Marina Dodero. She poses in her Recoleta apartment, talks about how she battled a second cancer and talks about her new beau

Resilient and optimistic like no other, Marina Dodero (76) greets us with a big smile, a generous hug and that positive energy that radiates from her entire body. Her demeanor doesn’t make us suspect for a second that she has battled breast cancer twice in the last five years. Recently arrived from her beloved Greece, where she settled several years ago, she courageously and generously shares her experiences in the hope of bringing light to anyone going through a similar process. “I’m doing very well. The first time it hit me in the middle of the pandemic and since we were isolated, I spent it alone in Greece. I did chemotherapy, radiation, I went bald, but I recovered! Luckily this time I was very well surrounded,” Marina begins.

–When did you notice that something was wrong again?

– A little over a year later. I came to the baptism of my grandson Sylvestre (Tweety’s son, in July 2022) and when I returned to Greece, as it happened to me the first time, while bathing I felt a lump in my chest that looked like a big brick. I immediately consulted my doctors, they removed the tumor, sent it for examination and it turned out to be bad, stage C, worse than the previous one, so they recommended chemotherapy again. I didn’t want to go through the same thing again. I have carried out another consultation in Spain, where this matter is very advanced. I sent my studies to the Tejerina Foundation, I took the opportunity to visit my daughter Carminne and my granddaughter Olympia, and when I entered the office the doctor told me bluntly: “You have to cut” (sic).

– What or who did you rely on when you were told about the mastectomy?

–I am very strong and I want to live, that gives me strength. Now I’m friends with God again, that helps me, but back then I got angry with him. When I finished fighting, it went away and the day came when they told me, “Don’t come for six months.” I clarify that the Greek oncologist did not want this, although in Spain it was recommended that I be cut. Eventually we negotiated that I would have a PET scan done and that we would only do the surgery if there were no metastases. Finally I was able to have an operation and in addition to taking a hormone pill, I did immunotherapy for a year: every twenty-one days I was admitted and for four hours they gave me this drug, a kind of chemo, but milder. It was hard to get back into it, the side effects are terrible, but I managed to persevere. And this support made a big difference. Although I didn’t have metastasis, it was severe enough to affect my mobility, so I do exercise on machines, walks and physical therapy. And I no longer have the severe cramps I used to have.

–Have you taken on a project that excited you enough to handle the situation?

–Yes, that is fundamental. I built my house in Atenas, in an area similar to Recoleta. I saw it, went in and said, “That’s it.” And while I was shopping for the beds, visiting antique stores, and decorating the rooms, I was chatting and thinking about something else. It was a divine project that kept me busy and positive. I also decided on short trips, like to Madrid or Taormina, which I did with a friend. (Think). Everything I went through was very difficult, but I choose to share it because maybe I can shed some light on someone who is going through the same thing. According to the messages many women sent me, this happened when we made the note about the first cancer. If I help just one woman, I feel like my mission is accomplished.

–Have you ever been afraid?

–Today I’m scared! But not only with this disease, but also with any other, such as Alzheimer’s or a stroke, I am no longer a baby! (Series). That’s why I’ve learned to live in the moment, I don’t want anything but to be surrounded by the people I love. In fact, now that I’m building this apartment, because it’s too big for me and I don’t come here often, I’ve given away a lot of personal things. I live in Greece most of the year. What I value are the photos that reflect what I experienced. Look: two years ago I celebrated my birthday with thirty people who were by my side unconditionally in those moments. Thirty is a lot! There was good energy in my house that day, I ordered delicious catering, bought the cake I wanted and felt very loved.

– Was there a lover, an admirer, among these thirty?

–Yes, and he is someone who is still in my life. I wouldn’t call him a friend, he’s someone who makes me feel good.

–Can you know something more?

–I met him and he was a pilot for the King of Swaziland (Africa). At first we talked on the phone a lot and he became a good friend who helped me a lot. We spent two years like that. I didn’t know what it meant to have intimacy with him because I felt mutilated, even if the word is harsh. The shock of seeing the scar line is great. However, I have never thought about getting prosthetics, I don’t want to suffer anymore and I even think it’s elegant to look the way I do. Back to Vasilis (he prefers not to give his last name): One day he came to Greece, we went out to eat, drank wine and ended up at home because he had forgotten something. Finally we had a great night. I’m telling you this because you have to get over the itch. I didn’t stop being a woman because I got sick. And even less with the hormone they gave me.

–Are they still going out?

-Yes. When I know I’m going to see him, I go to the hairdresser, put on makeup, although I always do that because I’m flirtatious, but I take special care of myself. I insist: he is not a friend, he is someone who is good for me. And when he’s not there, I go out a lot with friends. And if I don’t have anything, I go to a nice place next to the house with my dog ​​Oro, drink a delicious Chardonnay, eat a snack, listen to music and that’s it. (Think). I feel very celebrated, maybe it’s because of my happiness. I don’t cry to anyone or talk badly about other people.

–What plans do you have for this end of the year?

–I came to visit my daughter Tweety and my grandchildren. I was a little nervous because the trip is longer, but I wanted to try it and it was great. We’re going to spend Christmas together in Brazil and then I’m going to Dubai with a friend, which they say is fabulous. My idea is to come to Buenos Aires every now and then and I already know that I will come back in May because it is the communion of my granddaughter Fuchsia. I love all my grandchildren, so it’s nice to share their important moments and maintain relationships with friends. Friendship is like a small plant that needs to be watered.

–You just said that you are going to take all the photos to Greece. If you had to choose three images from your life, what would they be?

– Christmas in La Cumbre with my parents, I had such a wonderful childhood! They made us write letters to Santa Claus, we put them on the balcony and then they took them out without us seeing them and told us that he had already taken them. I also think of Christina (Onassis, her close friend who died in 1988 while visiting her at her home in Tortugas) and my brother. They are flashes of great happiness. Then God provoked me a lot… I remember a meeting with Christina in Paris after my mother’s death. I put on makeup to look good and she did the same. When we met and confessed, it was very beautiful. We laughed our heads off at the thought that each wanted the other to see her at her best.

–Has time healed the pain of your sudden departure?

–No, and thirty-seven years have passed. But I know I’m not alone because Christina, my parents and my brother appear in my dreams. I dream about the four of them a lot and although it may sound strange, I feel like I’m not alone, that they are by my side. I am not a person who goes to church all the time, but I can tell you that I am very happy to have found this peace that I feel today because I want to live for many more years.