I remember everything that happened during the first days of my fight against cancer so vividly. I remember the feeling of being struck by utter confusion and despair the moment I was initially diagnosed. I remember the feeling of crying with my wife after I told her the news late that night. I remember feeling so
alone and lost, thousands of miles away from my extended family in India. Most of all, I remember the feeling of being drowned in uncertainty, questions racing through my mind as I wondered what would happen to me, my wife, and my kids. My wife and I spent that night on a call with my uncle and aunt, who were doctors in
India, to try and make a little sense of the situation we were in. They recommended that I get treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center and referred us to his friend, Dr. Jagannatha Sastry, for help getting an appointment.

Dr. Sastry graciously helped us and managed to get me an appointment at MDACC, making sure we were
in good hands
. In the next couple of days, my family packed our belongings and left for Houston for my treatment. On
my first day at MD Anderson, I was officially diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). When I met
my doctor, Dr. Deborah Thomas, I asked her the question that I couldn’t get out of my head: Was I going to
survive? She replied honestly. She would only know after my first cycle of chemotherapy.
My first cycle of chemotherapy was hellish. Initially, everything was fine, the chemotherapy worked, and I
was declared to be remission. That’s when I first experienced why chemotherapy was such a notorious
treatment. Days after my first chemo treatment, I contracted unbearable abdominal pain which felt more
painful by the second. The severity was so high, I couldn’t help but wonder whether I would make it through
the end of each day. After a few days, the doctors finally came back to me with an explanation: I had
intussusception — part of my intestine had been blocked by another part of my intestine. The solution?
Intubation and an entire week with no food or water by mouth to help drain my intestines of any food.
Thankfully, I was able to eventually recover from the first cycle in one piece. However, this was just the
beginning. Hemorrhoids in the second cycle, falling unconscious in the third… Each new cycle brought with it
new complications and struggles.
Outside of the hospital, there were other challenges. My wife, acting as the sole caretaker of me, our
nine-year-old son, and our one-year-old daughter, had to juggle trips to the hospital, looking after our kids,
and various household responsibilities, all while remaining brave and composed. Perhaps the only help we
received in Houston was from Dr. Sastry and his family, who, as part of the IACAN network, made it clear that
they were there for us. They cooked us meals, helped us find a new home in Houston, and were a constant
source of reassurance in times of desperation and isolation. The aid that Dr. Sastry’s family, as an extension of
IACAN, provided us is priceless, and words cannot describe how thankful we are for them. It brings me great
joy that the IACAN organization continues to help Indian-American cancer patients and families like mine
today — its work lends much-needed strength and support to those who need it the most.
Dr. Thomas and team decided to shorten the intensive therapy to six chemo cycles instead of the
originally planned eight cycles due to the complexities I had in each cycle. After my sixth cycle, I was told that I
was in full remission and that I would be in maintenance therapy for the next 30 months. I breathed a big sigh
of relief. We were through the worst part.
We moved back to Austin, and I started working full time again. By the end of the next 30 months of
maintenance therapy — which was riddled with frequent illness, IGG infusions, and numerous hospital and ER
visits — I learned to live with cancer. I learned to live beyond cancer. I had a newfound appreciation for all the
little things in life and enjoyed the moments I created with my wife and kids on a deeper level. While facing
cancer was never easy and felt downright impossible at times, the belief that I could fight cancer and the
determination that came with it has brought me to where I am today. Today, I am proud to say that I am a
cancer survivor.