Story Of A Cancer Patient

This is a unique story of a cancer patient, who underwent two major cancer operations and whose case is kept as a case study in the S.L Raheja Hospital, Mahim, by none less than Dr. S. H. Advani, one of the most reputed oncology doctors in Asia, who is also Padmabhushan and Padmashri awardee.

- Vikram Trivedi

It started in 2007 when the first cancer of recto sigmoid colon was detected; it was very late in the fourth stage. The doctor told him on the operation table that if he had come two days later, it would have become inoperable. The poor chap had not even taken injections before. The Colonoscopy, CT and PAT Scans had revealed a big tumour but his family had kept him in the dark. He was informed about it only at the last moment. The reason for this cancer was tension and constipation.

He was operated in Nanavati Hospital for 5 ½ hours; his small intestine was cut by 10 inches. His wife and father did not take a drop of water and his religious mother invited a Pundit to do a nonstop chant of Maha Mrityunjay Mantra till the operation was successful. He survived the operation and stayed for 15 days in the hospital. After he came back home he resumed his job. He was advised to consult Dr. S. H. Advani for chemotherapy treatment. Dr. Advani suggested taking a treatment of 21 cycles of chemotherapy and 28 radiations. Normally people are scared to take 4 to 5 cycles of chemotherapy and generally the duration of each chemo is 4-5 hours. For him the first 12 cycles of chemotherapy were non-stop 48 hours each, the next six were 6 hours each and the last three cycles of chemotherapy were 3 hours each. People had scared him that ‘cancer means cancel.’ He was told he would lose his hair, eyebrows hair, his skin would become black, and he may not be able to lead a normal life and so on.