Kristina Masesova never thought she would end up in Moscow, get married, or change her profession. That's exactly what happened, but a serious illness was the reason. Kristina shared her story in the Project “I Will Live!”.
Six months of ordeals
In 2024, I hit my head at work. A large lump appeared. At first, I didn't pay attention to it—my hair was long. I’d gather it into a bun and go about my day. No pain, nothing: just a lump. But then, suddenly, severe pain began. I couldn't sleep—I slept sitting up. I couldn't get up from a lying position; my entire skeleton ached, the pain was hellish. My general practitioner, Ekaterina Yuryevna Drobyazkina from my clinic, suggested a CT scan, saying that head issues are no joke—maybe there was a blood clot or something else. On that day my ordeal began. Back home, in the Krasnodar region, they couldn't make a diagnosis. They tortured me for six months, even longer. Wherever I went, whatever doctors they took me to, whatever diagnoses they gave me. But no one gave the right one. They even imagined a tumor in my head and wanted to operate. Thank goodness for one woman at the oncology center: she said that if there was any chance, I should go to
Moscow. I came here, to the National Medical Research Center for Hematology, with a specific purpose: I was already walking poorly, the pain was hellish. The disease literally consumed me in three months.
This doctor gave me life
I called here and they scheduled me for an appointment within a month. I said I couldn't wait that long, I was very sick. They told me, “You're kidding! You'll be seen by Grachev himself!" That was the first time I heard that last name—Alexander Evgenievich Grachev.
I was sitting in the waiting line, and next to me sat a woman. I was talking to my friend on the phone: what kind of doctor is this, will they help me or not... And this woman turns to me and says, “You're very lucky to have gotten to him; he extended my life by ten years.” And two years later, as I'm now under Grachev's care, I was sitting in line again, and next to me two women were discussing someone, unsure of what to do. I said, “Don't even worry, you’ve fallen into such good hands, into such an institute; this doctor gave me life.” He really did give me life. I call him God, because he truly is my God, though he gets embarrassed when I call him that. Thanks to him, I am alive.
Taking the risk
When Alexander Evgenievich took me on for treatment, he said we would treat it, but I must never complain or lose heart. And so we began my treatment. I'm generally a kind of ….. Mrs. Panic. He found the right approach, knowing what he could tell me and what he couldn't.
My chest hurt, I had a compression fracture of the spine—nine fractures. Alexander Evgenievich called me a “crystal vase.” I just stepped over the bathtub to wash myself, and I broke a rib. That's what my bones were like because of the disease. I had no bone marrow at all. They couldn't take material for testing to get an accurate diagnosis. In Krasnodar they refused, saying there was a risk of bleeding and I might not wake up. But I came here, and here the surgeon, Mikhail Mikhailovich Piseckiy—a wonderful man—operated on me and took a biopsy from my collarbone. After the surgery, there was a consultation, and Piseckiy was told that “she was at risk.: He said, “We took that risk.” Everything went successfully: they took the material and made an accurate diagnosis. Multiple myeloma. I felt calmer, but it is a blood cancer.
Want treatment? Lose 40 kg
At first, they brought me in; I couldn't walk. He told me I had to be patient—and the pain would subside. I had a large lump on my head. They started treating me correctly, and the lump went away. Gradually, the pain began to subside, and I started walking. In general, the attitude in that hematology department where I stayed is simply wonderful. The head of the department, Elena Olegovna Gribanova, and all the staff, have a truly compassionate attitude towards patients. When I arrived, I had a huge fear of doctors, hospitals, and surgeries. But here, I truly believed in everything. They constantly came for rounds, always asked how I was doing. They calmed me down: don't worry, we'll get you back on your feet, how did you even live with this. I endured hellish pain. I survived it all thanks to my optimism, thanks to Alexander Evgenievich, thanks to his fight for my recovery, for me. For as long as I live, I will pray for him. Grachev brought me into remission.
I had two transplants. The transplant was done in another department, by doctor Elmira Zalimkhanovna Irugova—thank you very much to her. Maxim Valerievich Soloviev—a huge thank you to him also. They are very skilled doctors.
