Canadian-born Bollywood actress Lisa Ray announced on her blog, “The Yellow Diaries,” that she has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma – an incurable cancer.
The 37-year-old actress and model was diagnosed with the illness on June 23, and began her first cycle of treatment on July 2.
“For me, it was a relief to hear what was wrong. The plasma cells in my bone marrow were rampaging, multiplying, squeezing out the red blood cells and it was time to begin doing something about it,” writes Lisa.
“I was also tired of being tired all the time. And you just know when something is not kosher with your body. So when I sat there with Bobcat- my life partner and reservoir of Yellow- and got the news I didn’t react and I didn’t cry. I’m an actress, believe me, I can be dramatic. Not just then though.”
Multiple myeloma, also known as MM, myeloma, plasma cell myeloma, or Kahler’s disease, is a rare bone marrow cancer affecting the white blood cells. Symptoms include bone pain, renal failure, anemia, and infection such as pneumonia. Although it is incurable, remissions may be induced with steroids, chemotherapy, thalidomide and stem cell transplants. Median survival is 50-55 months.
Lisa started her blog on September 3, 2009, to “give people an insight into my life,” under the heading “Never Stop Fighting.”
Photos of Lisa Ray below: