Mahanth S. Joishy is Editor of usindiamonitor

For those new to my health journey and interested in the context, find Chapter 1 here.

Today I was inspired to implore you to write more. Yes, you.

Although at moments I live in denial about it, I am experiencing easily the worst time of my life. No contest. Health conditions and the side effects of the treatments being utilized to fight back are the culprits. Humans have a long way to go in figuring out how to conquer bad cells without harming good cells. This will be a long game, for me individually and for all of the medical industry to wade through. In my specific case I already know the toughest challenges are yet ahead, which is not fun to think about considering all that I’ve already endured. I am trying to prepare the best I can mentally and physically so that I can finally win in the end.

I repeat this like a broken record but it’s worth amplifying: the physical part is much easier than the mental part. For example, on a weekly basis I have been getting poked by a lot of needles for blood tests, photopheresis (see short video explainer on this weird treatment), and different infusions including Romidepsin and Mogulizimab. I have always disliked injections, so just my luck my veins are constantly getting pierced nowadays, with some of the needles thicker and longer than I’d like them to be. My arms at moments resemble those of an early stage heroin addict at least from what I’ve seen in movies. I have a lot of anxiety around these jabs.

But here’s the funny thing- the physical pain, whether sharp for only brief minutes, or dull for several hours afterwards, is never that bad, though my skin condition makes it worse for me than most and the entry points can get swollen for several days. But that’s not the point. The physical plain is still truly minimal, even worth ridiculing me for even complaining about. The anxiety and dread are nevertheless “real,” but only because we fabricate irrational fears in our minds. They are worse than the pokes themselves.

All those needles are a most perfect sharp instrument to convey my idea because it might be a universal truth for many health conditions.

Learning to realize and then accept that the problem is more in the mind than the body is a process. This theory of mine is in play or will eventually come into play for all of us. For me one form of therapy has exceeded all others in helping me deal. Writing. And so I have prioritized writing through a number of contexts, including the bizarre act of switching gears to repurpose a site about US-India relations to chronicle the personal cancer journey of an individual Indian-American.

On a different dimension, I also stress and lament over war or potential war anywhere in the world, for I believe in the ancient Indian philosophy that we are all part of one global consciousness or hive mind, and any level of violence anywhere from household, to nation, to globe hurts us all. As part of my writing process I have done deep, deep dives with (what I conceitedly think are, LOL) some of the most brilliant essays you’ll find anywhere on how to untangle the complex webs for India-Pakistan peace, Israel-Palestine peace, and humankind’s most urgent geopolitical priority, preventing a US-China war. All of these were written while I’ve been fighting illness.

Writing is currently my favorite hobby above all else, although I write professionally as well. I primarily write the aspirational peace-mongering essays which entail long days and nights of relentless research and editing, to make myself feel better. I am not naive enough to expect my words and ideas will solve world peace, but if they do make any difference all the better. It’s no crime for us to keep our earnest, innocent and childlike hopes and dreams alive, regardless of how delusional. In fact I have no delusions that I’m quite delusional. The primary reason I write these geopolitical masterpieces is for self-therapy in an insane world though, not to try and unf*** the world.

Writing fiction and non-fiction and the decision to not only write about but also go public with my health journey has kept me going, along with the outpouring of lovely responses from hundreds of friends, colleagues, and relatives based in so many countries, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, UK, UAE, the US, etc. I’m also absorbing great courage from others who are going through or have gone through the medical wringer. The decision to share/overshare was difficult initially but now comes more easily as my priorities have changed.

In fact I’ve been unexpectedly inspired greatly by Miss America herself because I shared my situation with her. When Wisconsinite Grace Stanke and I had a chance to banter in person, she told me her father is a lymphoma survivor who was treated at UW-Health in Madison, including receiving a bone marrow transplant which is also my best (but risky) shot at getting cured at this time. Grace and I met during a conference we both spoke at. Forget the lofty pageants bagged; this young nuclear engineer’s speech about the future of nuclear energy was one of the best speeches I have ever witnessed by anybody period. Ms Stanke convinced me there is hope for America’s future if she is representative of the best of Gen Z. She also convinced me we need to invest way more into nuclear power urgently. Grace in just a few moments of personal interaction gave me immense strength (dare I say grace) to overcome my problems. Her words, presence and maturity beyond her years boggled my mind, and considering her accolades I’m obviously not alone in this assessment. I will be writing about our encounter separately soon. That’s how much it affected me.

It only happened thanks to my being invited to give a speech about my work, so I had to write one. Proving there is also serendipity in writing in addition to the other benefits.

How very appropriate then that I am writing this down here and now to implore YOU to write more. Whether a private secret journal just for yourself, a short story, or a letter to the editor. A poem, or a more elaborate business report at the office. Just write. Write something or anything. Write to me if you want. The only parameter I would set is to think of it as fun and liberating rather than a chore. Whether you are going through difficult times or experiencing the best days of your life, I would hazard to guess writing more will make your life better. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, quality, punctuation, audience exposure, monetization, etc. if you don’t know where to start. The mind will flow. Worry instead about how the neurons freely firing ideas from your brain to your fingers can open up how you feel, in a way that nothing else does.

Meanwhile if you’re already an experienced writer, then help spread the word!