We think that celebrities are the luckiest people on the earth and that they are without any problem. They spend their lives partying, changing partners and vehicles every now and then and in merry-making. But in reality, they are also human beings like us and can be affected by the same health conditions. Lisa Ray, the gorgeous actress who starred in the Oscar nominated movie Water was victimized by a form of blood cancer two years ago. Here is a short story of her struggle:
The Diagnosis
Lisa Ray, the cat-eyed Toronto-born actor was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, two years ago. It is a cancer of the plasma cells of the bone marrow. Plasma cells are also found in the blood and so myeloma is also regarded as a form of blood cancer. There are practically no particular symptoms of this form of cancer and people normally turn to their doctors after they experience fatigue, cold sores, tiredness, back pain, kidney problems, nausea and muscle weakness. This form of blood cancer is commonly diagnosed at the ages of 62 years for men and 61 years for women. But only 4 percent of cases are observed in individuals below 45 years of age. And unfortunately Lisa fell in this category. She had a feeling of tiredness all the time for which she consulted a doctor who instructed her to go through a few medical tests. The Indian actress of Polish and Bengali descent was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma at the age of 37 years.
The Treatment
The "water" actress had to undergo painful chemotherapy sessions every week. She was utterly distressed when the needles used to go through her veins. Finally a catheter that connected to a primary vein provided relief, but resulted in an incision called port-a-cath in her chest. Lisa did not react dramatically after she received the medical test reports on June 23, 2008. Rather she was relaxed to know what has gone wrong. Lisa reveals that her treatment began with steroids. But she gained a bloated look! Her treatment continued for four months and she had to undergo aggressive sessions of chemotherapy. The nurses had to do various activities to distract her. Lisa lost her attractive figure and gained pounds of weight. After October 2008, Lisa underwent the stem cell transplant. Stem cell therapies support the repair of damaged cells. Lisa is now hopeful about her future. She thinks that remission is possible for as long as 20 years.
The Road Ahead
Initially she was told to keep the matter private, but she finally decided that it was time to speak out. She maintains a blog called The Yellow Diaries where she shares her experiences. She also engaged herself in spreading awareness about the relatively rare form of cancer. She is into the making of a television documentary series which would see people throughout Canada sharing their experiences on life threatening situations.
We often repent on our conditions. We always blame God on his judgment whenever undesirable things come upon us. But Lisa was the one who did not say, "Why Me?" She was the one who dared to tell God, "Try Me".
