For the last six years, after completing treatment for Stage 3 breast cancer ( a diagnosis I had in 2019) , life had been unfolding in its ordinary, beautiful way. We are a family of five living in Mumbai- my husband, Prateek; our 9-year-old son, Paarth; our 1-year-old toy poodle, Phulki; and my in-laws. ThereContinue reading “How Cancer Walked Again Into My Life – The Relapse”
Author Archives: shreshtha mittal
Chapter-9: Goodbye Cancer – Welcoming the new beginnings
My last blog was about the phase of radiation therapy which happened during the corona lockdown (Apr- May 2020). Post completion of the surgery (lumpectomy), chemotherapy and radiation therapy, I had now reached the last leg of my treatment called ‘Targeted therapy’ in June 2020. In this therapy the process of giving medicine to theContinue reading “Chapter-9: Goodbye Cancer – Welcoming the new beginnings”
Chapter-8: Cancer from the eyes of a Caregiver
While the person diagnosed with cancer goes through his/her own set of emotions, questions & learnings; the caregivers are also on a journey filled with multiple emotions (sometimes similar and at times different from that of the patient). Sharing with you today an account of my husband -Prateek’s journey of last one year as myContinue reading “Chapter-8: Cancer from the eyes of a Caregiver”
Chapter-7: Entry of another ‘C’ Word in our lives- Corona!
Till my last blog, I shared about my journey of completing the rigorous chemo sessions. The weeks following my last chemo were supposed to be about a month long radiation therapy along with a cooling period of two weeks between my last chemo and first radiation session. In this cooling period, my family had plannedContinue reading “Chapter-7: Entry of another ‘C’ Word in our lives- Corona!”
Chapter-6: Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF)-The Chemo Day
Since the start of my cancer journey in Sep’19, three major milestones were crossed – Cancer diagnosis, Lumpectomy & the most recent one- chemo with the Red Devil (Oct-Dec’19). It was now the time for me to get ready for the next milestone (i.e.- chemo with a new drug). In January 2020, while most peopleContinue reading “Chapter-6: Thank God It’s Friday (TGIF)-The Chemo Day”
Chapter-5: Discovering a new me with Chemotherapy
While the first chemotherapy introduced me to a lot of firsts in my life, the series of new experiences did not stop there. Infact, every week that unfolded in the next 6 months of chemotherapy was full of new experiences and discoveries. Today, I will cover part of this Chemotherapy journey (from Oct -Dec’19) andContinue reading “Chapter-5: Discovering a new me with Chemotherapy”
Chapter-4: Chemotherapy- What my first chemo taught me
The dreaded word which accompanies cancer & its treatment is ‘Chemotherapy’. I say it as dreaded because of its side effects on the body in short & long term. However, I also feel grateful for its existence as it is that necessary evil which significantly increases the chances of survival of a patient and givesContinue reading “Chapter-4: Chemotherapy- What my first chemo taught me”
Chapter-3: Lumpectomy- Our surgical strike on Cancer
The time had arrived for my hospital admission. Last time I got admitted was during my pregnancy, around 2.5 years back. As per the surgery protocol, I got admitted a night before my surgery (i.e. on 22nd Sep) so that all the prelim checks could be run. I slept with my last sip of waterContinue reading “Chapter-3: Lumpectomy- Our surgical strike on Cancer”
Chapter 2: Breaking the news- Oh..It’s Cancer
With the diagnosis confirming breast cancer, the next step was to get the lump removed immediately. Lumpectomy was suggested in my case, wherein doctor via surgical process removes cancer or other abnormal tissue from your breast. The extracted cancer cells are also given for further biopsy tests, the results of which help determine the futureContinue reading “Chapter 2: Breaking the news- Oh..It’s Cancer”
How Cancer walked into my life – The Diagnosis
Let’s start with a brief introduction of mine. I am a 32 year old female residing in Mumbai with my lovely family. There are 6 of us- My husband, 2 yr. old son, father in law (67), mother in law (65) and Bua in law (my father in law’s sister- 75 yrs. old). My parentsContinue reading “How Cancer walked into my life – The Diagnosis”
My Cancer Diaries 