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July 2, 1992 The day I was born

July 2, 2022 The Day I was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

July 2, 2024 The day I launch Joti Studio in an attempt to reclaim the day that changed my life. (slightly delayed, but I tried my best as a one-woman team)

 

A quick view of my experience so far with cancer:

 

After a few trips to the ER in May-June of 2022, I was admitted to the hospital to manage my shoulder pain. After multiple tests, an MRI scan and a CT scan, we found a pretty large mass in my chest. The day the doctor walked in to the hospital room telling us they had found a mass was the day that I started to live with a dark gray cloud above my head.

 

After a biopsy, a CTT or chest tube to drain the fluid that had built up around my heart and lungs, I was given the confirmation that It was indeed cancer.

 

In 2022 I went through 6 cycles of RCHOP chemotherapy, 25 rounds of Radiotherapy in January 2023, by March 2023 I was in remission. My mass was officially inactive. I was able to do a few of the things I loved again. But at the 6-month mark when it was time to get my PET scan to monitor the cancer, we discovered a new mass, the old mass was still inactive, but I now had a cardiophrenic mass the size of a golf ball. This is what they call a relapse or a recurrence. I had to go through chemo again before going through a bone marrow transplant to lessen the chances of another recurrence.

 

A bone marrow transplant is a strange procedure. Every time I try to explain it to people, they’re a little bit confused. I was confused too for a good while. Here’s what happens: First they have to harvest your stem cells, in my case I get to use my own. Then they count the cells harvested to make sure it’s enough, then they freeze it for the transplant. After a bit of resting and getting the necessary clearances from different doctors and the dentist, you get admitted to the hospital into the transplant room. I will be isolated from everyone except a few nurses and a few doctors. The first 8 days I will be given high dose chemotherapy that will basically kill any cancer cells left, it will also wipe out my most of my immune system. This is where the harvested stem cells come in. They will give me back my stem cells to help my body recover from the chemotherapy. Then begins the road to recovery. On average patients take 21 days to be discharged from the end of the chemotherapy and are usually in the hospital for quite a while.

 

This will be the toughest challenge I will face, physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially. Bone Marrow Transplants are not cheap. They come out to 2-3Million pesos; the stem cell harvest alone was close to 1Million pesos. That was the most expensive 3 days of my life. My road to diagnosis, my first 6 cycles of chemo, and radiotherapy was about 1.5Million pesos already. Another 3 cycles of R-ICE chemotherapy early 2024 was also another 450K pesos.

 

Cancer has been the most challenging thing I have ever gone through. I have done mostly fine physically, but it has mentally and emotionally destroyed me. Most people that have not had cancer will never understand how draining it is to constantly live with what feels like never ending doom. The feeling that only bad things will happen and truly losing any purpose or will to do things in life. I was fortunate to have found Tennis during my radiotherapy because it gave me an hour to just turn off my brain, turn off the doom, and just enjoy the present moment. Aside from that, I found the best way to use up my time in the hospital and in between treatments was to use my hands and crochet. It was something I could easily bring with me almost anywhere I went.

 

To be honest I felt for a long time that I didn’t deserve to ask for help, specially financial help. That’s why I decided to create products for people to purchase so that people would get something in return. But she also told me that I should let the people that want to help, help.

 

If you wish to simply donate, the details are below:

 

BDO SAVINGS

Mirabai Jyoti F Sebastian

001320164283

 

GCASH

Mirabai Jyoti F. Sebastian 

09193919515

 

For Overseas Donations

PAYPAL

mirabaisebastian@gmail.com 

 

If you could send me a photo of your donation to heyjoti@gmail.com or through my IG @joti.studio or @mirabaiii, I would love to be able to thank you personally. 💚 But if you wish to donate anonymously, I appreciate you, I am grateful for you, I send you all the love.