ಎವಿಂಗ್ ಸಾರ್ಕೋಮಾ ರೋಗನಿರ್ಣಯ

ನಾನು 12 ವರ್ಷದವನಾಗಿದ್ದಾಗ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ತಲೆನೋವಿನಿಂದ ಇದು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭವಾಯಿತು. ನನ್ನ ತಲೆಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಸಣ್ಣ ಗಡ್ಡೆ ಇದೆ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿದಾಗ ನನ್ನ ತಾಯಿ ನನ್ನ ಕೂದಲಿಗೆ ಮುಲಾಮು ಹಚ್ಚಿ ಎಣ್ಣೆ ಹಚ್ಚುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು.

We were living in Nairobi at that time, and we immediately went to a general pediatrician. Even the doctors were surprised at how my mom could identify such a small lump just by touching and feeling it, but it was a mother's intuition, and that worked for me. Doctors advised us to consult a neurosurgeon, so we went to the neurosurgeon, but he suggested that Mumbai has prominent and renowned surgeons who have handled such tumor cases, and therefore it would be better if we came to Mumbai.

We took the next flight and came to Mumbai, where my mom's entire family lives. We consulted different doctors, and finally met a surgeon who advised to do the ಸರ್ಜರಿ immediately as the earlier we remove the tumour, the better it would be for me.

Then we had a Surgery scheduled, and I had 32 stitches on my head, but the news was not getting better as the tumour test reports came back positive, and I was diagnosed with ಎವಿಂಗ್ ಸರ್ಕೋಮಾ.

ಎವಿಂಗ್ ಸರ್ಕೋಮಾ ಚಿಕಿತ್ಸೆ

My cancer journey proceeded, and I underwent nine cycles of ಕೆಮೊಥೆರಪಿ and one cycle of Radiotherapy.

Whenever I used to go for my chemotherapy cycle, I would always play games or read a book. There was a volunteer who had games and storybooks, and she would share those with me. My mom used all these different methods to help me at that time and made sure that my cancer journey was not very sad.

ಸುತ್ತಲೂ ಸಕಾರಾತ್ಮಕತೆ ಮಾತ್ರ

For me, the cancer journey was not very sad because my parents were very positive. We took cancer as a common illness that can affect anyone. We didn't know much about cancer; we were completely new to it, but my dad started putting all his effort, and we just followed the doctor's advice. My mom used to take care of me. At that time, we stayed with my uncle and their family, who were in Mumbai. Even at home, nobody made me feel that I was severely ill or that I had something serious like cancer.

I didn't even know that I had cancer. As a 12-year-old, all I knew was that I had a lump which was removed, and I was undergoing a treatment called chemotherapy. Even my mom would keep me away from doctors, and after each chemo or routine check-up, she would always ask me to wait outside, and she would talk to the doctors alone. I even created a story of my own, in which I called the cancer my clingy friend because it was something that doesn't let go of you easily.

ಮಿರಾಕಲ್ ಬೇಬಿ

The whole process of my cancer journey was very smooth because everyone around me was so positive. It took about one year for my treatment to get over, and the doctors used to call me a miracle baby since the lump was very small for a normal person to identify, but my mom did that. Secondly, I had ruled out all the possibilities that the doctor had said would happen to me after the treatment. The doctor had said that I might not excel well in academics, but I proved them wrong and did better than usual at school. Then the doctor said that my hair might not grow back on the part where the surgery was done, but luckily my hair grew back everywhere. And thus, slowly everything was ruled out, and I was declared an Ewing Sarcoma survivor. Doctors were so happy with my recovery that they presented my case at Hinduja Hospital's board meeting.

ತುಂಬಾ ದುಃಖದ ಜರ್ನಿ

I don't remember being sad throughout my journey. Yes, the pain was there during the treatment, and I have cried, no doubt, but I was just another 12-year-old who didn't want to go to the hospital. But my mom always used to explain to me that if you want to get better, you have to pass through this phase.

And whenever I share my story, people are amazed at how strong my parents were at that moment, and because of their positivity and strength, I got through the phase easily.

In 2004, we decided to move back to Mumbai for my education and everything. At that time, because of the surgery and treatment, I had missed one year of schooling. I have a sister who is just one year younger than me, and now we were both in the same class.

In school, I had a lot of problems with academics because I wasn't able to cope with the studies of Mumbai, and the teachers used to look at me very differently since I was a cancer survivor. But my mom never used to judge me based on the mark sheet; she always used to see whether we had understood the concept or not. Later, I overcame everything and started excelling well in my academics again.

Then in my 12th standard, I encountered another hurdle. On the day of my practical exam, I was down with meningitis fever, and it was so severe that I was taken straight to the ICU where I was in a coma for a week. Due to that, I missed my board exams and had to repeat, but I gained strength and passed that phase positively. I aspired to be a nutritionist so that I could work in a hospital, but due to the meningitis fever, I wasn't able to get the required score and landed in ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education). I was upset in the beginning, but with the help of my college mentor, I developed a passion for being an early childhood educator and worked hard for it. Today, I'm very proud to call myself an Early Childhood Educator.

 Whta out the full video- https://youtu.be/_pyW8oB4GRM?si=57h_17W4Ya7zOHTg