Talk to a Cancer Survivor

Hi, I’m Amit! I work in a Global leadership role at a Tech company in the hospitality industry. Working with colleagues placed across the globe means odd working hours and less time for myself. But I manage to make time for fitness,  sleep and some good reading.

I live in Gurgaon, with my wife. I’m also close to my mother who is a cancer survivor herself.

It started in 2005. What started as a backache, progressed to pneumonia, then tuberculosis, then Meningitis and then finally I was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). APL is an aggressive type of blood cancer which causes a drastic fall in your white, red blood cells and platelets count.

I was in the army at that time and my treatment was undertaken at Military Hospital, Pune. I had the best doctors looking into my treatment and I had my mother beside me to keep me positive by all means.

My cancer struggle spanned over years and yes, even now I do have the after-effects of the cancer and the rigorous treatment I underwent. But it was worth every bit. I am glad to be here and am willing to speak to anyone who needs to hear that there is a great life after cancer.

When I was going through my cancer treatment, I had lost my taste due to the drugs I was on. Bitter-gourd was my favourite vegetable and I could not even taste it. I used to wonder if I will ever find food tasty again. 

When I met a cancer survivor, I asked him the same questions. “Can you taste food now?” When he confirmed that he could taste everything, even bitter-gourd, I felt excited. I knew then that I too would be able to taste it in the future. 

It’s just a small example to explain the power of speaking with others who have gone through the same journey. They know what you are going through. When you see them doing fine, you feel hopeful for yourself. 

I want to give back the home I have received, so that others can also share it and benefit from it.

I believe in forming healthy habits. I break my fitness goals down into small targets so that I can deal with them. You have to make it easy or else you will not be able to stick to it. 

I don’t set result-based goals for myself. I prefer to set activity-based goals. For example, I won’t say “I need to lose so many kilograms in this span of time.” I find that a stressful goal to set. Instead, I might say, “I will put in 30 mins of exercise every day”. I find that easier to control and there is less scope for disappointment or failure.

I’ve learnt the art of motivation from my mother. When I had cancer, she refused to give up or listen to any negative talk. She believed that it was possible to recover. That rubbed off on me and slowly I too started to believe that I could recover. 

I think staying in a positive frame of mind is absolutely crucial. To win, you have to believe you can win. You have to use that conviction to propel you forward. 

I also believe reading the right books can be a great source of motivation. I make time to enrich myself with new ideas and new ways of thinking so that I can keep my thoughts on track.

I would say the biggest learning to keep the hope. Sometimes, the situation can seem so hopeless and it is very tempting to give up and accept defeat. Trying takes more energy than giving up and when you are tired, it seems easy to give up. 

I’ve learnt that giving up is not an option. 

The cancer journey is going to be a long one so what worked for me was that you need to be an optimist for the long term but be a realist in the short term. I.e. confront your brutal realities of the short term and solve for them but remain hopeful that in the long run it will all just be fine. This was very well articulated by one of my favorite military leaders Admiral James Stockdale in the US Navy who was a Vietnam prisoner of war for over seven years. Here’s an article which sums up this mental model of Stockdale Paradox link

I understand that each person’s cancer journey is different and so the coping strategies might also need to vary. But in my opinion, a positive mindset is a must. Not just for cancer, but for any struggle, you have to believe that you can win.

I also believe in discipline. Maybe because of my army background, I believe in forming healthy habits related to food, sleep and everything else as well.

Having a goal that you can visualise in your mind really helps. You have to be able to see a future where you have recovered and are living your life, doing the things you want to. When you can see it in your mind, it increases your hope that you will get there. Then, put in the effort you need to make it happen. It all starts with one step at a time.

And I know that it’s easy to talk, and much harder to follow this. That’s where it helps to have the right influence around you. The voices you hear need to be positive voices that believe you will recover. This is not the time to allow any negativity near you, be it friends, family or anyone else. You have to keep them off. Right now, you need all the positivity you can get. And that’s where speaking with other survivors continues to give you that positive mindset which helps in that one step in the right direction. The journey is long and arduous but it’s going to be one hell of a ride which will shape your life for the better!

