Cancer. A word that we all fear, but many of us don’t truly understand until it enters our own lives. I never thought I’d be someone writing about cancer from a personal perspective. But life doesn’t always give us a warning. This blog is not written as a doctor or expert — but from a human who faced cancer, especially stomach cancer. If you or someone you love is going through something similar, I hope my story helps you feel a little less alone. I’ll try to explain everything in the simplest way possible, just like I’d share with a friend.
What is Cancer?
Cancer is a disease that starts when some cells in the body grow in an uncontrolled way. Normally, cells in our body grow, divide, and then die when they are supposed to. But in cancer, this process doesn’t work properly. The cells keep growing and don’t die when they should. They form a lump called a tumor. Some tumors are not dangerous — these are called benign. But the dangerous ones are called malignant tumors, and they can spread to other parts of the body. That’s when things get serious.
Cancer can happen anywhere — lungs, liver, brain, breast, stomach — anywhere. It can also affect people of any age, although some types are more common in older people. There are more than 100 types of cancer. It’s not just one disease but a group of diseases. Some cancers grow slowly, some grow very fast.
Cancer doesn’t always show signs in the beginning. That’s what makes it so scary. By the time someone starts feeling symptoms, it might already be in a serious stage. But if caught early, many cancers can be treated, and people can live a full life. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and newer options like immunotherapy.
No one really knows why someone gets cancer. It can happen due to many reasons — smoking, unhealthy food, pollution, infections, or even family history. But sometimes, it just happens, even if you do everything “right.” That’s the hardest part to accept.
How I Knew I Had Stomach Cancer
At first, I thought it was just a digestion issue. I had a little pain in my upper belly and felt bloated after eating. I didn’t think much of it. But slowly, the symptoms got worse. My energy dropped, my weight started falling, and I began feeling full even after eating very little. Now let me share some parts of the journey that helped me realize something was very wrong:
Loss of Appetite and Strange Fullness
It started gradually. I would eat a normal plate of rice and curry, and I’d feel extremely full after just a few bites. At first, I thought maybe it was gas or acidity, which is very common in our country. But this was different. I began skipping meals because eating made me uncomfortable. Even my favorite foods didn’t attract me anymore. My family noticed that I was avoiding food. It wasn’t intentional — my stomach just didn’t want it. This went on for weeks. I became weak, tired, and pale. People started asking, “Tumi eto roga hoye gecho keno?” That’s when I realized something deeper was going on.
Unexplained Weight Loss
I didn’t try to lose weight, but I was losing it fast. Every time I wore my panjabi or jeans, they felt loose. I didn’t check my weight often, but when I finally did, I had lost over 5 kilos in a month. This scared me. I wasn’t dieting, wasn’t exercising — so where was the weight going? I googled “sudden weight loss” and the first word that popped up was cancer. That hit me like a slap. I told myself not to panic. But deep down, something felt wrong.
Burning Sensation and Stomach Pain
One of the most uncomfortable symptoms was a strange burning feeling in my stomach, especially after meals. At times it felt like acidity, but medicine didn’t help. The pain would come and go, but it started becoming more frequent. It wasn’t a sharp pain — more like pressure or a dull ache. Sometimes, it woke me up at night. I tried home remedies, stopped eating spicy food, drank warm water. But nothing worked. That pain was trying to tell me something.
Feeling Tired All The Time
I used to be quite active. Whether it was office work, helping out at home, or chatting with friends, I was always on the move. But suddenly, I became a different person. I was tired even after waking up. Climbing stairs became hard. I started skipping social events. My mind was foggy, my body was heavy. I kept blaming “work stress,” but honestly, I knew that my body was not okay. Something was draining my energy from the inside.
Vomiting Blood (This Changed Everything)
This was the moment that forced me to run to the doctor. One morning, after days of nausea and discomfort, I vomited — and there was blood. It wasn’t a lot, but enough to scare me and my family. We rushed to the hospital. The doctor didn’t waste any time and asked for an endoscopy. That test changed my life. They found a tumor in my stomach — and soon, the word “cancer” became part of my life. I’ll never forget that day.
The Diagnosis and the Shock
Even when the doctor said the word “tumor,” I still didn’t fully understand. I thought maybe it’s something they can remove, and I’d be fine. But when the biopsy report came and the doctor confirmed it was stomach cancer, the room felt silent. My head was spinning. My family was crying. I was just numb. The first question I asked was, “Can it be cured?” The doctor said it depends on the stage — and we’d need scans to know more. I realized this was going to be a long fight.
Telling My Family and Their Reactions
Breaking the news to my family was harder than hearing it myself. My mother cried like a child. My father became quiet. My younger brother kept asking, “How did this happen?” I had no answers. Everyone tried to be strong for me, but I could see the fear in their eyes. It was in that moment that I realized — cancer doesn’t just affect the patient. It shakes the whole family. But their support became my strength.
Final Verdict
Stomach cancer changed my life forever. It made me see the world differently. Every small thing — a meal, a smile, a conversation — feels more valuable now. I won’t say it was easy. It wasn’t. But knowing the signs early, trusting my gut, and getting help in time made all the difference.
If you’re reading this and you’ve been having strange symptoms that won’t go away — don’t wait. Don’t be afraid. Get checked. It might be nothing, or it might be something serious. But either way, knowing is always better than not knowing. Cancer is not the end of the road. With early action and the right treatment, there is hope.