05/01/2026
*Patient Stories That Inspire*
She is a 55-year-old woman who walks into my OPD one quiet afternoon. The moment she enters, I notice it—the unmistakable facies of scleroderma. Years of disease are written gently, yet firmly, on her face. I ask her almost instinctively, “Do you suffer from scleroderma?”
She smiles and nods. “Yes, doctor. Since I was very young.”
She isn’t here for that.
She was diagnosed with scleroderma 35 years ago, in an era when medicine had little to offer beyond reassurance. A disease that hardens skin, narrows blood vessels, and quietly involves organs long before symptoms speak. Her disease remained largely untreated, silently shaping her life. Over time, it took its toll—her blood pressure rose, her kidneys failed, and she eventually underwent a renal transplant.
Life did not pause there.
Post-transplant, she was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, a viral infection that slowly damages the liver and, rarely, progresses to cancer. Rare—but in her case, reality. What began as a seemingly trivial symptom—back pain—unmasked an advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, already metastatic to her vertebrae. A simple ache revealing a devastating truth.
With limited options, she was started on targeted therapy. The treatment works by cutting off blood supply to the tumor—but efficacy often comes at a price. The same mechanism affects normal tissues, especially the skin, leading to painful rashes and blisters on the palms and soles—hand–foot syndrome.
Painful blisters cover her soles and palms. Walking has become unbearable. Writing, gripping—everything hurts. After surviving a rare autoimmune disease, organ failure, transplantation, chronic viral infection, and metastatic cancer, she is now battling one of the rarer complications of a life-saving treatment.
And yet—she smiles.
No anger. No despair. No “Why me?”
Just quiet acceptance and remarkable strength. A calm readiness to face whatever life chooses to place in her path next.
Many would have lost hope long ago.
She, instead, carries grace.
A Life Lived with Disease, Not Defined by It! 🙌🏻
