Finding Meaning in Life's Toughest Moments: Dr. Alpana Harisinghani Shares Her Journey with Recurrent Cancer
“Life is a great teacher and every experience teaches us something. Utilize every opportunity that life offers to keep learning.” Today’s woman dreamer, Alpana Harisinghani shares her challenging journey with recurrent cancer, and how she found meaning during life’s toughest moments. Growing up in Mumbai and moving to the United States, Alpana has always had appreciation for the simple moments in life, and the friendships made along the way. Alpana shares her journey, how she deals with adversity, her powerful takeaways, and advice to women and families going through the similar situations. A True Inspiration for All Women, we are honored to share her story below.
1. You grew up in Mumbai and emigrated to the States. How was the experience growing up in Mumbai and the transition to the States?
My recollection of growing up in Mumbai brings back many fond memories. I especially cherished the remarkable social life that I got to experience in the days before smart phones and mobile technology. I was able to take pleasure in simple things and appreciate the moments in front of me. Strong friendship bonds were made and there was always the hustle and bustle of family or friends dropping by.
I'm glad that's how I left my hometown. Things have dramatically changed nowadays in Mumbai, but I will always hold those memories close to my heart.
When I moved to the United States, I missed my parents and my in-laws the most. While we made wonderful new friends here, the pace of life was quite different. It has been a wonderful journey and I cherish the great moments both in Mumbai and US.
2. When and how did you find out you had colon cancer?
I always considered myself healthy and would rarely get sick until I reached my mid-forties. At first, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I underwent a period of difficult but productive treatment (surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation) and was able to overcome the disease. When I had recovered, I finally began to feel that my life had returned to normal. Then, I began to experience recurrent episodes of dull aching abdominal pain. I initially brushed these off as gastro-intestinal upsets, as I had experienced these in the past.
But as the symptoms persisted, I decided to visit my physician who advised a computed tomography scan and colonoscopy. I was diagnosed with cancer of the appendix which had spread to other parts in the abdomen. This was shattering news.
I initially underwent chemotherapy, took a brief gap, and then proceeded with an extensive surgery (referred to as cytoreduction). The postsurgical days were very cumbersome, but the surgeon was happy that he was able to get most of the disease out. Words cannot express how happy I was when I was able to go home from the hospital. I finished off my treatment with another round of chemotherapy to ensure the cancer was completely gone.
However, as fate would have it, this cancer recurred, and I am currently undergoing chemotherapy. There are many challenging side effects unfortunately associated with cancer treatment, but I am so grateful to all the medical staff for their care and support during these difficult days.
How did this diagnosis affect / change your and your family's life?
Cancer is still a dreaded disease; it impacts not only the person, but also their family members and friends. The diagnosis puts things into perspective on many levels and such an experience reminds you of the fragility of life.
To be honest, it's the love, warmth and Blessings from my family and friends that keeps me going. My family and friends offered me the best words of encouragement. Prayers gave me the strength to endure the painful moments. I pray and hope that I will successfully overcome this hiccup in life and will be able to spend lots of time with my grandchildren. Nowadays, I take life one day at a time.
3. What are some life lessons that you have learned through this experience?
Life is a great teacher and every experience teaches us something.
Don't take anything for granted, treasure every moment; these moments are priceless.
Be thankful for everything in life.
You don't have to go on lavish trips or indulge in expensive activities; simple things in life like going on a drive with your family, laughing and sharing their experiences, giving your kids a hug and kiss when they feel low, speaking with friends, enjoying a Sunday meal and watching a movie with family, are all experiences that one needs to cherish.
Listen to your body, advocate for your own health and maintain regular checkups and screening tests as advised by your physician. These screening tests (i.e. mammograms, colonoscopies) are beneficial in the early diagnosis of diseases.
Make healthy lifestyle choices a priority. These can include exercising more frequently (when health permits), self-care and incorporating a nutritious diet. As the saying goes “Health is Wealth;” it was only when I got sick that I truly realized the importance of maintaining a healthy body and mind.
Utilize every opportunity that life offers to keep learning. During my recovery period, I have been fortunate enough to learn some new activities and hobbies (when my health permits). I started to learn yoga, painting and how to cook new dishes and I am thankful to my teachers for guiding me in this process. Also, I continue to foster my love for reading and listening to music.
4. What advice do you have for our readers as a result of your life experience and diagnosis?
There are two ways to look at any adverse event in your life: either get upset, frustrated or accept things as they are and try to mold your life to make the most of what you have on a daily basis. Although it is completely fair to feel difficult emotions and it is impossible to not feel down at times, know that you can get back up and still find meaning in these tough moments. Don’t get bogged down with numbers or statistics about your specific disease: you should always strive to be the exception to the rule and prove them wrong.
Thank you Alpana for sharing your powerful story with us. We are delighted to have you in our empowered women’s network.
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