A cancer diagnosis and treatment change one’s life forever in different ways. Mine changed for the better. After my second surgery, I had a near-death experience. Now, I live with a rare condition where my body does not produce or absorb any calcium by itself (due to the complete removal of my parathyroid glands). I must take a large dose of calcium supplements to survive and see the light of a new day. From the time of the diagnosis to now health struggles have become my companion. Though I am cancer-free, my body reminds me every day of what it has endured. So, I treat life as a gift, and I am eternally grateful to be alive says author Vandana Mahajan in her poem.