As a professional diving instructor Antonio Anastasi never imagined walking could be strenuous exercise, but after being diagnosed with colon cancer and undergoing a major operation, he had to relearn the simple skill.

The 58-year-old recounts the first time he went for a walk in his neighbourhood after being discharged from hospital.

“So there I am, happy that I’m out in the fresh air, walking. I remember seeing a pretty blue butterfly.

“It fluttered around me as I was taking these little, old-man steps. Then this butterfly flies between my legs and, honestly, I got into a panic.

“The fear of being tripped by a little butterfly was amazing. I just turned around, walked back and called my sister to accompany me,” he says between chuckles.

Cancer is something that happens to other people

Despite his sense of humour, Mr Anastasi does not overlook the vulnerable feeling that came with being diagnosed with cancer – an experience that taught him the value of family.

He was diagnosed aged 53 when suffering stomach problems.

One night he woke up with discomfort in his chest and saw a doctor at the health centre, who sent him to hospital.

A colonoscopy revealed he had cancer in the upper and lower part of this colon.

“I soon as I woke up from the anaesthetic I looked at the doctor and said: ‘And?’ He said: ‘You’ve got cancer’. I started laughing.

“I told him: ‘You’re kidding? Thank God I have a sense of humour’,” he says.

“Cancer is something that happens to other people. You’re sitting down with doctors and consultants and they’re telling you the procedure, but it’s not really sinking in.

“Both you and your loved ones go into a state of suspended animation.

“You knew what your future was like before, but suddenly your future is now,” he adds.

Mr Anastasi needed a major operation that involved cutting his chest open to remove his entire colon.

He woke up from the operation on his 55th birthday, on February 12, 2010.

After that he had to relearn everything – including walking.

“Imagine a guy who was a professional diving instructor learning how to walk again.

“You start empathising with old people. How the hell can they walk on those things?” he asks, referring to pavements.

During the operation he also underwent a colostomy that involved temporarily attaching an external “bag” to his abdomen to allow stool to drain.

After about six months he underwent a minor operation that allowed his body to function normally again.

One thing he struggled with was coming to terms with the idea that his body had been split open, having recurring nightmares about it.

After the operations his girlfriend took him for a holiday to Egypt and he tried diving for the first time since his diagnosis.

He was thrilled to be back in the water but soon realised that diving had become too tiring.

So life took him in a whole new direction and he channelled his love for the sea into a passion for the environment.

Now Mr Anastasi is a full-time environmental activist with NGO Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, where he focuses on marine and urban environment.

He strongly believes health and the environment go hand in hand.

“I’m an environmental activist and I love my life, my family and my friends,” he says as he reflects on the lessons learnt.

“The amazing thing for me, the biggest lesson that I learnt from this, was the importance of family who suffered with me throughout all this.

“My brothers, my sister and my girlfriend were there all the time and I remember seeing the pain in their eyes… now, whenever we meet, we find it easier to say I love you,” he smiles.

Symptoms of the condition

• A change in your bowel habits, including diarrhoea or constipation.

• Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool.

• Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain.

• A feeling that your bowel does not empty completely.

• Weakness or fatigue.

• Unexplained weight loss.