I was the grade 12-Science CBSE topper in Gujarat, went on to study engineering while earning the prestigious Dhirubhai Ambani merit-based scholarship for four years . With more than eight years of work experience in TCS, Mumbai, and Gandhinagar, I was all set to start a new exciting journey in Finland. I was being posted as the Onsite Project Manager. My visa was already stamped. But a drastic change in my life was about to happen. A setback that eventually made me put my resignation. It was the year 2012 when I decided to focus only on my health. As I was walking out of the washroom one evening, I suddenly collapsed on the floor. I tried to get back on my feet but failed repeatedly. My mother and domestic help, somehow put me to bed. Again, the next morning, I was unable to get up on my feet. Sensing numbness and abnormality, I called a neurosurgeon who confirmed that I was paralyzed waist-down. Further tests revealed that I had multiple tumors in my spine and a set of two damaged vertebrae. That had caused severe paralysis. While the initial biopsy of my armpit sample showed false negative result of no malignancy, the second biopsy using sample from my bone marrow, and a full-body PET-CT Scan, confirmed cancerous nodes not just in my spine but also in my bladder, intestines, liver, tail bone, etc. It was in stage 4. The doctors said that I was a terminal case, and I would not survive beyond five to six weeks. My vulnerable condition and lack of time did not allow me to fly to the U.S.A to my siblings for advanced treatment. Most of the doctors whom we referred, found it pointless to even begin my treatment. no one had a ray of hope. That is when my mother became my rock-solid support and convinced everyone that miracles are waiting to happen. Her determination instilled courage and will-power in me. And so my treatment started finally. I remember that it was my birthday. Doctors believed that it could be my last so I better spend it with my family and initiate treatment on the day after. But I resolved otherwise. A step towards better health was the best birthday gift that I could have given myself. I had a rare type of non-hodgkins Lymphoma(NHL). Since it was one of the most aggresive forms of NHL, it had spread rapidly in my body, possibly in merely six to eight months and led to my deteriorating condition. Prior to my radiation and chemotherapy sessions, I was advised a complicated spine surgery. The specialist had told my mother that even if it was successful, I would still always be wheel-chair bound. I had tears in my eyes because all my life, my parents had worked so hard bringing me up, and now when I was ready to support them in my youth, I would be a burden on them. My parents assured that just like in the past, they would always be proud of me going ahead! That evening, almost magically, my one of my big toe demonstrated some movements. The Doctor was excited and decided to postpone the surgery since my body was perhaps responsive to medications. That surgery never happened! I underwent a protocol of eight and a half cycles of chemotherapy and eight sessions of radiation. In the meanwhile, I would regularly undergo physiotherapy sessions, initially passive and later active ones, thrice a day. I had to wear a robot-like steel jacket which kept my spine erect and in place because any bends could have lead to twists and grim complications. The doctors advised us to follow a “log procedure” to avoid bed sores. Bedsores are a condition when a lack of air passage between the bedsheets and the prolonged inertly-lying paralysed body can lead to fungal infections. Thus, every two hours, 3 people would be simultaneously changing my sides like a log of wood. This continued even at night. To read the whole story and other inspiring and healing stories, Please visit https://zenonco.io/cancer-survivors/mental-and-emotional-wellness/bhupendra-tripathi-non-hodkin-lymphoma-cancer-survivor/