Cancer battle of Deepali Patil
Life was going great until the last quarter of 2022. I was at the highest peak of my career, holding my dream title in HR, and enjoying life with my husband and little daughter. Everything felt perfect until one day, I experienced a sharp stomach pain. At first, I thought it was stress—I believed some rest would fix it. But a few days later, the pain returned. I had fibroids for years, so I assumed they were the cause. My husband and I decided to visit the gynecologist, expecting it to be a routine check-up.
The gynecologist was concerned. She told me, “Deepali, we can deal with your fibroids later, but there’s something on your neck that you need to get checked.” I dismissed her worries, thinking it was just a benign lobe that had been examined before. However, she was adamant and referred me to a surgeon for a closer look.
The next day, I was undergoing surgery. The lump in my neck had to be removed immediately. Thankfully, I recovered well and was back to preparing for my daughter’s upcoming birthday. One evening, as we were blowing up balloons for her party, I received a report. It was difficult to understand due to the medical terminology, but the word “T3” jumped out at me. We decided to call the doctor, and he insisted we meet first thing in the morning.
The next day, my life turned upside down: I was diagnosed with Stage 3 thyroid cancer. I felt my world collapse. All I could think about was my husband and my daughter, who was about to turn six. Instead of celebrating her birthday with friends and family, we found ourselves discussing the next steps with the doctor. We cancelled the party and had a small celebration at home. In my heart, I knew I had to put on a brave face for my daughter, but fear gripped me. I was terrified of what the future held.
I wasn’t ready for what came next—another surgery, just a day after the diagnosis. I called my mother, but she was speechless. We had lost my father two years prior, and the family had drifted apart. Now, we were reuniting over my cancer diagnosis. My mind was blank. I had lived a healthy life, there was no history of cancer in the family—how could this be happening to me? What would happen to my husband and daughter if I wasn’t there for them?
The surgery had a risk: I might lose my voice. For someone as talkative as me, the idea of being unable to speak was devastating. How would I tell my daughter her bedtime stories? That first night in the ICU was surreal. I couldn’t move, breathe properly, or talk. I could only communicate with the nurses through my eyes. I desperately wanted to see my husband, to tell him that I had survived, but I couldn’t. That night felt like a battle for survival.
It took me seven to eight months to regain my voice and hold my head normally again. The next step in my treatment was nuclear radiation, which meant four weeks of complete isolation. No human connection, no conversations—it was pure loneliness. It was one of the toughest phases of my life, but I made it through.
Then, just when I thought I had fought my hardest battle, the stomach pain returned. It was the fibroid, back to haunt me. The doctors couldn’t detect its severity through scans, but once they operated, they realized it was much larger than expected. What was supposed to be a one-hour surgery turned into a five-to-six-hour ordeal. I can only imagine the anxiety my husband must have felt during that time.
By October 2023, I had my last radiation treatment. I had beaten cancer. Now, I take medicine for life and have regular checkups to ensure the cancer stays away. It’s a lifelong fight, but I’m determined to keep it at bay.
Through all of this, I realized what truly matters—my family. As a passionate HR professional, I used to put work above everything, but now I know my family comes first. In my darkest moments, it wasn’t my career that saved me; it was the love and support of my husband, daughter, and father-in-law. They were my pillars, and I will never take them for granted again.
Today, I’m a working mom with managed stress, prioritizing my family above all else. My daughter, now seven and a half, has grown so mature through this journey. She’s my little “mumma.” I can’t thank God and my family enough for giving me this second chance at life. Everything happens for a reason, and this experience has made me more intentional about cherishing every moment with my loved ones. My career in HR is still a passion, but it now takes second place. My family will always come first.
TAGGED :
CANCER
HER STORY
DUBAI
DEEPALI PATIL
