What battling cancer taught me about life

The very word sends chills down one's spine. The gravity of the illness is such that its mere utterance makes you very pensive. Your close ones knowingly or unknowingly camouflage it, by saying that so and so person has been diagnosed with a "tumour".

Since I am no researcher, I will not comment on how the disease spreads.

However, what I can safely say is that its detection rate has increased as the diagnosis rate of other illnesses has increased. Are there positives that we can take from cancer?

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It was in the third week of September 2011 that I booked an appointment with Dr Bilal Khan after I found some abnormality in my stools. An endoscopy almost confirmed that there was some malignancy in my stomach.

The moment I heard of it, my family's battle with the dreaded illness began on many fronts and the blunt strikes raided our collective psyche.

My parents were shattered and the kids wore a stone face. Though my wife would put up a brave face, she was devastated beneath the veneer. I was nervous and edgy. I had lost hope.

Without going into the details of our struggle with cancer, let me share with you the lessons it taught me:

Life is very ad hoc

I have been reminded by books and scriptures that life is not permanent. It has to come to an end as it is destined to.

Once I was detected with carcinoma, I could feel that my end was near. Ever since that day, I live with the thought that death is inevitable and it can knock me down any split second. So, for me, from that day, life became very ad hoc.

The sword of Kaal is hangs by a delicate string. I could feel the hangman's noose being tightened around my neck. The chilling fact is that one moment you are alive, and dead in the next. And I feel lucky today that I live with this experience every passing moment.

This realisation of this "ad hoc" nature of existence forces me, hankers after me, and pressures me to put each second to good use. It reminds me to keep working towards something constructive, which may last longer than my body, mind and soul.

Keep the doctor close

Initially, a cancer survivor needs to go for checkups every three months. The routine later extends to a visit every four months and later twice a year. These follow-ups are crucial after the initial life-saving intervention succeeds.

They include scans, ultra-sonography, blood tests et al - to assess your recovery status. You can go for redress as early as possible when and if the need arises. So while your target is to remain cancer-free, you also guard against other illnesses and diseases.

At the same time, there is no denying that every time the radiologist brushes instruments against your body, FEAR grips your mind and an "if" of demonic dimension is at arm's length - ready to grab you and your dreams.

These checkups help you to prioritise and focus on areas that need your attention. Be it personal ambitions or dreams for your family's future or work commitments. Cancer puts in an element of urgency and you want to work 24X7 and realise your dreams as soon as possible.

This urge for excellence has helped me push myself to achieve targets in a stipulated period of time.

Choose a job that prioritises your welfare

I spent the initial days of my career working with the private sector and there is no denying that it taught me a lot and helped me advance professionally. It is true that for various reasons, the private sector seems greener but the way the government takes care of its employees when they are in distress or fighting a life threatening illness is unparalleled. The private sector has a lot to learn when it comes to the welfare of employees.

So if you select a job for your sustenance, look at the rules that the company follows when an employee falls ill or suffers an accident.

Preference should be given to the organisation that has better welfare measures besides offering economic security. When you turn pale, even the best of friends discard you.

Hope is the byword

Never lose heart or hope. Never be pessimistic; in fact, be over-optimistic. Don't forget, miracles do occur and efforts, not results matter the most.

Prayer is an anchor

Pray if you feel like. Earn the goodwill of the people and you will witness a difference - particularly in distress, and that feeling has a cascading effect on your thinking. It keeps your mind in good shape. Remember, all fights are fought and won in minds.