{"id":78789,"date":"2024-11-06T16:50:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T23:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=78789"},"modified":"2024-11-19T13:54:36","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T20:54:36","slug":"from-long-covid-to-breast-cancer-how-this-beloved-primary-care-doctor-copes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/from-long-covid-to-breast-cancer-how-this-beloved-primary-care-doctor-copes\/","title":{"rendered":"From long COVID to breast cancer, how this beloved primary care doctor is coping with tough health challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Swimming
Swimming has been a healing escape as Dr. Kalindi Batra copes with very difficult treatments for triple negative breast cancer. The Alaska native and adventure lover is trying to do laps as often as possible despite experiencing rough chemotherapy side effects. Photo courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Graff Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The doctor had such a severe case of COVID-19 in the earliest days of the pandemic that she shared her last wishes with her husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were nights when I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d wake up. My oxygen levels were dipping into the 70s,\u201d recalled Dr. Kalindi Batra<\/a>, who knew all too well that her oxygen saturation needed to get back in the 90s, or she might not make it.<\/p>\n

She isolated herself in her room to protect her husband and their two children from the scary new virus.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wrote up my 5 Wishes<\/a> and prepared for my death,\u201d Batra recalled.<\/p>\n

Back in March of 2020 when Batra became gravely ill with one of the first known COVID-19 cases among doctors in Colorado, she had to drive across town for a test and waited days before receiving confirmation that she did, indeed, have COVID-19.<\/p>\n

At night, as she struggled to breathe, she consulted with her husband, Percy Salizar-Escobar, fellow doctors and her identical twin sister, Dutima Batra, who is also a family medicine doctor and cares for OB-GYN patients in California.<\/p>\n

Kalindi Batra realized she needed supplemental oxygen and, in the midst of lockdowns, managed to buy an oxygen concentrator. The treatments likely saved her life.<\/p>\n

But she went on to develop a terrible case of long COVID<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still short of breath. I have chronic cough, tinnitus, brain fog, headaches and pain. But I\u2019ve worked through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the first days of her illness, Batra found solace, hope and healing through exercise, meditation and time spent with family and friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a lot of fresh air. I walked even though I was so short of breath that I sounded like a smoker,\u201d Batra recalled.<\/p>\n

Bringing rays of hope to others<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Dr.
Dr. Kalindi Batra met her husband, Percy Salizar-Escobar, during a trip to Peru. The two were married at Machu Pichu. Batra wore her mother’s wedding sari. Photo courtesy of Dr. Kalindi Batra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Amid her suffering, she focused on other people. Batra, whose first name means source of the river in Sanskrit, brought rays of hope to others. She anchored her primary care clinic, UCHealth Sterling Ranch in Littleton,<\/a> while juggling parenting duties and remote learning for the kids. Later, she cared for her dad in the family\u2019s Littleton home as he coped with advanced Parkinson\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Batra and her husband had been through a lot and were looking forward to rest and wonderful milestones in 2024. Their daughter was graduating from high school. Batra was eager to join her twin on one of their ambitious annual backpacking trips. All seemed well.<\/p>\n

Then in April, seemingly out of nowhere, a large lump appeared in Batra\u2019s right breast.<\/p>\n

Her doctor brain \u2013 and her twin \u2013 told her she needed to get the lump checked out ASAP. It\u2019s what she would have told her patients. But the human being in her simply couldn\u2019t face another crisis immediately. So before focusing on the lump, Batra worked through her top priorities: celebrating their daughter Quilla\u2019s graduation, organizing a family reunion, making arrangements to move her dad to her brother\u2019s home and of course, taking care of her patients.<\/p>\n

By early August, she made time for a mammogram.<\/p>\n

The results were bad. And the outlook grew worse once Batra received her biopsy results.<\/p>\n

She had triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive, fast-growing type that accounts for about 10 to 15% of breast cancers<\/a> and doesn\u2019t respond to typical therapies.<\/p>\n

So far, it appears that the cancer has not spread.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey say I\u2019m at Stage 2B. There are some lesions on my ribs and sternum, but the doctors feel it has not metastasized,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s been a shock for someone who\u2019s been healthy all of her life to suddenly learn of this diagnosis. There is no family history of breast cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI breastfed both babies for years and have no significant risk factors. I feel SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) may have caused this cancer<\/a>,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

