Survivor’s Stories

Jasjit | Dedicated to tomorrow’s knowledge.

In 2003 an endoscopy revealed that I had stage IV esophageal cancer.  Statistically, I was given a maximum 6 month survival time. I didn’t panic when I received my diagnosis, but sought out the best care that I could and began with determination.

Things began to happen very quickly after I was diagnosed. With one phone call to Yale Cancer Center I had an appointment for the next day and my treatment began a few days later. Overall my treatment went smoothly. We tried different combinations of drugs; when one combination made me feel sick, we would switch to another. Side effects are a very real part of treatment and you have to learn to live with them each day. You have two options when you are faced with something like this – you either run, or you fight, and of course you fight. Fight everything that comes your way from the diagnosis to the treatment to the side effects.

When Dr. Wasif Saif joined Yale Cancer Center in 2005 and became my oncologist, he recommended a new course of chemotherapy for me. Over the next 6 months I was on different combinations of drugs; some of which seemed to work for awhile. I have great admiration for Dr. Saif and how he is able to dedicate so much of himself to his patients.  It’s truly amazing.

One day I felt very dizzy and my wife, Ranjna, noticed I seemed confused.  I was scheduled for an MRI, which showed a golf-ball sized tumor in my brain.  I didn’t think of it as a roadblock, but simply a diversion. The tumor was removed and months of radiation followed. During this time I was very fatigued and began to lose vision in my left eye. These, along with some memory loss, are side effects that I am learning to live with.

The staff at Yale Cancer Center is uniquely helpful. The relationship between the doctors and nurses is like no other place I have ever seen. I have come to call the nurses Nightingales, because that’s what they are to me. We live over an hour away from Yale Cancer Center, in Groton, but over time that distance has simply melted away. We feel as though we can call upon them for any worry or question at any time, no matter how small it may seem. Meghan McGuirk, the PA, always responds to our concerns.

The tumor in my esophagus has become part of my routine, like going to the gym or watching TV is for someone else. My life is pretty much back to normal now, although I don’t feel like much had changed to begin with. I’m still the same man I once was and am living my life the way I want too.

I received my PhD in Medical Chemistry in India before coming to this country in 1969. I joined Pfizer and had a very fulfilling career for over 30 years. I even discovered a new drug, and retired in 2003 as Research Director. However, writing is my real passion. I have written and edited six books, and continue to write in retirement. I search for humor in issues surrounding our world today, and publish in local newspapers.

Support is the most effective therapy anyone can wish for. My wife Ranjna is my pillar. Without her, and my two children, I would have nothing to cling too; nothing to support me through this. Turn to your loved ones during this time because they are eager to help you in any way they can. Tears are okay and so is fear, realizing they are there is important, but don’t dwell on them.

My prognosis for myself is always good. I’m not a superman, I’m just a human being that is fighting to survive and keep living every day as best I can. I have many things to hold to in this world, my writing, my wife, and my children, so I will keep fighting no matter what it takes. One must be prepared to fight for anything worth saving in this world, and I have found several things worth fighting for.