When I arrived, I was very overweight after hormone treatment. Alexander Evgenievich said, “Kristina, we won't let you proceed to the transplant; you need to lose weight.” And I lost 40 kg. Now I love it so much when I come in and the girls in the department—the nurses and doctors—say, “You look so lovely, how you've changed!” They saw what I was like and what I've become. That's a credit to this center and the doctors here, who are simply wonderful.
The best advice is to give no advice
I'm in a large support group for my disease; there are many people like me there. I read how people ask for help recommending which pill to take. I write: “Guys, you're not sick with the flu; you have oncology. How can you suggest a pill when my protocol was changed twice because something wasn't suitable?” How can you advise an oncology patient on some pill? In our disease, I understood one thing: the most important thing is to find a doctor. A skilled one who will truly care about you and prescribe the right treatment. Like Alexander Evgenievich.
I promised him I would never lose heart. There were tears at night at first, but I cried so no one could see. And so he couldn't see. If there’s any stress or apathy, the moment I see him—it's like a elixyr for my soul: everything passes, nothing hurts. I am very glad that such a center exists and that there are doctors like Grachev, and surgeons like Mikhail Mikhailovich Piseckiy and Maxim Anatolyevich Silaev.
I give advice in that group: there is a center, you can get an appointment there, the door isn't closed. There are fantastic doctors there who will give you life. You don't need to sit around figuring out which pill to take.
My husband supports me in everything
I met my future husband online, like everyone does nowadays. I was lying down, not going anywhere, and we connected on Odnoklassniki. We met—and he went through these two years with me. I didn't want to upset my parents, so I tried not to call, not to talk about my illness, not to cry. But my husband listened to all of this—night and day, my tears, my hysterics; he endured it all. He came to Moscow and stayed here because of me, with me. We had our wedding on the 7th of April, though we've been living together since November of last year. Before that, we communicated by phone and video. He supported me immensely and continues to support me in everything. No one needs a sick wife, but he is, of course, a great man. I love him very much and value his presence in my life greatly. I literally prayed for him.
Before the wedding, I felt very unwell. I had to go to the registry office in the morning, but I couldn't get out of bed—such weakness. Alexander Evgenievich told me, “Calm down! It's all from your nerves, in your head. Get up and go.” And I got up. Nothing hurt; it all disappeared at once. I got up, got dressed, put on makeup, and my husband and I went to the courthouse to register our marriage.
I live and I enjoy it
Today, I don't live one day at a time, as I did when I first fell ill, but rather for the future. I stayed in Moscow, I live peacefully now. I miss my family terribly, but I don't want to go back, because I know that here, no matter what happens, I have my God who will solve everything. When I start saying to him, “Evgenievich, well, what if...?” He says, “Kristina, if 'what if' happens, we'll solve problems as they come. Technology doesn't stand still, science doesn't stand still, so we'll try something else.”
I got a job. I've always worked in management positions, but now I'm a receptionist administrator at a dental clinic. Who would have thought I’d be working with doctors?
Sometimes I asked myself, why me, why this, what for? It means it had to be this way. God gives trials to the strong. But at the same time, by sending me this severe illness, He also sent me a doctor, He sent me this center, He sent me a husband: He gives me good moments from the bad ones. I prayed for it, I suffered for it.
I feel wonderful. Yes, there are nuances, but you get used to them. I have to protect myself because illnesses latch onto me more easily than onto a healthy person, but compared to what it was, I feel great. I get checked and undergo tests every three months.
My world and worldview completely turned upside down before and after the illness. Now, I simply live, enjoying every day. If before it was about how to earn money, daily chores, the hustle and bustle, now I just live and enjoy life, and my marriage. I don't think about anything global, because I've realized it's not worth it. You can't buy health for any amount of money. I don't want to hear negativity from anyone. My colleagues laugh and say I'm cheerful, I like to joke, and I love everyone. But I can also stand up for myself fiercely.
Everything will work out. As my grandmother used to say, everything can be returned and fixed, except death. And until you fight for yourself, no one will fight for you. You have to start. And then everyone will help—the doctors, parents, friends. But only you have to start and want it.
We would like to thank our partner, the decorative cosmetics brand ART-VISAGE, for the beautiful look of our heroines!
Makeup artist Sergei Turchaninov, stylist Karina Levitskaya
