A year ago, I was undergoing cancer treatment. This month, I am celebrating my one-year survivorship. It is a big milestone on many levels. I underwent so much pain and so many sorrows. I am grateful for life, even though the hardships are not over. I enjoy the present moment a lot more than I … Continue reading Cancer Survivorship: the Good, the Bad, the Hope
Why I Became a Patient Advocate
Last year, I got diagnosed with breast cancer. My life fell apart. I lost my health, my energy, my job, my enthusiasm, my sleep, my appetite. My brain got sluggish. I was lost. Lethargic. Uninspired. Then I started treatment. It was brutal. I shrank my sense of time to smaller units. I wasn't thinking about … Continue reading Why I Became a Patient Advocate
Letter to My Forgotten Heart
When I finished radiation, I sank into grief, and became acutely aware of the fragility of life, and the human heart. It was clear that my body had suffered a great deal. But I also viscerally realized that my heart had been beaten up and terrified by cancer treatment. One night, I felt inspired to … Continue reading Letter to My Forgotten Heart
How to Answer “How Are You?” When You Are Not Okay
Many people are unaware of how difficult it is to answer social greetings when one is grieving. They ask "how are you" mechanically, without thinking. I too have done so in the past. My experience of cancer opened my eyes to the stress of social greetings. All the sudden, I became one of many struggling … Continue reading How to Answer “How Are You?” When You Are Not Okay
When Life Kicks You
The kick came for me in the form of breast cancer. Cancer has a way of showing up in your life, unannounced, and take up all the space in the house. It’s a visitor you can’t ignore. Rowdy. Overburdening. Demanding. Draining. It derails your routine, your plans, your work, your sleep, and your relationships. You … Continue reading When Life Kicks You