\"During
During their wedding at Machu Pichu, Dr. Kalindi Batra and Percy Salizar-Escobar offer blessings to Salizar-Escobar’s ancestors with the help of an Andean priest. Photo courtesy of Dr. Kalindi Batra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cClinically we have all seen cancer cases rise during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cScientists are currently studying how the M Protein on Covid-19 virus stimulates a complicated immune response that leads to proliferation of aggressive triple-negative breast cancer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

As Batra ponders why breast cancer struck her, she must focus on dealing with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a really bad diagnosis,\u201d said Batra, 50. \u201cThe truth is we don\u2019t know how this is going to end.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m focusing on survival stories, like the book, \u201c438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea.\u201d The take- home message is believing you will survive and more importantly, thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far, the treatments have been torturous.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s triple negative, we have to go the old-school way, there are fewer treatment options. The chemo basically kills healthy cells so it can kill the cancer,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to work through this with a lot of mind\/body techniques,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She also has decided to open up about her cancer journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to share this story with other people. I don\u2019t know why, but there\u2019s a calling there,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be vulnerable. Maybe it will help others. The world of cancer is very complex.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Batra copes with this grueling, unwanted journey, she\u2019s trying to focus on beauty and blessings.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife is not guaranteed,\u201d Batra said. \u201cNo matter what the outcome is, I feel truly grateful. My 50 years on this planet have been truly marvelous. I am one of those people who has lived each day to the fullest.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she\u2019s trying to absorb lessons about what it\u2019s like to be the patient rather than the doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m scared but blessed for this opportunity to become a better doctor, a better mom, a better wife, a better human.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Kalindi Batra decided to share her health struggles with long COVID and triple negative breast cancer publicly in hopes that others will draw strength from hearing about Batra’s journey. Photo courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Graff Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A childhood full of travel, a life dedicated to others<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Batra is fierce and determined but also exudes warmth and empathy \u2013 the perfect blend of traits for a beloved primary care doctor.<\/p>\n

She grew up as a daring child of immigrants in Alaska. Her mom came from Canada, her dad from India. The family embraced the wild, natural beauty around them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe lived in the mountains in the Chugach Range, about 45 minutes from Anchorage. It was beautiful. I love the mountains and the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Batra is one of four siblings. She and her twin have an older brother and sister.<\/p>\n

The family traveled every year to India to see relatives there, but traced their roots to far-flung places around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur ancestry isn\u2019t exactly from India. It\u2019s Pakistani, Punjabi, East African, Afghani and Irani. There was a lot of migration. My mom is French, Irish and Scottish. I\u2019m a true zebra,\u201d Batra said with a proud grin.<\/p>\n

International travel at young ages forged a sense of mission in Batra and her siblings.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe three of us landed in medicine because of the things we had seen. We saw people in challenging circumstances and realized that we could provide help,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Batra, her twin and their brother are all family medicine doctors. Their other sister is an artist, and their mom was a teacher and counselor.<\/p>\n

The entire family embraced the pioneering spirit in Alaska.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad is an engineer. He put up the first data telephone lines in the Alaskan bush. We used to go out with him in little Cessnas and travel to native villages above the Arctic Circle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their family dog was a rescued pup that their dad found in a small Indigenous village.<\/p>\n

\u201cSupposedly, she was half wolf, half husky. She never barked, but she\u2019d howl at the moon,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Kalindi Batra, left, with her identical twin sister, Dr. Dutima Batra. Both are primary care doctors who love challenging backpacking trips. Photo courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Graff Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

‘I\u2019m a warrior’<\/strong><\/h2>\n

These days, as Batra copes with mounting chemo side effects \u2013 including extreme exhaustion, loss of her hair, joint pain, unrelenting tinnitus in both ears, headaches and frequent, random nose bleeds \u2014 she\u2019s tapping into two sources of strength: her DNA and lessons learned on challenging mountain expeditions.<\/p>\n

First, the DNA.<\/p>\n

Afghani people are known for thriving in harsh, mountainous terrain, and they\u2019ve endured countless invasions, which have molded incredibly resilient people.<\/p>\n

