The New York nightlife guru, beloved by everyone from Celine Dion to Selena Gomez, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with shocking colon cancer at the age of 54.
Desta, who goes by her first name only, has worked in the fashion and nightlife industries for more than 30 years and told DailyMail.com that maintaining her health is her top priority.
His diet consists of multiple juices and one solid meal a day, and he says on this website: “I usually eat one meal a day towards the end of the day. I always tried to drink fresh juice when I woke up in the morning, including vegetables, turmeric, and ginger from an organic store.
The prominent party planner, event manager and PR consultant, who used to run a members-only chapel bar, said his only “guilty pleasure was eating heavy meals late at night with a glass of wine”. Ta.
But Desta lived an otherwise healthy lifestyle and had no family members with cancer, so she was shocked when doctors told her in September that she had stage 3 colon cancer. received.
But looking back on this lifestyle, he believes that late-night chewing and alcohol consumption may have contributed to his illness.
A native Ethiopian said, “The meal I ate late at night was pasta or rice and red wine.” I feel like that was the trigger. ”
And a study published earlier this year may confirm Desta’s theory. Researchers found that eating within three hours of bedtime at least four days a week may increase your chances of developing colorectal cancer.
Desta has worked in the fashion and nightlife industries for over 30 years, but she told DailyMail.com that staying healthy has always been of the utmost importance.
Researchers at Rush University School of Medicine in Chicago asked 664 people undergoing colonoscopies for cancer screening and 42% said they were slow eaters.
This group was 46 percent more likely to have an adenoma (a small non-cancerous lesion) found during a colonoscopy than the non-slow eater group.
Although adenomas themselves are not cancerous, it is estimated that 5% to 10% of them will become cancerous over time.
Desta primarily consumed fruits and vegetables during the day, but relied on carbohydrates and alcohol at night.
He says, “At lunchtime, I drink another shake with more ingredients, my favorite being kefir milk, blueberries, papaya or mango, and salt.”
Taking it a step further, twice a week he “supplements his green juices with detox juices containing carrots, beets, celery, apples, turmeric, and ginger” and takes a cocktail of vitamins (usually C, D, and B). I was doing it. – Glutathione, which promotes healthy liver function.
But he then began indulging in post-club meals of pasta, rice and wine. “These high-carbohydrate meals were pure sugar and were eaten late into the night after leaving the bar or club.”
Dr. Sunil Kamath, a gastrointestinal oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, said that while alcohol may have caused Desta’s cancer, the “myth” that sugar causes cancer is “100 percent disproven. It’s a myth… So in this case, pasta wasn’t the issue at all.”
However, Dr. Kamath added, “I agree that wine definitely increases the risk of colon cancer, among many other types of cancer.”
“The alcohol in wine breaks down into oxidants (the most talked about in the media is acetaldehyde), which can damage the DNA in cells and cause them to mutate into cancerous cells. ”
“It was once thought that a glass of wine a day was good for heart health, but in reality alcohol, including wine, is not helpful for heart health and is linked to many types of cancer, including colon cancer. It has also been found to increase the risk of developing breast cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, throat/tongue cancer, and liver cancer.
“In reality, it doesn’t matter what type of alcoholic beverage you have, be it beer, liqueur, or wine; they are all equally carcinogenic when the same amount of alcohol is consumed.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that people consume alcohol “in moderation,” recommending that women consume no more than one drink a day, or seven drinks a week, and the limit doubles for men. I am doing it.
Desta said the first sign of colon cancer was a change in bowel habits this spring, a common symptom experienced by colon cancer patients, but often misdiagnosed, delaying important treatment. That’s what it means.
At first he thought it was his daily juice, so he cut it out.
The noted party player, who most recently ran the now-defunct members-only club Chapel Bar, said his only “guilty pleasure was drinking wine and eating heavy meals late at night.” It was about eating,” he said.
However, his symptoms did not subside, so he consulted a doctor.
Elaborating on the sequence of events, he said: “A few months ago in June I started feeling like something wasn’t right and I was having very strange bowel movements.
“It wasn’t really diarrhea, but my stomach felt rumbling. I’m very in tune with my body and how I feel, so I knew for a long time that something was wrong. .
“I thought it might be the juice, so I stopped drinking it, but my bowel movements didn’t really change…I was a little confused.
“But my bowel movements came and went and I wasn’t in pain or anything. I just made sure to be very careful about what was coming out of me.”
His doctor ordered blood tests and said nothing was wrong except for low vitamin D levels and high cholesterol.
But these subtle signs were symptoms of a larger problem.
Epidemiological studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency increases the incidence of colon cancer and that there is a potential link between high cholesterol levels and increased risk.
With her mother and aunt critically ill in Ethiopia, Desta left New York for the summer thinking she was in good health, but her condition worsened while she was away and she noticed blood in her stool. I noticed that.
Desta booked a flight back to Manhattan and immediately went for a colonoscopy, a standard test for colon cancer.
Doctors found two cancerous masses in his colon and diagnosed him with stage III cancer.
Instead of removing the tumor, doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center decided to put Desta on a three-month chemotherapy treatment plan.
Desta, a prominent New York socialite, said it was impossible to hide her cancer and that the blackening of her palms from chemotherapy meant something was wrong with her, as well as a lack of energy. He said it was clear.
Desta said she has been “shocked by the outpouring of love” from people in the community since revealing her battle with cancer.
Most recently, Josh Wyatt, CEO of Manhattan’s exclusive club venue Brooklyn Mirage, hosted a fundraiser to raise money for Desta’s cancer treatment, attended by more than 500 guests, including world-class DJs and performers.
And despite the closure, Chapel Bar’s former boss extended medical insurance to help pay for treatment, and his friends set up an insurance policy. gofundme.
“I don’t believe in secrecy, especially about something like this,” Desta said. I believe in spirituality. I believe in people. That’s my disease. I love people.
“So when you talk to people about these things and your challenges, they think of you. They pray for you. So I think the energy is really uplifting and healing. I believe that. That’s why I didn’t want to hide it.”
doctor Pashtun Kashi, medical director of gastrointestinal oncology at City of Hope Orange County in California, told DailyMail.com that stories like Desta’s are unfortunately on the rise.
He said exposure to toxins, lifestyle and diet, especially the consumption of ultra-processed foods, can cause conditions that influence early cancer development.
Additionally, researchers are beginning to investigate how childhood antibiotic exposure is associated with the development of colorectal cancer and what role the body’s microbiome plays.
“Education is essential” to curb the rise in cancer rates among young people, Dr. Kasi said.
She added: “Young adults need to understand the symptoms and prioritize screening tests that can help detect cancer at its earliest stages when it is most treatable.”
“Local physicians should also stay informed about these trends and proactively order necessary tests and work-up if symptoms persist.
“Lifestyle changes are just as important, such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, reducing alcohol intake, smoking cessation, and avoiding ultra-processed foods.” All of the steps are specifically important.
“Additionally, continued investment in cancer research is critical.”
Desta’s story comes amid an explosion of cancer in young people around the world, with colon cancer among the fastest growing cancers.
From 2010 to 2030, the diagnosis rate for people ages 20 to 34 is expected to increase by 90%.
The five-year survival rate for colon cancer is 64%, but this drops to 14% if the cancer spreads. This often occurs when the cancer is diagnosed early because symptoms often do not appear or are misdiagnosed until the cancer has spread throughout the body. .
Symptoms include changes in toilet habits, blood in the stool, weakness, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, a lump in the abdomen or rectum, diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, and vomiting.
Desta is currently undergoing treatment, and doctors hope chemotherapy will help put him into remission.
