{"id":2214,"date":"2026-01-01T07:59:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T07:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/?p=2214"},"modified":"2026-01-01T09:53:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T09:53:55","slug":"a-new-lease-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/01\/a-new-lease-of-life\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Lease Of Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cFor a happy-go-lucky girl, who was fond of being a \u2018tomboy\u2019 and prankster of the top draw, I was diagnosed with Stage-I, or early, cancer of the ovary at age 23. The disease, I was told, was fortuitously limited to a small area. But, the word, \u2018cancer,\u2019 came like a wicked shock. It also had the sledgehammer effect not just on me, but also my family and friends.<\/p>\n

The cancer was removed through conservative surgery. I felt relieved; also happy. But, this was short-lived. Two years later, there was a recurrence. This was again \u2018localised.\u2019 The doctors weighed the pros and cons. They removed the entire ovary.<\/p>\n

I felt that this was all there\u2019s was to it and I looked forward, again, to a good, happy life. This was not to be. My world turned upside down, when cancer was detected in the opposite, or the other, ovary. It was localised, yet again. My case was referred to Dr Pravin Mhatre, MD, a top-notch gynaecologist. He thought of removing the tumour, while preserving the ovary and the tissue. But, regrettably, and because there was no real possibility of conservation, he had to remove the entire ovary.<\/p>\n

I was now 27 with both my ovaries gone. I also went through what is called \u2018surgical menopause.\u2019 I felt miserable, also desolate. I felt that I had lost my womanhood and that womanhood had lost me. However, as it happens often in life, there is always a glimmer of hope in the stranglehold of darkness. That I\u2019d not undergone chemotherapy, or radiation, therapy \u2018turned the tables\u2019 for me, whatever there was to it. My gynaecologist explained to me that I was an \u2018ideal\u2019 candidate for ovarian transplant. The technique is called orthotopic ]organ replacement] ovarian transplant from a donor.<\/p>\n

After systematic, meticulous investigations, a possible donor was identified, my own sister, who was happily married and had two children. A battery of tests also ensued ]I can\u2019t recall their complicated names], including blood group and sophisticated cross-matching. Once this was done, one had to approach government authorities to get permission, because of the Transplant Act. Following permission, my sister donated her whole ovary. This was transplanted through a sophisticated ]vascular] technique, as my gynaecologist explained, at \u2018normal position\u2019 of the ovary. I was put on immunosuppressive medications to avoid rejection of the donated ovary. Fortunately, there were no complications. My recovery was also uneventful. My ovarian function began within a month\u2019s time and I started producing eggs on ovulation. My gynaecologist and other doctors monitored my progress regularly to ensure that my ovary was functioning well and not rejected<\/p>\n

I\u2019m now 35 and leading a normal, happy life \u2014 something which I had, at one point of time, thought was next to impossible ]or, that my time to go would arrive anytime], especially because the word, \u2018cancer,\u2019 would not fail to sound that chilling, imminent death knell, every time I\u2019d think of what next.<\/p>\n

My gynaecologist had once told me that ovarian cancer could present in one\u2019s early twenties and\/or ]again] peak at age 60-70 and that it is treatable, when one is at the right place and at the right time. He\u2019s right. I\u2019m proof enough of his positive affirmation and modern medical science\u2019s remarkable expertise to healing people and transforming lives.<\/p>\n

I am lucky too for having lived through turmoil and emerged from the shadows of death, thanks to professional and appropriate medical treatment. I\u2019ve nothing, but a simple message to my fellow women. Keep a close watch on your body signals, never ever delay, or postpone from seeking prompt, professional medical attention, while reiterating your faith in god. It can change your life and your loved ones\u2019 life too from the brink of disaster to leading a happy, normal life.” \u2014 Anamika Kumar [name changed], a patient of Pravin Mhatre, MD, FCPS, DGO, DFP,\u00a0 is a proud ovarian cancer survivor.<\/p>\n

\u2014 First published in The Financial Chronicle<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR \u201cFor a happy-go-lucky girl, who was fond of being a \u2018tomboy\u2019 and prankster of the top draw, I was diagnosed with Stage-I, or early, cancer of the ovary at age 23. The disease, I was told, was fortuitously limited to a small area. But, the word, \u2018cancer,\u2019 came like a wicked shock. It […]\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2217,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[6],"class_list":["post-2214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2214"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2224,"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2214\/revisions\/2224"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rajnidamboor.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}