To my most unwanted guest Cancer,
It has been two and a half years since you forcefully entered my life. However, my hide-and-seek game with you began long before that. I first encountered you in movies, then saw you troubling strangers, and eventually got to know people closely affected by you. When you snatched my mother away, I didn’t realize that I was your next target. You came with your accomplice too.
Depression.
She was the first one to approach me. I didn’t even realize when you sneaked in through her grip.
By then, I was already trapped in her maze. I had no clue you often accompanied her wherever she went. My focus was entirely on your companion, who had completely shattered me during that period. Ironically, she troubled me more than you ever did later.
Luckily for me, or perhaps for my family, your hideout in my body was exposed, and you were caught red-handed. While eradicating you from my body, your companion disappeared somewhere. For a long time, everyone’s attention was solely on getting rid of you, aiming to banish you and seal your return permanently. I cooperated fully because surrendering to you was never an option.
What surprised me most was how your companion, Depression, vanished during that time without a trace.
I endured the painful treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation. My husband, an Ayurvedic doctor, supported me with Ayurvedic treatments to alleviate the side effects and offered constant comfort. My family protected me as if I were a precious jewel.
A strong Lakshman Rekha was drawn to prevent your reentry. Hormone therapy will continue for another five years to strengthen that boundary.
After your departure, your companion tried to return, but by then, I had understood things better. I kept my distance and consistently implemented strategies to ward her off. Now, her visits are rare, and even if she shows up, I hardly pay any attention.
I’m writing this letter to issue you a final warning: I never want to see you again in my life. Please disappear to some corner of this world without troubling anyone else.
To keep myself from being weakened by thoughts of you, I learned painting. Surprisingly, it worked well — I created many beautiful paintings that received praise. You unknowingly awakened a dormant talent in me.
If you ask whether my life was better before your arrival or after you left, I might hesitate to answer. However, I know this much: I love my present life, where I’ve conquered a formidable enemy like you.
Neither you nor your companion should ever show up in my life again. I sincerely hope we never meet anywhere.
I continue to hold love for those suffering because of you and strive to inspire those mentally weakened by your presence. I do whatever I can to help them.
The transformations you’ve brought to my life may seem positive, but let me make it clear , they do not make your arrival welcome in any way.
I’ve earned this life by defeating you, and now I want to live it fully. Along the way, I will share my experiences, write stories, poems, and testimonies, and publish them for others to read. I will create more artworks.
I will uphold the dignity of my profession as a veterinary doctor while cherishing life with my family.
Let this be my final plea — never cross my path again.
Sincerely,
Dr. S. Jayasree
Jayasree speaking... 