I was in the mood to write a blog post but couldnāt settle on a topic. Then I started scrolling through Facebook - not usually a good idea ā and ran into the following post: ādidnāt survive from cancer to die from stressā. Truer words have never been spoken! But, alas, the stress I incur …
Here we go.
I finished my lung, throat, and whole brain radiation (WBR) treatments about a month ago. By now, I expected to be writing a blog post demystifying WBR, but ā suffice it to say ā nothing about my experience has been ānormalā, and I donāt want to unjustly dissuade anyone from undergoing this treatment, when needed. …
Medical Bills and Healthcare, Oh Yeah
Four years ago, I came face-to-face with a pressing issue in American politics and society: the cost of health care. Since then I have pondered and discussed the issue countless times, but I have been reticent about posting on such a political issue. Frankly, that time is over, and it shouldnāt āpoliticalā to discuss whether …
Life Update
Last week happened; Iām finally admitting it to the world. I completed five days of radiation to two spots on my left lung. Just one day later, I returned to the hospital for scans, and unfortunately, the news was not good. Probably the worst news of my four-year long journey with Stage IV cancer. During …
Lazy Daze
This year has been a miracle. Since switching back to my old friend, Crizotinib, I have been feeling much like my old self. I practice yoga most days, sleep well, donāt require anxiety meds, and mostly importantly, my lungs are working. Itās such a blessing to have working lungs. Iām able to go up and …
Shedding 2018
This wonāt come as a surprise to most of you, but 2018 was my most challenging year on planet Earth. Iāve decided to briefly recap everything that happened last year so that I can finally (hopefully) set it aside and move on to writing more frequently about my experiences as a cancer patient, including the …
Learning and the Passage of Time
On January 12th, I submitted my final assessment for grad school. Four-hundred-and-sixty-eight days following my first footsteps into the Poli Sci department at UCL. I will never forget that day. The loaded book bag that I could barely stand to carry because my breathing was labored. The eerie sense that I would never know my …
When Donald Trump Invaded My Head.
On October 13, my first Cancerversary elapsed. I didnāt make a public display of it; in fact, I didnāt mention it to anyone except my closest and dearest family and friends who happen to be in my company. Thatās because on the eve of that very day, everything changedā¦once again. Three weeks earlier I was …
The Invisible Disease
Before my diagnosis, the words ācancer patientā conjured images of someone hooked up to a chemotherapy line, wearing a head wrap to cover their bald head.It is true that all too many patients are still having to undergo chemo. But, thanks to advancements in research, many of us are now able to survive on targeted …
The Two Month Twinge
About three months ago I was having a recurrence of the fluid around my lung (pleural effusion). This can be a manifestation of the disease, or it can be a symptom of the drug I am on, which causes edema. Lucky me. On top of the already complicated scenario of having cancer, there is the …
