Anirudh Sarkar (Blood Cancer Caregiver)

Anirudh Sarkar is a caregiver to her daughter Tanaya who was diagnosed with Leukemia. Tanaya is still under medication and doing well.

Diagnosis and treatment

My daughter, Tanaya, was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2020. She was seven-years-old then. Initially, she complained of stomach pain. She started getting anaemic. Her eyes and nails were whitish. We took her to the doctor. Her blood parameters were not good. Her covid report also came positive. So, she was admitted to hospital for ten days. After coming home, again she had a fever on and off. This time doctors prescribed another blood test which confirmed cancer.

As she was just seven at that time, doctors started with the mild doses of chemotherapy. She underwent six cycles of chemotherapy as a part of the treatment. She is still under medication. It will continue for two and a half years.

Side effects of treatment

Chemotherapy had severe side effects. Tanaya developed pneumonia as a side effect of chemotherapy. Apart from this, she also had nausea. She became very weak. She could not walk because of weakness. My advice to everyone is The treatment may be painful but do not lose patience. Do not get afraid of side effects. This is just for time being. I must say that Tanaya is also very strong girl. She was not able to bear the side effect still she did not stop. She was ready to continue treatment. And it has come up with positive result. She is doing very good.

Emotional wellbeing

It was a very tough time. Emotionally and financially. I had no time to sit and think about what had happened. Everything happened so fast that I just had to take action. No thought, no emotion.

As it was corona time, we did not risk getting the treatment in a government hospital. Cancer treatment in a private hospital is costly. Cancer is such a disease that sucks you both emotionally and financially.

Lifestyle change

It is essential to take care of your food during and after treatment. Tanaya loves outside food and junk food very much. But we do not give her now. We have replaced all the plastic bottles with a glass bottle at home. We always give her fresh food. Having a sound support system and keeping a positive mental attitude is essential, as vital is proper nutrition and exercise

Support System

In order to get the best care possible through your cancer experience, it is important to surround yourself with the right support system. Your family and friends can be an integral part of your healing process, but you will also want to seek help from a medical professional who knows how to provide guidance and support in a way that is right for you and your situation. You may get some negative people also around. Do not listen to them. You will also get loads of advice from various corners but ignore them. Just listened to your doctor. If you have any confusion, ask your doctor, nurse, or medical staff.

Message for others

Cancer is a tough journey. Handle it firmly and leave everything to God. My advice to other people is that "You can do anything you want but never give up."