LeukemiaJourney

Before cancer, I was just a normal Class 12 student.

I was preparing for my board exams and NEET. Class 11 hadn't gone particularly well for me, so when Class 12 started, I felt like I had another chance.

I wanted to do everything properly.

Study seriously.

Go to school.

Prepare for NEET.

Give my best.

At that time, I thought I was in the prime of my life.

I had no idea how quickly everything could change.

Every day, I had to walk around one kilometre from the bus stop to my school.

I had been doing that since Classes 10 and 11.

It was nothing.

One kilometre wasn't something I even thought about. It was simply part of my daily routine.

But when Class 12 started, something changed.

The same walk suddenly became difficult.

I would get tired.

At first, I didn't think much of it. I thought maybe I was weak, tired from studying, or simply going through a bad phase.

Then I noticed something else.

During school assembly, we had to stand for some time. From Class 1 through Class 11, standing during assembly had never been a problem for me.

But now, even that started becoming difficult.

I felt weak.

I told my mother.

We went to a normal clinic, where they did a CBC. The report wasn't normal. My TLC was elevated, my platelets were low, and my haemoglobin and other blood values were also low.

The doctor gave me medicines.

For two or three days, I felt better.

Then the medicine stopped helping.

And the weakness came back.

I also started having chills and losing my appetite.

Still, I didn't understand what was happening.

I was sixteen.

I was a Class 12 student.

Cancer wasn't even something I was thinking about.

Looking back now, those small changes were the beginning of a completely different chapter of my life.

But at the time, I was still thinking about school, exams and NEET.

I had no idea that soon, my biggest concern wouldn't be an exam.