I’m Shreshtha Mittal, a 34 year-old from Mumbai. After working as an HR professional for ~9 years, I now work independently as a consultant for organisations & educational institutions and as a  transformational coach.for individuals

I was 32 when I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. It was a bolt out of the blue. I had been healthy and no one in my family had cancer. So I definitely was not expecting it. 

It was a lump in my breast that alerted me that something was not right. The first step was accepting the diagnosis. Once the initial shock wore off, I decided to give my all to this fight. My two-year old son was my biggest reason to survive. 

I’ve been through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and targeted therapy. My treatment got completed in Nov’2020. Yes,  It was not an easy journey, but having made it this far, I believe cancer came for a reason to transform me into a Braver, Bolder & Better version of myself.

When I started my cancer journey, I wanted to learn as much as possible about cancer. You need to know your enemy to conquer it. So I did a lot of research to find out the why’s and how’s of cancer. 

Through months of learning I could figure out answers to some of the pertinent questions and I could also discover some effective methods of finding the answers for ourselves as I believe, every journey is different.  Being through this journey, I believe I can support other cancer fighters now so that they can benefit from my experience.

I was into fitness even before cancer happened. I used to run almost daily and even in marathons. In addition to continuing the fitness practices I followed pre- cancer, .I now started practicing yoga every morning. I also eat healthy and look for healthy substitutes for my cravings. 

However, cancer made me realise that there was this other side of fitness as well that I had not paid any attention to. That was mental fitness, and it is as important as physical fitness. 

I prioritise mental fitness by practising meditation, breathing techniques and learning to make my peace with what I cannot change. 

I believe that our energy flows where our attention goes. Keeping a healthy mind is an important step towards a healthy life.

I believe each one of us should try to find and stick to one reason for why we want to survive the storms which strike our lives., I call it our ANCHORs. It could be something you are passionate about like your job or a hobby. It could be your loved ones. For me, my son and my husband were my motivation to fight cancer. 

My son is still too young and I want to see him through the many milestones that await him in life. I want to grow old with my husband and enjoy everything that life has in store for me. They are the reason I cannot and will never give up.

I have learnt that life is too short to have any regrets. Do what you believe in, do what you enjoy doing and what gives you fulfillment right here & right now.The only perfect time for things that are important for you is NOW.

When I got my diagnosis, I asked myself if I was happy with how I had lived life so far. The answer was no. I wanted to do so much more and I wanted the chance to be able to do it. 

I value my life much more now.

One skill that I have found useful is to keep my surroundings positive. Sometimes, friends and relatives might reach out to you when they learn about your cancer. Everything you hear from them may not be positive. 

Even today, cancer is a taboo word. People don;t like to say it. They are afraid of it. You might hear some negative talk, or negative examples of people who did not recover. 

You need to keep such people and such talks away from you. Take the help of your caregivers and close family members to do this. 

Allow only positive talks and positive thoughts to flow to you. Your entire focus needs to be on your recovery. 

Another important skill is learning which foods work for you. Following a healthy diet can be easier for some than for others. The effort should be to improve upon your existing diet and exercise. 

Making time for my fitness has helped me immensely, physically and mentally both. It is my me-time, where I can relax and refresh my body and my mind. Prioritising what your mind and body need is an important skill for recovery.

I’m Jason. I work as a tax analyst in a multinational corporation in Bangalore. I’m from Mangalore. 

I enjoy watching comedy shows and I hate online bullying.

It started when I was 22 years old. I was living in Qatar at that time. I had the symptoms of a flu, but it turned out to be acute myeloid leukemia (AML). That’s a type of blood cancer. 

I went through a pretty rigorous treatment for it. I suffered from a lot of the side-effects of chemo and actually still have some remnant side-effects. But the good part was that I recovered. 

A few years later, I was diagnosed with AML and hodgkin’s lymphoma (an extremely rare combination according to my doctor). That’s a type of cancer that affects white blood cells.

It was shattering to know that I have cancer again, for the second time. But I gave it my all and in the end, cancer was lost. 

I’m glad to be healthy today and would love to help anyone who’s going through cancer. I know it helps to have someone who can understand what it’s like.

Everyone’s cancer journey could be a little different, but I think most people benefit from having someone to talk to. 

Often you don’t want to share all your feelings with your family as it might make them worried. Sometimes, your friends do not understand what it’s like to have cancer. 

