The Week India – July 21, 2019

THE WEEK • JULY 21, 2019 9

PLUS

His cousin Vrinda, a doctor herself, was
given the responsibility of getting him to
move from bed. “Moving around was so
exhausting that at times I would find it very
difficult to even walk a few steps. She was
with me for hours on end, ensuring that I did
get up. All through that time, I was thinking
about when I could get back to my sports.”

Unlike other cancer treatments,
chemotherapy and radiation were not an
option. “It would not have worked in my
case. There is a third line of therapy called
immunotherapy, designed to boost the
body's natural defences to fight the cancer.
It uses substances either made by the body
or in a laboratory to improve or restore
immune system function.”

The Road to Recovery.

Sidharth cites two role models, who
inspired his drive to recover. “Yuvraj Singh
and Lance Armstrong really played a big
role in my recovery. Unfortunately, in India,
people are still unwilling to share their
stories because they still feel there is a huge
stigma attached to cancer. I kept telling
myself that if two of the fittest men in their
respective countries can get cancer, fight it,
and get back to their peak fitness levels,
then I could too.”

The road to recovery did take time and it
was three or four months before Sidharth
could walk properly. He single-mindedly
built that up to a brisk walk and eight
months after his surgery, he ran a half
marathon. And exactly one year later, in
January 2015, he ran the full marathon.

Sidharth even played a corporate cricket

match 333 days after surgery. He received a

warm welcome from his old mates and the

team even went on to win the match.

Sidharth credits his passion for fitness for

his remarkable recovery, saying with pride

how one of his surgeons said the inside of

his body was like that of a 20-year-old! They

also told him that while the incisions and

scars normally took up to two years to heal

completely, they expected his body to

repair itself sooner because of his fitness

level.

What Next?

Today, Sidharth is actively involved in

doing his bit for society. He is associated

with HCG and multiple NGOs that work

with cancer. “I wanted to start my own

support group, Renal Way, as very few

people talk about kidney cancer.”

Sidharth has penned down his cancer

journey in a book called 'Cancer as I know

it - Six steps to beat cancer and feel

awesome', which has been published in

more than 13 countries and available on

Amazon. Also, all the contributions made

towards the purchase of the book goes to

charity and to the NGOs working in the

cancer field.

He has an insight to convey to people. “My

advice is never show sympathy to

someone who is undergoing all this. I did

throw out a few people from my life who

were always negative. My thought process

has also changed and I value relationships,

friendships, and life more. There are times

when we stop talking to people due to ego

issues. Life is much bigger than all this.”