“When I was diagnosed with ALK-positive lung cancer, they told me I was lucky because it was still stage 1. I didn’t feel lucky. The diagnosis came as a surprise. I was not a smoker. There was no history of lung cancer in my family. But having grown up in India and now living in B.C., I couldn’t help but think about air pollution and wildfires. In the end, I’ll never know where the cancer came from — only that it found me.
I was diagnosed in May 2023, about eight months after I’d seen my family doctor based on a mild and intermittent cough and a worrying X-ray. In June I had a lobectomy, and it was a success. The margins were clear. The doctor told me the cancer was out. I was going to be okay. Then, while I was still healing from the surgery, the cough came back worse than before.
By August, it was so bad I could hardly talk. Then came the fever. And then suddenly I was coughing blood. By October, I was back in the hospital. My left lung had collapsed and there was a new tumour. The cancer had returned, and now it was stage 4.
It had only been four months since I’d thought the cancer was behind me. The thought crossed my mind for the first time: I’m going to die. When you hear ‘stage 4,’ it’s only natural to think that’s the end. There is no stage 5.
My one hope was targeted therapy. It was a relatively new treatment approach at the time, and it was only available for advanced cancers. I wasn’t sure if I was going to qualify for it, or if I would last long enough to meet an oncologist so I could start my treatment. I couldn’t sleep and I lost my appetite. I was in immense pain all the time, just popping painkillers constantly.
When I finally did start the targeted therapy, it turned out to be a miracle drug for me. Within 10 days, my symptoms started to disappear. And when I had my first set of scans, three months after starting the therapy, all the tumours were gone. No sign of disease.
Today, I’m actively involved in lung cancer advocacy, patient education, and fundraising initiatives. I have contributed to initiatives with organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society, ALK Positive Canada, and the Cancer Research Society. I’m also a Citizen Scientist trained in patient-centered comparative effectiveness research through LUNGevity Foundation’s Citizen Scientist Program. I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I’ve promised myself I’ll use it to help other cancer patients.”
