Rashmi Sachade, 56 from Mumbai, who was diagnosed with GIST or Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour 15 years ago treats cancer like a paying guest and depends on faith and laughter to see her through her cancer journey.
It was 2004, I noticed that my stomach had started bloating and when I would be lying down to sleep, it would feel real tight especially on one side. I had no other health complaints at that time besides a distended abdomen so much so that people starting asking if I was pregnant. So I met my family doctor who examined me and sent me for a CT scan. A few days later when I went to collect my CT report, one of the men working at the centre came out and told me that my scan showed it was cancer, just like that in front of my 9 year old daughter who was with me. I couldn’t believe what he had just done!
हिंदी में पढ़ें: मैं कैंसर से नहीं मरूंगी
I went to visit my parents after collecting my report but didn’t say anything to them. The next day, I took my husband and went to a close by hospital called Nanavati and sat in the OPD to show my report to the Oncologist present. I went in alone first and told him how the lab person had already told me about the cancer and begged him not to tell my husband just yet because my husband is the sensitive type. After the consult, I was referred to an Oncologist, Dr Chirag Desai at KEM hospital for treatment. Even when we went to meet Dr Chirag, my husband didn’t know, he gradually found out over the next few days. It was my birthday that day! Dr Chirag sat down and explained the diagnosis to me in detail (he even drew diagrams) along with the surgery he intended to do. He told me your “acche din” will now begin! I was so happy and content to have him as my doctor.
Challenges after the Surgery
On June 21st, 2004, he operated on me. I was lucky the tumour hadn’t spread and so all of it was removed successfully. I was in the hospital for 17 days post surgery. I remember being only on saline and glucose those 17 days and then slowly resuming to regular food. I have never been on any special diet or exercise regime. After recovery, I was asked to go to Hinduja for some oral pills but those pills just did not suit me. My arms and legs would feel completely numb; I had dizziness and so much weakness that after 3 days, the pills were discontinued. The effects stayed with me for a whole month.
One night at around 3 am, I had a lot of vomiting and was barely able to call out to wake my husband. Dr Chirag (whom we trusted most at this point) was called and he told us it must be hypoglycaemia because of my history of gestational diabetes and fluctuating sugar levels post surgery. I was rushed to the hospital and found to have blood sugar of just 37. I was given cubes of sugar and that helped normalise the low levels. Then life returned back to the way it was: my job and taking care of my home and daughter.
In 2009, again my weight started dropping. When he doctor saw me, he took note of my apparent weight loss and underlying weakness. I was about 32 kilos only at that time. He told me to return to the Oncology dept at Hinduja and meet Dr Sudeep Shah. Dr Sudeep examined me and warned me that it could be a relapse. He sent me for tests and then to Dr Asha Kapadia for a consult. Indeed the cancer had relapsed and was now in my liver. Surgery was not an option again, instead she told me about this drug called Gleevec (generic name = imatinib). Then she revealed that this drug (which had to be taken lifelong) would cost me 1.25 lakh rupees every month i.e. 30 pills. I got up from my seat and told her, I did not want such an expensive treatment and started to leave. She stopped me and told me about the patient assistance program at the Max Foundation. To this day, I am on my medication.
Once in 2012, my tumour had grown a little and Dr Asha suggested I move to another drug called Sunitinib however it didn’t suit my system at all and after 15 days, I was put back on imatinib.
GIST Support Group Meetings
Every 3 months, we have a GIST support group meeting where we have a Q&A session by a doctor followed by patients new and old sharing their experiences. Over the year, I have become quite active with this group and like going to talk to patients and spread awareness about this disease that is so highly feared. I want to tell people that Cancer does not mean Cancelled. Early detection and good doctors can treat cancer easily. My aim is to remove the fear of cancer from our society. When I recite my own story, I tell people that my tumour is like a paying guest in my liver. I tell the tumour to behave and not go anywhere and in return feed it a pill every day. Laughter is a great medicine! It keeps you strong and make light of any situation. I used to console all the people who would come to see me during my sick days. Faith is another factor that has kept me going. I take my Gleevec in front of my Ashapuram mata temple in my home every day.
My family and cancer
Since 2012, my report has not changed, the tumour seems to have stabilised. My weight has also increased to a good 44 kilos. I am back to my work and am currently preparing for my daughter’s engagement next month. She has grown up well to become a Professor and ready to get settled with a partner. Raising my daughter to be a good and independent human being was my only challenge during my sick days with cancer. She was in the 4th grade when I was diagnosed. She was my responsibility but all my family members helped out a lot. My husband has been my biggest aide. Initially we never told our parents on both sides, because we did not want to scare or worry them. When the relapse occurred in 2009, we did inform them.
I have no future worries at all! I have declared that I will not die from Cancer and give Cancer a bad name! Cancer has now become my friend!
