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How Rishi Kapoor Fought Acute Myeloid Leukemia
By Raveena M Prakash
Rishi Kapoor is a famous and iconic Indian Bollywood actor. He is not only remembered for his charismatic acting and personality but also praised for his timeless romance, stunning acting, and comic timing. Rishi Kapoor's cancer diagnosis and treatment journey is a shock to the nation, and his journey is also marked as his courageous fight against acute myeloid leukemia.
In this blog, we’ll discover more about how this legendary actor fought against AML, the challenges that he faced during the treatment, and what the lessons are that we can learn from his journey!
The Cancer Diagnosis:
Rishi Kapoor and his family did not officially reveal his cancer diagnosis initially. In September 2018, he travelled to New York and only revealed he has an illness, and he tweeted that he is taking a short leave of absence.
The family initially referred to it as ‘bone marrow treatment’ and for several months there were rumors about his health and the family has not revealed any information about his health. In early 2019, many media sources started to claim he was diagnosed with cancer.
The diagnosis was acute myeloid leukemia, which is a rare and aggressive type of leukemia. These forms of leukemia often affect the bone marrow, which causes the body to produce an abnormal amount of white blood cells. AMLs are fast-growing diseases that require immediate treatment and intensive treatment, which often require chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, and other forms of medical intervention.
Treatment journey
As we all know, fighting against cancer is never easy, and Rishi Kapoor’s case was no different. The treatment of AML requires an aggressive treatment, which often includes chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. As the chemotherapy sessions often took a toll on his body, he has publicly spoken about the difficult experience. The actor significantly lost weight and talked about how his family supported him during this time.
One of the most important parts of his treatment journey is his wife, Neetu Kapoor, and her constant support and care during this time. Neethu was with him in every phase of his treatment and became his rock and source of strength. Additionally, his children, Ranbir Kapoor and Riddhima Kapoor, also helped keep their father’s spirit high during the tough phase.
In the midst of these rigorous cancer treatments, his immense willpower, resilience, and sense of humor remained unchanged and helped the treatment positively. During his treatment time, his Twitter page has become a source of entertainment, because he used to share funny and lighthearted stories, which was remarkable.
He used his social media platforms to inspire his fans and friends across the world, even in the midst of severe illness. He has given an indirect message to people who are fighting against cancer: they could face cancer with immense positivity and courage.
Emotional and physical struggle
Cancer treatment is a stressful time of any patient's life. It is a harrowing phase not just for Rishi Kapoor but also for their loved ones. For him, these treatments took a toll on him emotionally and physically, which is quite immense to handle. His friends and fans, who had been following him for decades, were equally affected by his illness, often offering their support and concern through social media posts.
In one of his social media posts, he has openly shared the drastic physical change that has happened to him, which has come with treatment side effects. He publicly spoke about his significant weight loss along with how he lost his thick and dark black hair due to these treatments.
However, the legendary actor remained grounded and composed during the process. Rather than retreating from public and social life, he chose to embrace his reality. In some of his interviews, he has spoken about how these treatments made him humble and made him realize the importance of family and health.
Embracing Life After Treatments
Rishi Kapoor did undergo an extended and intensive treatment in New York for AML, which initially appeared successful and which further allowed him to return to India after staying in New York for 11 months and 11 days, in 2019. His appearance changed drastically; these treatments made him lose immense weight and lose hair, and he was declared cancer-free as well.
Although his initial treatment was successful, his time away from family and work has made him humble and left him with a sense of gratefulness. Rishi Kapoor's recovery and return were celebrated by his family and close friends. His newfound perspective about life made him focus more on his family and his passion for acting.
While he had been declared cancer-free, he was later admitted to the hospital due to a recurrence of cancer, which led him to breathing issues apart from cancer.
A Sad Farewell
Tragically, despite his strong battle against leukemia, Rishi Kapoor passed away on April 30, 2020. The death is due to several health and age-related complications from leukemia. His death left a massive void in the Indian Bollywood film industry. Apart from Indian cinema, the world has mourned the loss of an incredible actor who had given so much joy and happiness to a large number of audiences across the globe. Even after his death, his story continues to inspire millions of people.
From his fight against AML, he proved that, in life, the most uncertain and challenging phases can be met with grace and humor. Rishi Kapoor’s ability to embrace the cancer treatment journey, sharing his struggles and maintaining composure and having the zest for life, serves as a great example to all of us.
Consult Today
Rishi Kapoor’s battle with leukemia was not just a celebrity story, but the journey showcased the importance of family and support groups along with hope and courage in the face of challenging situations. Even in his most challenging situations, Rishi Kapoor remained a great example of perseverance and resilience.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the symptoms of acute myeloid leukemia, including:
- Dizziness
- Easy bruising and bleeding,
- Nosebleeding and bleeding gums
- Fatigue
- Feeling cold
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Frequent infections
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Pale skin
- Shortness of breath
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Weakness
- Bone, back and abdominal pain
There are some treatments for AML, including:
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Allogeneic stem cell transplantation
Here are some AML subtypes, including:
- Myeloid leukemia
- Acute monocytic leukemia
- Acute megakaryocytic leukemia
- Acute promyelocytic leukemia
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