Beating cancer thrice, endurance cyclist aims for Mt Annapurna: How strict exercise routine and diet helped him recover (original) (raw)

At 38, Rachit Kulshrestha is looking forward to trekking at the Annapurna base camp in April. He already has three milestones – he cycled from Manali to Khardung La, one of the world’s highest motorable roads at 18,000 ft, toured the Nilgiris across three states in six days and completed the 200-km and 300-km runs at a French cycling circuit. What makes these feats bigger is the fact that he battled three bouts of cancer surgeries in between, rides his cycle with a single arm and has bounced back within six months of a pancreatic surgery.

“There are just two ways to deal with such situations: Either one sinks in despair or seizes the opportunity to make the most of what’s left,” says Rachit, who is focussing on a high protein diet and is breaking his workout routines with yoga and Pilates. Regular aerobic exercises have not only controlled his fatigue and side effects, they have improved his heart and lung function and oxygenation throughout the body.

His doctor, Dr Gajanan Wagholikar, consultant hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgeon at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune, says he had to turn down Rachit’s request for bungee-jumping but cleared him for a trek going by his physical status. “A malignant tumour in the pancreatic body or the middle section of the pancreas, between the head and the tail, is very uncommon and not detectable in the early stages. So we had to remove the body-tail part of the pancreas and a part of the spleen as it was very close to the artery supplying the spleen,” he explains.

Rachit is functioning with around 40 per cent of pancreas, which is adequate for digestion. And although his blood glucose levels are in range, Dr Wagholikar worries if his insulin secretory reserve, or the total capacity of the pancreas to release insulin, can make him diabetes-prone in the future.

A RECURRENT TUMOUR HISTORY

Dr Wagholikar worries about his cancer recurring. ““Rachit probably has some genetic mutations which predispose him to multiple cancers. Research is ongoing in this area but he will have to undergo regular follow-up checks and surveillance,” he says.

Much of Rachit’s life has been about battling cancer. At the age of six he lost his left arm from the collar bone to osteosarcoma – a type of bone cancer. At 27, he managed to save his right leg from pleomorphic sarcoma – a rare type of cancer that occurs in the soft tissues of the body. Last year, at least 60 per cent of his pancreas was removed. It took a month for him to recover and return to his work-from-home routine for a UK-based fintech company.

Experts say that a person who has had bone cancer may be at a slightly higher risk of developing a different type of cancer later in life, particularly if they received extensive radiation therapy as part of their bone cancer treatment. Even with treatment, some cancer cells might remain undetected and continue to grow, because of genetic mutations, the aggressive nature of the cancer, or the limitations of treatment methods, which might not reach all cancerous cells, allowing them to re-emerge later on.

EXERCISE KEY TO RECOVERY

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It is well-known that exercise reduces side-effects and improves quality of life for cancer patients during treatment and recovery. In a recent review in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, authors say that sarcoma management follows a multi-disciplinary approach in which both surgery and rehabilitation play an important role. “Evidence shows exercise therapy (as well as psychological acceptance) may be helpful during this process,” they say.

In fact, the National Foundation for Cancer Research advocates it for sarcoma. “Treatment for sarcoma is often degenerative. Exercise can help the patient sustain muscle mass and cardiac health. Regular and intelligent exercise can assist sarcoma patients as they adapt their lifestyle,” it says. A review in the journal Frontiers of Physiology found that sarcoma patients meeting physical activity guidelines exhibited a better quality of life.

A FIGHTBACK AND ANOTHER BATTLE

Rachit battled stigma from a young age when his left arm was amputated from the collar bone. “Most of my peers refused to play with me, fearing they would contract cancer. So I went out of my way to prove myself and ensure my place in the world,” Rachit recalls.

As his family shifted from Indore to Pune, Rachit completed his studies through correspondence and started working at a call centre, taking up a job as customer care representative. He even travelled to Goa where he worked as a bartender at a club. “At one time I would even sell poems on the beach,” he recalls.

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Rachit was unable to adjust with an artificial limb and decided he was comfortable without one. In fact, he learnt to multitask with his right arm and was confident enough to move to Pondicherry. “I worked briefly for an Italian chef there and then relocated to Mumbai where I worked with a computer animation and visual effects firm,” he says. Around 2014 a cricket ball-sized growth on his right leg started bothering him. “I thought it would shrink but a biopsy showed it was pleomorphic sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that affects the body’s soft tissues, muscles, bones and other connective tissues… And it spreads. Doctors told me they would not be able to save my leg,” Rachit recalls.

As word spread about the achievements of the single-handed cyclist who stayed alone and fought cancer, Rachit got invited by clubs, schools and colleges to talk about his journey and survival.

At Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital, doctors eventually administered radiation therapy, followed by cancer removal surgery and chemotherapy. As with such routines, his affected foot was not entirely functional as he had to lift it slightly to walk. Despite one arm, Rachit would cycle to and from school in Indore. He rediscovered the joy of cycling when he relocated to Pune. “I persisted and decided to collaborate with a Pune-based NGO to do these expeditions,” he says.

As word spread about the achievements of the single-handed cyclist who stayed alone and fought cancer, Rachit got invited by clubs, schools and colleges to talk about his journey and survival. “I realised my experience was for sharing with others who may not have the strength to look beyond the disease,” says Rachit, now a motivational speaker for survivors.

As his immune system took a beating with every round of diagnosis and therapy, Rachit did slip into the troughs of despair. “I may not need assistance when I walk but it is an awkward gait as I have to slightly lift my foot and walk. I am also partially deaf so I cave in at times. But then I realise that I have managed to live. Many don’t. And I realise, I must have a purpose,” he says.

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Rachit is now dating Aishwarya Pillai, a visually impaired 3-D artist. Preparing for yet another round of motivational talk, he has decided to show his vulnerable side. “I do not want to be known as superman. I learn from life, get down and get up,” he adds.