DESPITE going into remission after being diagnosed with a rare blood cancer four years ago, Sunitha Balakrishnan has to face the big “C” once again, after she relapsed in December.
However, the 47-year-old intends to continue her advocacy for those living with multiple myeloma.
“This disease is not a commonly-known cancer as many are not aware of it.
“It is a type of bone marrow cancer, which is rare among young people. It is called myeloma as the cancer often affects several parts of the body,” she said, adding that she was diagnosed with it in 2018.
Sunitha said her symptoms began with her feeling sick and tired but she did not pay much attention to it as she was in the midst of completing a Master’s degree. She thought she was just tired from the extra workload.
“As a special educational needs teacher at school, I was always on my feet. I didn’t think my symptoms were abnormal until I had very high fever that just did not go away.
“That’s when I took some tests and a month later, I discovered it was multiple myeloma.”
Although she had been free of the symptoms after undergoing six cycles of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, it only took a blood test to confirm the cancer cells had returned.
She then underwent a bone marrow biopsy to see how much her plasma cells had been affected by the myeloma.
“I would do my blood test every three months to ensure there is no trace of paraprotein (an indicator). It was during one of these sessions that paraprotein was found. It means the myeloma is coming back.
“Because it is a form of cancer that has no cure, a relapse is common,” she said.
“I was gutted, but I told myself that I needed to be strong for my three boys. I am lucky to have a supportive family and an employer who is constantly supporting me. It made me confident that I have a big troop supporting me. I need to get through this for them too,” she said.
Although Sunitha had to undergo five sessions of targeted therapy, she said she was able to handle it.
“I don’t have side effects like hair loss, but I do get severe headaches after each treatment. The second time I underwent therapy, I could not keep my eyes open for an entire day.
“Interestingly, I have a good appetite and I eat a lot of fruits and organic food to build up my strength for the next stem cell transplant. The transplant can take a toll on my body,” she said.
Sunita is optimistic that there would be light at the end of the tunnel.