Batra is embracing that survival mentality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a warrior,\u201d she says. \u201cAfghans are known for being very strong men and women, and I\u2019m telling you now, \u2018Cancer is not going to get me.\u2019 I\u2019ve told everybody this. I feel strongly about this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Batra also is summoning deep wells of strength that she has relied on many times during challenging backpacking trips.<\/p>\n

It was through one of those adventures that she met her future husband.<\/p>\n

Love in the Andes<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Back when Batra was in medical school, she did her final rotation at a remote clinic in the Peruvian Amazon, Yanamono Medical Clinic.<\/a><\/p>\n

Classmates who worked at the clinic before her told Batra to be on the lookout for two wonderful locals: the librarian, Nancy, and an expedition guide named Percy Salizar-Escobar.<\/p>\n

Raised in a small Inca village in the Peruvian mountains 3,444 feet above sea level and a native speaker of the Indigenous language called Quechua, Salizar-Escobar frequently brought his tour guests to the Amazon clinic so they could support the work doctors were doing there.<\/p>\n

Batra never happened to cross paths with Percy at the clinic.<\/p>\n

But after finishing her rotation, she met up with her sister. The twins planned to hike the legendary Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Before starting their trip, Batra decided to try to find Salizar-Escobar and seek his advice. The sisters went looking for Percy at a fancy travel agency in Cusco. They received a cold shoulder at the agency that seemed to serve only wealthy celebrities. But a co-worker overheard their conversation, offered to help and walked the twins 10 minutes away to find Salizar-Escobar.<\/p>\n

At first, the relationship between Batra and Salizar-Escobar was all business. He was busy preparing to lead a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Still, he took time to talk to the women. He wasn\u2019t thrilled with the bare-bones Inca Trail expedition they had booked. So, he lent them some good sleeping bags, which proved essential.<\/p>\n

Their journey to Machu Picchu was tough but spectacular.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s grueling. There\u2019s a lot of elevation gain, a lot of ups and downs. The trails are narrow and steep. There\u2019s a lot of stair stepping. You have to be sure footed,\u201d Batra recalled.<\/p>\n

Their tents leaked every night, but thanks to Salizar-Escobar, the sisters stayed cozy in their sleeping bags.<\/p>\n

After finishing the trip, the Batras returned the borrowed gear to Salizar-Escobar, who spontaneously invited them to dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was no mention that we were going to meet the entire family,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Dutima Batra, left, and Dr. Kalindi Batra, right, are identical twin sisters who love outdoor adventures. They were together in Peru when Kalindi met her future husband, who guides expeditions in South America. The sisters have carved out time for regular backpacking trips, including this one in 2022 when they dd the famous Four Pass Loop in the Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness Area near Aspen. Photo courtesy of Dr. Kalindi Batra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The youngest of eight children, Salizar-Escobar was hosting a giant family gathering on the eve of his niece\u2019s wedding the next day.<\/p>\n

The women had a wonderful time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was dancing and entertainment. It was a beautiful night.\u201d<\/p>\n

Batra had no romantic intentions when she first sought Salizar-Escobar\u2019s help. She had heard he was married and had children. She just wanted advice from a pro who loved mountains as much as she did. But it turned out that he was single and living with his mom and dad. He\u2019d been far too busy catering to tourists through his Kay Pacha Excursions Tour Company to settle down.<\/p>\n

After the party, the sisters were heading to Bolivia to do another tough mountain route: a 7-day trip called the Illampu Circuit.<\/p>\n

They invited Salizar-Escobar to join them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when the trouble started,\u201d Salizar-Escobar said with a laugh as he supported his wife during a recent chemo treatment at the UCHealth Cancer Center at Highlands Ranch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The trip was fabulous, and the sparks started flying.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were in nature. We shared a tent and we bathed in the river,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

After the Bolivian adventure, she decided to delay her return to the U.S. Instead, she headed back to Peru with Salizar-Escobar.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom couldn\u2019t believe it,\u201d he said. \u201cHer prayers had been answered.\u201d<\/p>\n

A wedding at Machu Picchu and lessons from steep climbs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The couple met in 2003 and married two years later at Machu Picchu.<\/p>\n

