The Chosen One

My musings on World Cancer Day

4 years ago, today, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. That it has been a life-changing experience, would be an understatement. I had never imagined life post-cancer would treat me so well. Yes, I do face the after-effects of aggressive treatment, but I have never been healthier, happier, or as content. It taught me lessons I can't imagine I would have learned otherwise.

Om beach, Gokarna (clicked on a recent holiday)

Here’s how Cancer has changed my life

1. I am more aware of my health and ensure I eat healthily and exercise every day. Some shocks in life, as they say, are necessary to jolt you into action :)
2. It taught me gratitude. I am grateful for the simple joys of life and live in the moment. Being mindful of my surroundings has made me appreciate what I have and have no regrets.
3. I shun negativity like an infectious disease. I know how it stresses me out, so I stay away from toxic people and negative conversations. Mental health is as important as physical well-being and I attach more importance to my peace and calm than ever before.
4. It's better to rant and vent out than to suffer silently. In a previous life (read pre-cancer) I was always brooding. I would suffer silently and torture myself mentally with my overthinking. Now, if something upsets me, I speak out immediately and dissociate myself from the cause.
5. Patience was never one of my virtues. I still have a long way to go in that regard, but I see incremental improvements in my patience levels and that has improved my quality of life.
6. Work hard, celebrate harder — I work harder than most people I know and never forget to celebrate small achievements — even if it's just treating myself to a little samosa (my daughter is a big fan) or having a baking session with my girl. You don’t need to have a bunch of people coming over and getting drunk to party. Doing what makes me feel good is my way of patting my back and saying — “Well done you”!!!
7. Always a loner, I have had very few friends in life. Consciously reconnecting with long-lost friends who were once a significant part of my adolescence recently gave me a perspective that had been missing for a while. My dearest friend, when we reconnected after 15 years, told me — “You know why you suffered? Because you are the Chosen One. All you have to do is to look for the purpose why you’ve been chosen.” It felt like my own conscience talking back to me. Dear God! I had no idea someone could read me so well - that I still sometimes asked myself — why me?
8. Albeit informally, I have found an outlet for my gratitude toward the universe. I support patients and survivors as a survivor buddy and help them get over their initial fear and anxiety when they are first diagnosed. Many of my readers have reached out to me after reading my blogs — I must thank all of you for reading and appreciating my posts and my courage.

To be honest, there are still unanswered questions in my mind. But I no longer have complaints. Cancer helped me hit the reboot button in life and for that, I have absolutely no regrets and no complaints.

And THAT is the secret to a life full of positivity and contentment post-cancer!

Note: I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer on Feb 2nd, 2019 and World Cancer Day is celebrated on Feb 4th. This post is meant to mark both.