Shraddha Subramanian (Uterine Cancer Survivor)

I am Shraddha Subramanian. I am the founder of Sparkling Soul and Indias first intuition expert, business and executive coach and an author. It all began when I conceived in 2012, it was not conceived in an actual way so I had to undergo D&C. After the procedure, while we were monitoring my parameters, we came to know that I had cancer. The type of cancer I had was the rarest of its kind, and although my mother had been diagnosed with stage 4 breast originated cancer, I didnt believe it had anything to do with how I got the disease.

This taboo surrounds the word Cancer, it creates a lot of fear which is strongly associated with death. When my mother was diagnosed in 2010, it came as a great shock to the whole family, and we had already gone through the process of the journey with her. So, when my family and I came to know that I was diagnosed, it did not weigh as heavy, because we had already experienced these emotions. 

My family was concerned when they came to know, but I knew that I had to be strong for them. Another aspect that gave us hope was the doctors telling us that the cancer was curable. 

Treatments I took and the effects they had on my body

I was suggested only chemotherapy, and I stuck with what my doctor told me to do. I went through chemotherapy and had to also take some additional tests regularly in order to monitor my parameters. I was going with the flow of the treatment and by the time I had finished my second cycle of chemo, all my parameters were normal, but the doctor told me that I had to continue the treatment as it is protocol. 

I feel that as humans, we always have the urge to resist anything we find uncomfortable, and the news that I had to continue chemotherapy even after my parameters had become normal was something I was uncomfortable with. The chemotherapy treatment required me to visit the hospital every day for eight days, and each day it took at least two hours to finish the treatment. 

I was fine for the first few days, but I was sometimes really overwhelmed as the treatment progressed. And when the doctor told me that I had to go through three more cycles, I naturally started resisting and questioning it. But somewhere along the line, after showing resistance for some time, I gave in and finished the treatment.

Practices that helped me through the journey

I have always been a positive person, and even before my cancer diagnosis, I used to read a lot of self-help books. This practice increased once my treatment started. I made sure I read a lot of books and maintained a positive mindset.

I also wrote down goals that I wanted to achieve every day and followed them religiously, and in the end, I did succeed in the goals that I set for myself. I was an employee in an IT company during that time and was up for a global role, and that was one of the goals I set during the treatment. I did achieve that goal and moved to London to complete that role after my treatment was complete. 

Somewhere I was channelling my energy. While the disease and treatment were taking up one part of my life, I understood that I could not control it, so I focused my energy on the goals I set and made sure I reached them. 

Lessons that this journey has taught me

Through my journey, I have had things unfold in a very brilliant way when it came to the things I wanted to focus on. And working and coaching people who are going through the same journey that I have, made me realise that a lot of people drop all their plans and goals as soon as they are diagnosed with cancer. That is one main thing that I would advise everyone on this journey to focus on. Never let go of your plans just because you got diagnosed with a disease. 

It is very easy to fall into depression and become the victim of the circumstances, and the first thing people who are diagnosed with cancer ask is why me?. The more you engage with these negative thoughts, the more negative energy you will attract, so it is essential to keep yourself positive and constantly engage your mind. 

You have to think of the disease as a grace that you have received in your life instead of wondering what you did to have gotten the disease. Cancer has shaped me and made me realise the purpose of my life. As a positive person, I struggled so much during the process that I wondered about people who did not have the support to get through it. So, after my treatment was completed in 2012, I independently coached people for six years before starting my company in 2018. And now when I look back, cancer is the first thing I am grateful for and it helped me find my purpose and create my vision. 

My inspiration to start a company

Through the research I did and the knowledge I gained during the journey, I noticed that there was a massive gap between treatment and wellness. I firmly believe that the things that affect your physical health first begin with your mental and emotional health. So I went through the journey of introspection and analysed what my mental state was and how that affected my emotional and physical health. 

When you are going through the treatment, your doctors can guide you about your physical health, but your emotional and mental state while taking the treatment plays a significant role in how the treatment works. I realised that people needed guidance in these aspects, and that is what inspired me to help people on this. 

I have a vision to create a wellness centre in the name of my parents ( Sheela Jayant Thergaonkar Wellness Centre) to cater to the healing aspect and aid the healing journey of individuals.

Cancer connected me to my purpose of impacting the world and today I help individuals and businesses to live up to their potential with ease through my business & life coaching. My company name comes from my mother who has been a Sparkling Soul throughout her life. My mother was the first person I coached before I started the company. I would teach all the things that I was learning, and while she was going through her journey, I could provide her with the mental and emotional support that she needed. The initial prognosis that the doctors had given said that my mother only had two years left to live, but she lived for more than nine years after the treatment was completed. 

My message to the patients

One thing that I tell everyone I meet who is going through this journey is not to take their experience as a problem. Be open to anything you receive from the process; how you accept things will help you understand the real message that the universe has for you.