A group of 12 friends and family members \u2014 including Batra\u2019s dad \u2014\u00a0did the full hike to the spectacular, sacred site. Porters took great care of the wedding party, cooking delicious meals and playing music every night of the journey.<\/p>\n

Once at Machu Picchu, the couple enjoyed a simple ceremony full of meaning. The bride wore her mother\u2019s wedding sari while the groom led a ritual offering to his ancestors and to bless the spirit of the mountains.<\/p>\n

Their love story is still full of mutual admiration and kindness.<\/p>\n

As Salizar-Escobar tends to his wife now, he\u2019s leaning into his heritage. His mom was a healer who provided people with herbal medicines and served as a midwife in her area. As a child, he sometimes accompanied her as she cared for sick people and assisted with home births high in the Andes.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe would be walking with her little lantern,\u201d he recalled. \u201cIn exchange for her help, people would come and work on our farm, helping us harvest coffee and cacao.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The
The wedding party gathered with porters who guided them on their journey on the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu, one of the most beautiful places in the world. Photo courtesy of Dr. Kalindi Batra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These days, Salizar-Escobar starts each day by making his wife a nutritious green juice. It\u2019s full of healthy ingredients from spinach to kale, to ginger and chayote squash.<\/p>\n

Cancer has killed Batra\u2019s appetite, and chemo makes everything taste metallic. But she dutifully drinks her husband\u2019s concoction each day.<\/p>\n

During a recent chemo appointment, the couple forgot Batra\u2019s favorite blanket, so Salizar-Escobar ran home to get it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a very generous, thoughtful human being,\u201d said Batra.<\/p>\n

Salizar-Escobar, 56, in turn, said his wife is extraordinary.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe doesn\u2019t think of herself,\u201d he said. \u201cShe\u2019s still seeing patients and is giving them hope. I have to remind her to take care of herself and to listen to her doctors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two come from very different worlds but are wonderfully compatible.<\/p>\n

As he likes to say, \u201cShe\u2019s from Alaska, and I\u2019m from heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

The small town where Salizar-Escobar was raised is called Quillabamba, which means land of the moon in Quecha.<\/p>\n

Their daughter, Quilla, is named for the Quechua word for the moon, while their son, Inti, 13, is named for the sun, \u201cour treasures.\u201d<\/p>\n

An unwanted expedition: ‘I have to keep putting one foot forward’<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So far, dealing with cancer is a lot like climbing a tough mountain, both Batra and Salizar-Escobar said.<\/p>\n

In order to survive difficult journeys, he always has urged clients to take their time and stick to their own pace.<\/p>\n

Especially at high elevation, climbers can get very sick if they try to hike too fast without adjusting to decreased oxygen levels. They\u2019re much less likely to make it to their destination if they climb slowly and steadily, not pushing to keep up with others who can go faster.<\/p>\n

Batra has leaned into the \u201cslow and steady\u201d mantra throughout her ordeals with both long COVID and cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been short of breath. Elevation is hard on me, and it\u2019s a lot harder now. I have to go at my own pace, and I like the word \u2018pivot.\u2019 I\u2019ve pivoted a lot,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

Cancer is sending her on a new, unwanted expedition.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really have to be in the present as you take each step and focus on what\u2019s important. It\u2019s just like hiking. I have to keep putting one foot forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Kalindi Batra, right, and her twin, Dr. Dutima Batra, dressed up as rock stars for Halloween. Dutima cares for patients in California and plans to spend as much time as she can with Kalindi while she goes through cancer treatments. Photo courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Graff Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Triple negative breast cancer requires a difficult chemotherapy regimen<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Among breast cancer patients, those with triple negative cancer have to deal with the toughest treatments and side effects.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of the rare ones, and it tends to be more aggressive,\u201d said Dr. Radhika Acharya<\/a>, Batra\u2019s cancer specialist at UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cancer cells grow independently of estrogen, so we don\u2019t have good targets to treat it,\u201d Acharya said.<\/p>\n

As a result, the chemotherapy regimen is long and difficult.<\/p>\n

There has been good news in recent years. Doctors have learned that adding immunotherapy treatments to the traditional chemotherapy medications improves outcomes for patients with triple negative breast cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s translating into higher cure rates,\u201d Acharya said.<\/p>\n

