Kripa’s paediatric cancer diagnosis
It (Paediatric Cancer) was in August 2020 when it started as a normal abdominal pain but I ignored it. The very next day I again felt the same pain but this time it was severe and I was rushed to the hospital. Having no clue what it was we decided to first visit a gynaecologist. The doctor informed me that this might be a case of ovarian torsion and there might be a cyst in the ovary and hence the ovary should be removed. We decided to go forward with the Laparoscopic surgery and during the surgery, the doctors were surprised that it was not the case of ovarian torsion; rather they found blood mass and a lot of internal mass bleeding all around the ovary region. They gave the blood mass for laboratory testing.
After the surgery I was alright and came back home. After two days doctors informed my husband that the test results indicate that I was diagnosed with one of the rarest paediatric cancer.
How treatment went through
It was a yolk sac tumour stage 4 and we were told that the tumour has spread through the liver and intestine. We were planning for a child but seeing the current situation the doctor suggested freezing the egg for the future. As it was a malignant tumour, I was given only a time period of one week to think before chemotherapy. I underwent a total of four chemotherapy cycles and each chemotherapy session was for a total of 13 hours per day. In between the chemotherapy cycle, I came back to my house twice.
My second chemotherapy cycle did not go well due to poor immunity. I had a fever that went up to 100 degree Celsius (for a person undergoing chemotherapy it was not considered good) and my BP fell down to 50. I was immediately rushed to the hospital and was in ICU for four days. During this time my blood transmission was also carried out. After I I was out of the ICU, my doctor decided to change my drug. After my fourth chemotherapy, the doctor advised me to go for a PET scan. The PET scan results were positive . Now to make sure that there was no tumour left in my body, doctors asked us to go for surgery.
Surgery had complications and they had to remove my intestine, liver and rectum. I was scared but I did not have any other option. The surgery went for almost 11-12 hours. They had to remove 1/3rd of my liver but they said it will grow back. To their surprise the intestine and ovary region was in perfect condition so they decided not to remove it.
During the operation, doctors removed all my tumour cells and gave them for testing. As the results came out there was no life in any of the removed tumour cells. I was finally cancer free in December 2020.
What happened during the chemotherapy cycle?
After a few days of chemotherapy, I started to lose my hair. Apart from that I lost my taste buds and also the ability to smell. Throughout the cycles, I had the sensation of vomiting. Every time I tried to eat something I used to feel that sensation.
Tactics used to embrace through the journey
Very soon I accepted that this is my journey and I have to live through it. I decided to film myself cutting my hair so I can watch that during my treatment and laugh about it. Another thing I decided was not to use google for any information when the treatment was going on.
Side effects
My nails turned black, My skin got dark and while brushing my gums used to bleed.
After completing my chemotherapy cycles, at times I used to feel restless and felt a sensation of numbness in my feet and hands.
Any complementary therapy.
I did not go for complementary therapy as I was not aware of it. But to develop a good immune system and to avoid complications during treatment you should take complementary therapies.
Parting message
I would like to tell you all that make your journey enlighten by investing time in all the activities you like. You should not feel anxious thinking about tomorrow. Believe that you are special and that is why it has happened to you. It is not difficult to face the challenges and you will come out of it. Take rest, eat well and consult your doctor in any doubt.
