An inspiring story from an Aspiring professional, new Father, Trekker and Marathon Runner - By Kanishka Lahiri

I wrote up a summary of my story for your blog - largely inspired by this post which resonated a lot with me. .. thanks for maintaining such a great resource.  

BY  Kanishka Lahiri

---

I’m 39, male, a Bangalorean since 2006. I work in the semiconductor industry - my professional life is engaging, fun, filled with many challenges. Outside of work, my main pursuits are long distance running and trekking in the mountains – I’ve run several marathons and ultra-marathons, and have trekked or run to incredible places in the Himalayas. I’m a coach with one of Bangalore’s popular amateur running groups. My wife works in the tech sector too, and is as busy as I am, balancing work and her pursuits in Hindustani music. We have a 6 month old son who was born this year in the middle of crisis.

In October of last year, I developed an annoying dry cough. It didn’t affect me much, and I continued work and running through the end of the year. By Jan it worsened and was making running difficult. I had it checked out (X-rays, CT) and was treated for pneumonia. Various antibiotic courses and bronchoscopy procedures went by, but a diagnosis remained elusive. Tuberculosis was suspected. Daily fevers started. Running stopped. The cough, as well as the patch in the right lung refused to improve. Baby was born. Intravenous drugs continued through Feb and March. Repeated tests for TB were negative, but treatment started anyway. Steroids were started in April when the suspicion turned towards something called Wegener’s Disease. By this time the X-rays were worsening, so a CT scan was redone, at which point the doctor ordered a PET. The PET was inconclusive, but it was obvious that the right lung was severely compromised and surgery was inevitable.

The surgeon said he would decide on the operating table how much of the lung he would remove, based on the extent of damage. It became necessary to remove the entire right lung. Post operative biopsies on the lung tissue confirmed Classical Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Stage 4A. 

I did well immediately after surgery, and was removed from the ICU within a couple of days. However things went south soon after. A week later, I developed severe chest pains. Two weeks later I was suffering from extremely high fever (104+), and was given my first chemo dose. A couple of days after that, I experienced a series of seizures, collapsing in the hospital bathroom after the first one. Back in ICU, I was put on a ventilator. It was almost a week before my condition stabilized. 

I was discharged from hospital late June, after the second chemo dose. I returned home unable to breathe without oxygen, unable to stand or walk unassisted, 15 kg below my normal body weight, impaired vision, and non-trivial neuropathy in the right leg. Over the next two months, three more chemo doses were given. At the same time, I started recovering fast, and steadily gained body weight, muscle strength, and the ability to breathe without oxygen. 

Last week a fresh PET scan was done. I was declared to be in a state of “Complete remission”. Currently, body weight is back to normal, I’m walking 30-45 minutes 3 or 4 times a week, doing yoga, pranayama, and strength training to improve fitness. I’ve started working from home part time, and am having fun playing with my 6 month old. The doctors have decided to reduce the number of chemo doses a little, given that I am doing well, and radiation therapy plans have been cancelled. Tomorrow is my 5^th chemo, and the course should complete by mid-November. Scans will continue for now at half yearly intervals.

Overall, I’m feeling great – it’s like the clouds have cleared, and I can see things for what they are. I would not have had the self-confidence to write this piece a month ago. There is apprehension about the future, since life with one lung will have its own risks and limitations. But near term, I have clear goals that I think are achievable with patience and practice: improving my breathing, and get back to physical activity, including some hiking and maybe some running in a few months. Towards this end, I have been practicing climbing stairs in my apt building to re-build aerobic capacity, and am learning how to do pranayama. If all goes well, maybe a trip to the Himalayas is on the cards for next summer!

*** CTH thanks Kaniska for sending and permissting us to publish his story. On behalf of CTH  I recommend you to check Kanishka's FB site , amazing photography and story lines. (Lipika)