A cancer survivor is more likely to get what you mean. That can make you feel a bit lighter.

I like to be there for someone going through cancer, just to make the journey a little less difficult in whatever way I can.

I stick to the diet prescribed by my oncologist. I eat healthy and avoid certain kinds of foods that can increase the risk of infection. Basically, uncooked foods or outside foods are best avoided. I also like to work out when possible. I like to keep my mind stress-free as much as possible. 

Healthy living is a life-long habit and it needs effort. I avoid smoking and alcohol. Having the right company or friends to hang out with also helps.

I believe there is a lot left to be accomplished in life. So I am not ready to give up. If you can motivate yourself through cancer twice, I think you’re ready for pretty much anything life throws at you. 

I also have a supportive family, so that really helps.

I’ve learnt that kindness really helps people more than we imagine. Even small acts of kindness can go a long way to motivate someone to not give up. 

When I was in hospital, the nurses dressed up as Santa Claus for Christmas. It really helped lift the spirit of the patients, myself included. 

Don’t hesitate from any act of kindness, no matter how small. Every little helps.

I think determination is an important skill. With cancer, you feel like there are so many reasons to give up. But having the strength to keep your hope is crucial. 

It’s also important to know how to lighten up. Over-thinking and over-analysing everything does not help. So it’s important to also switch off and have fun for sometime.

And I would also add that it’s important to stay positive. It’s really easy to find negative all around, on social media or from the people around you. You have to be selective in what you take to heart. You can’t allow the negative talk to get you down.

I’m Anjali Gadoya, a proud grandmother and breast cancer survivor. 

I love dance and acting. I have won several acting competitions and beauty pageants. I still consider myself a student of performance arts as I love to learn new things.

In 2015, I found a lump in my breast. 

I spent a lot of money and time getting opinions from different doctors to find out the best treatment for me. I had to go through chemotherapy. 

Throughout my treatment, I was having fun. Of course, cancer is not a laughing matter but I believe in enjoying every moment in whatever way possible. When I used to go for chemo sessions, I used to take my make-up box and a friend along. We used to play dress up there and have fun. 

I believe in living life queen size. I don’t hold back, be it opinions or experiences. After cancer, I knew that this was my second life. So I have to make full use of it and fulfil every dream of mine.

A lot of people don’t understand what cancer is. It’s just a sickness, there is no need to feel shy about it. Like diabetes or pneumonia, cancer is a sickness. Yes, the treatment takes longer and is more expensive, but there is still every possibility of a cure. 

I feel sad when I see cancer patients feeling like something is wrong with them. In many cultures, people don’t like to meet or speak with cancer patients. They avoid them. This is very wrong. 

I like to motivate cancer patients that things will get better for them. If you see me today, how lively I am, you will not believe that I had cancer. If I can do this, you can do this too. You have to stay positive and believe it for it to happen.

I have a lot of activities throughout the week. I learn dance and stage acting. I perform on stage and do shows. I travel on work and take part in competitions. 

I keep myself active and busy. I take care of myself. I make time for my hobbies and interests. 

Most importantly, I keep negative people away from me. That helps me stay healthy. 

I have seen many ups and downs in life, so I know how to stay motivated. A strong mind is very important to win. I think you have to be your biggest support.

I have two lovely angels; my grandchildren. I enjoy playing with them. My family is my strength and my motivation.

I have learnt to put myself first. You cannot waste your life. You have to use it to do what you want to do; for yourself and for others. 

Cancer also shows you who your true friends are. Many who used to be close to me disappeared when I had cancer. Later they came back into my life when cancer was gone. So you know who will be with you through your difficult times and you value them more. 

My husband took such good care of me when I had cancer. He used to massage my head so that my hair will grow back soon. Now I have long, thick hair. Cancer brought us closer together.

I think the most important skill is to believe that you will recover. Even when you are having side-effects or are feeling tired, you have to believe that you will feel better soon. 

Do things that you enjoy doing. When you have a passion for something, you love your life. I love acting and performance. It makes me feel happy to be alive and thankful for my body. 

Having a hobby or a passion is very important. And having good friends with whom you can laugh and forget your worries is what makes life beautiful.