Free Survivors Guide.
Fighting Through Unexpected Struggles
We tried to be open and share some of my experiences on Facebook to keep friends and fans in the loop.
Even though we sincerely appreciated the love and support we received through these updates, the sharing became difficult after a while. You can only reveal so much of what cancer treatment is like before it gets really depressing.
The worst part for me was when I ended up in the hospital for a week because chemotherapy and radiation therapy took so much out of me that I could not eat. That was one of the lowest parts of my life because my situation seemed so hopeless.
As bad as it was, Alexis had already been there: the hospital, the pain, and the depression. She kept holding my hand until I was able to stand on my own again.
I’m known for having a positive punk personality, which is unusual. Punk is all about the fury and rage against the way things are.
But I love to share about all the joys I see in my everyday life, whether it’s music, my wife, my cats, the friendships I’m lucky enough to have, and the fact that I’m a Star Wars nerd — but I haven’t wanted to share much about the aftermath of some of the most impactful aspects of my life.
“I lost my job. I have a hard time swallowing sometimes due to scarring in my throat. Most of what I eat is tasteless — except the sweet stuff. I’m grateful for the sweet stuff.” —Christian Kidd
Finding Healing in Music
Music has always been very cathartic for me. Sometimes life’s daily pressures build up, but, after band practice on Thursdays, I’m back to my regular self again.
I play my piano and guitar daily, and I even play a little harmonica. My weekly piano lesson is something I don’t want to miss — it’s intellectually stimulating, and I adore my piano teacher.
Of course, the very best is when I get to play a show in front of an audience. There’s nothing that erases stress like the energy I get from playing live music.
I have been minimally health-conscious for most of my life, but I never really drank alcohol or smoked. I have arthritis in both of my knees, which has taken a toll on the walking that my sweetheart and I used to love doing together, but we are figuring that out.
My oncologist (mesothelioma doctor) is still very invested in my overall health, especially since we discovered I have inherited the BRCA, or BReast CAncer, gene mutation and could be at higher risk for other cancers. He always reminds me to keep working on my music because my mental health is just as important as my physical health. It’s one of the things I appreciate most about him.
Unexpected Silver Linings
The COVID-19 pandemic curbed our social lives, but I have always mostly been a homebody anyway. I love hanging out with Alexis, whether we are watching our favorite shows, reading, or she is working on a project while I’m playing guitar. And even though we don’t go out as much as we used to, it makes the times we do go see a show or an art exhibit more fulfilling.
Cancer has been very intrusive in our world. It took our jobs and our lives as we knew them and turned everything inside out and upside down. It’s changed almost everything forever. Even our dog passed away from cancer.
But we learned that there is more love and compassion out there than we had ever imagined. We survived on the kindness of friends, fans, and even complete strangers.
“We will always remember our community’s displays of compassion, and hope to pay it forward as we go along.”— Christian Kidd
Read more stories from the mesothelioma community in our Free Survivors Guide.
Get Support From Mesothelioma Hope
Christian’s story highlights the importance of support and community in the face of a mesothelioma diagnosis. If you or a loved one is facing cancer too, know that you are not alone.
The team at Mesothelioma Hope is here to help. We provide free services and resources to support your medical, financial, and day-to-day needs with mesothelioma.
We can help you:
- Connect with a mesothelioma specialist
- Explore treatment options like chemotherapy
- Find a support group in your area or online
- Seek compensation to pay for your medical care
Contact us or call us at (866) 608-8933 for personalized guidance and support.