But the added immunotherapy brings its own set of challenging side effects on top of the already difficult traditional chemotherapy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a regimen of four chemotherapy and immunotherapy medications combined. You do that for six months, then you have surgery and based on your surgical outcomes, we decide how to proceed,\u201d Acharya said.<\/p>\n

The side effects are very challenging.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing comes for free,\u201d Acharya said. \u201cWe love immunotherapy, but the big drawback of immunotherapy is the way it can over-heighten the immune system. It can have life-threatening impacts. The body can attack itself. It can attack the liver and the colon, so we have to be on the lookout for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She and her colleagues keep a close eye on how patients are doing to prevent adverse effects.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe patients are well protected and monitored. We pride ourselves on catching any problems early and on being on top of patient care,\u201d Acharya said.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Kalindi Batra, right, poses with her oncologist, Dr. Radhika Acharya. Photo courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Graff Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But they can\u2019t prevent the tough side effects.<\/p>\n

She said Batra is an amazing person who\u2019s doing as well as possible despite having received a very difficult diagnosis.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe exudes a really wonderful energy. She\u2019s very real and open, and that helps us give her really good care. She\u2019s not afraid to say anything or tell us how she feels. She\u2019s not apologetic, and I find that so refreshing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone is really open, you get to know them well, and you can tailor their care, which results in higher success rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe will do well because of her good support system and her openness and willingness to receive information. She has great ideas too,\u201d Acharya said.<\/p>\n

Batra is taking full advantage of the array of services that the Highlands Ranch Cancer Center offers, including counseling to cope with a frightening diagnosis.<\/p>\n

Acharya also encourages patients to stay as physically active as possible throughout chemo treatments.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe offer all kinds of tips to keep exercising during chemo. We don\u2019t recommend that people train for a marathon. But walking, doing yoga and strength training all have been proven to decrease treatment-related fatigue and to reduce the toxicity (of the treatments). Exercise may also improve outcomes,\u201d Acharya said.<\/p>\n

Batra knows well that physical activity helps her through hard times. So, she\u2019s heeding her doctor\u2019s advice, and despite overwhelming exhaustion, she\u2019s trying to keep getting as much exercise as possible.<\/p>\n

Along with hiking, Batra loves swimming. She\u2019s been trying to do one-hour sessions, swimming at least a mile as often as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cWater is very therapeutic, very healing. I find peace in the pool. And it helps me regulate my breathing and calm my nerves,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

Identical twins: Inseparable as kids, tackling challenges as adults<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Along with her medical team, Batra\u2019s husband, children and family are doing all they can to support her.<\/p>\n

Her twin, Dutima, plans to spend as much time in Colorado as she can during Kalindi\u2019s treatments.<\/p>\n

The two have always been close \u2014 literally inseparable as children.<\/p>\n

They had separate beds but regularly slept curled up around one another, just as they had nestled together in the womb.<\/p>\n

As adults, they\u2019ve deliberately carved out time to do special trips together every year, much like their challenging expeditions in South America.<\/p>\n

In recent years \u2014 even as Kalindi was coping with long COVID \u2014 the sisters did a challenging 60-mile NOLS<\/a> trip in Wyoming\u2019s craggy Wind River mountains.<\/p>\n

They also did Colorado\u2019s legendary Four Pass Loop <\/a>in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone,\u201d Dutima said of Kalindi.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe intentionally carve out space to be together. We can turn off our phones and connect. We grew up very close. People describe us as mirror opposites. She\u2019s more of an extrovert, the really social person. I\u2019m more introverted, but we share many similar interests,\u201d Dutima said.<\/p>\n

Watching her twin go through both long COVID and cancer has been heart wrenching.<\/p>\n

Dutima has been so sad to see her sister suffer. She\u2019s doing as much as she can to support her sister, and there have been some funny twin moments when the women seemed to read each other\u2019s minds.<\/p>\n

For example, once, soon after Kalindi learned she had triple-negative breast cancer, the sisters were chatting on the phone when both realized they had just stumbled across the same study that found breast cancer was more common among people who had also dealt with long COVID.<\/p>\n

