Pranab Kumar Das,70 from Jubutia, Birbhum, recounts his experience of fighting his battle with Follicular Lymphoma with determination and moving forward to a healthy and active life.
When were you diagnosed? What were the early symptoms?
May , 2017. There were no specific symptoms for me. l felt no pain inside or outside my body. But l was deeply worried about my steady weight loss and growing weakness.
At first l came to know from a CT scan that l have peripancreatic lymph nodes. My family members read up a lot on lymph nodes on Google. Without wasting any time, they admitted me to Cytecare Cancer Hospital in Bangalore. l was terribly shocked to know that l was at a cancer hospital. Renowned Hematologist Dr.Hari Menon examined me and and then asked me to go for a biopsy. After three days the report came and l came to know that l had Follicular Lymphoma stage 2.
Describe the treatment you had to go through.
At first l was totally upset and scared about it. Then the doctor assured me that l could be treated through chemotherapy. No surgery was required, he said..My family members also supported me a lot during that time. After completion of the first cycle of chemotherapy, the doctor asked me to visit Dr Prantar Chakroborty in Kolkata. l completed 6 cycles of chemotherapy. Then Dr Chakroborty advised me to take 6 more maintenance chemotherapies if l wished to, which I did undergo.
Finally, my bone marrow report revealed that there is no sign of lymphoma in the bone marrow. I kept my nerve under control, somehow managed to go through the chemo cycles as per the doctor’s advice, and that is why today I find myself revived.
What medications are you on?
Cotrimaxazole tablet thrice a week.
Were there any side-effects of the medicines?
No. There was no hairfall even after chemo cycles.
What were some of the challenges you faced and what is your advice to patients who face similar challenges?
I want to advice people who have been diagnosed with this dreaded condition to hold on to their nerves, fight it bravely and be determined, not to lose the battle of life. Positive thinking is also an important factor.
Is there a history of Lymphoma in your family?
No..
What kind of specialists do you consult and how often?
I consult a hematologist at two month intervals for my follow-ups.
What are the least understood aspects of Lymphoma?
It is a silent killer. Very often the symptoms are overlooked or not understood for what they are. There might be weight loss and an accompanying weakness.
Have you had to make some changes to your lifestyle because of your condition?
I have totally given up smoking. Besides that l have no very big changes in life style. I am more or less following my previous life style, with normal chores, eating normal food and also following a regular sleep pattern. But I am more determined than before to stay healthy and well.
Have you tried complementary medicine or therapies, like homeopathy or yoga?
No. But I have always been involved in domestic chores. I am also involved with farming and some sort of animal husbandry as well. Therefore, I keep myself physically active to the best of my abilities.
Has it been difficult emotionally to cope with your condition?
At first, the whole situation seemed extremely difficult for me to overcome. But my strong will power together with my family’s support and with God’s blessings helped me get through the tough situation.
How has your family supported you?
I have consistently got total support from my family members.They support me both mentally and physically. They have never expressed any negative reaction towards my condition.
What was the hardest part of the treatment? And what kept you going?
During chemotherapy in the early cycles l faced much difficulties. I experienced vomitting and a loss of appetite and also became very weak. But my strong will power and family support kept me going .
Is there any advice that you would like to share?
My advice to others is that if you get any symptoms such as a steady weightt loss, weakness, loss of appetite, any swelling of the body etc, one should immediately consult the doctor and go through all the tests prescribed by the doctor.
You can win the battle of cancer if you fight it bravely and as per the medical guidelines.
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