Doctors have been learning much more in recent years about the connections between infectious diseases and cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many viruses that are causational for cancer,\u201d Dutima said.<\/p>\n

As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to reverberate, researchers will no doubt continue to document impacts.<\/p>\n

Along with having occasional twin mind melds, the Batras literally sometimes feel each other\u2019s pain.<\/p>\n

Dutima was lucky to escape an early case of COVID-19 and so far, hasn\u2019t had to deal with long COVID like Kalindi has. Dutima also is perfectly healthy now but on occasion feels sick for no apparent reason.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, even if we\u2019re not talking about side effects, I\u2019ll get nauseous,\u201d Dutima said.<\/p>\n

As she supports her sister as much as she can, she\u2019s in awe of the network of support Kalindi has fostered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of us were shocked and scared when she got this diagnosis, but she has created a really strong community of friends and neighbors who are helping her every step of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘Each person handles cancer differently’<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of those friends is Mary Beth Graff, who herself is a cancer survivor and has known Kalindi for 15 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s like a sister to me,\u201d Graff said, recalling how kind Batra was when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was so supportive. She\u2019s such a good listener. It was really challenging. My kids were only 6 and 8. I always tell her that I want to show up for her in the same way she did for me,\u201d Graff said.<\/p>\n

So, she\u2019s been taking her friend on fun, distracting outings like walks and a recent trip to a sunflower festival.<\/p>\n

Each person handles cancer differently, Graff said.<\/p>\n

She has encouraged Batra to let others help her.<\/p>\n

Especially for a doctor who is used to being the healer, it can be tough to be the person who needs healing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve encouraged her to let the light in and let the love in. She has spent all of her life doing that for other people,\u201d Graff said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people want privacy and flowers. Kalindi needs a balance of time alone and time with family and friends,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you\u2019re angry about your diagnosis. Sometimes you\u2019re scared. Sometimes you need to seek out a friend and simply cry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI bought her a grief journal. It\u2019s helpful to check in every day and ask yourself, \u2018What am I feeling? What do I need?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Kalindi Batra with her friend, Mary Beth Graff. Photo courtesy of Mary Elizabeth Graff Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A tough climb, but we\u2019re going to make it<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Living through chemotherapy is really difficult.<\/p>\n

Batra is the kind of person who wants to tackle tough challenges and be done with them quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to beat this and move on,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Especially since she has fought so hard to regain her strength after long COVID pummeled her, Batra gets teary as a health setback is betraying her again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been life changing. It\u2019s the biggest pivot I\u2019ve ever experienced in my life, particularly when you feel so strong and when I\u2019ve worked so hard to condition my body to get my strength back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Kalindi Batra during one of her backpacking trips with her twin sister. She holds her fingers up to mark the number of passes they successfully summited. As Batra copes with triple negative breast cancer, she is drawing lessons from tough mountain expeditions. Photo courtesy of Dr. Kalindi Batra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAnd now, here we go again,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

Still, she has no choice. She must surrender to cancer. And she can\u2019t speed up this journey.<\/p>\n

For inspiration, Batra has been reading survival books about people who have been stuck at sea for weeks on end or those who have endured tough wilderness challenges.<\/p>\n

Other remarkable survivors will inspire her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we can learn a lot from these stories,\u201d Batra said.<\/p>\n

Standing by his wife\u2019s side, Salizar-Escobar is at the ready 24\/7 to help his wife navigate the toughest stretches of her journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re climbing right now,\u201d Salizar-Escobar said. \u201cIt takes physical and mental strength. It\u2019s a big climb, but we\u2019re going to make it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The doctor had such a severe case of COVID-19 in the earliest days of the pandemic that she shared her last wishes with her husband. \u201cThere were nights when I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d wake up. My oxygen levels were dipping into the 70s,\u201d recalled Dr. Kalindi Batra, who knew all too well that her oxygen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":79075,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[6835,28,4860,9127],"class_list":["post-78789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-breast-cancer-treatment","tag-cancer-care-oncology","tag-covid-19","tag-long-covid"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFrom long COVID to breast cancer, how this doctor is coping - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The virus early in the pandemic left her with long COVID, then a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis. 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