Everyone knows at least one person who's gotten the awful diagnosis of cancer. Cancer can occur in anyone, which makes it more of a terrifying discovery. Just ask 27-year-old Krista Bose, who has been diagnosed with two incidences of osteosarcoma cancer. The first diagnosis happened back in 2018, and it left her without bones and muscle in one of her legs.
Krista has a dream — and that dream is to become a doctor. She's very close, but her health has caused her some setbacks. Since she's undergone chemo, her weakened immune system has made it especially difficult for her to put in time at an actual hospital with COVID-19 still being a big issue.
Despite so many cards against her, Krista — who's been walking with metal rods in one leg to try to build muscle back up again — is determined.
Krista has been writing about her cancer experience on Instagram. Supposedly, she was in Prague when she was initially diagnosed. "I was on a general surgery elective with the IFMSA! Best medical experience I've ever had, hands (and one leg) down," she wrote. "I will be forever grateful to this team, not only for their surgical teachings, but also for investigating this lump in my leg, which may have saved my life."
Typically, Krista resides in the United Kingdom. Her condition, at first, was misdiagnosed — but she has no qualms about it. "Most GPs never see a bone cancer in their lifetime as a healthcare professional, especially in someone my age. I'm halfway through medical school, and I know my own body so well, but I sure as hell didn't see this one coming," she wrote.
When COVID-19 became a big issue, Krista was reportedly told to "shield" based on her own condition. That meant that instead of learning in a hospital setting, she had to stay home as much as possible. The more hospital exposure she had, the bigger of a risk that she'd get very ill.
This wasn't the first time that Krista has had to cut out big parts of her life due to cancer. "My orthopaedic surgeon told me yesterday that the only thing I can do to screw this up is to break my leg," she said, before her first battle. "So no typical-Krista activities are allowed for the next 3 months of chemo including running, dancing, hiking, swimming, walking, stairs, medical school, drinking alcohol, planting flowers, or basically anything fun."
The process has been tough on Krista. As she told CNN, "To feel like you have the skills, you have the knowledge, you could be an asset to those patients, it's hard to feel like you're wasting away on the sidelines." In fact, being so knowledgeable about medicine may also help her cope with her own condition a bit easier.
Also helpful? Krista's positive attitude. Despite all of these setbacks, her Instagram posts are filled with smiles and positive thoughts. And from the medical perspective, she naturally talks about what her procedures are like with ease. From that alone, it's apparent that the world needs more compassionate doctors like Krista right now.
Krista isn't the only doctor being shielded, and the UK reportedly had a bit of a doctor shortage even before COVID-19 hit. Luckily, some of these at-risk professionals are able to help in other ways. "The NHS welcomes every additional pair of safe clinical hands we can get right now," Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, told CNN. "We, like almost every other health care system, have been under enormous pressure and our staff are tired and many are burnt out."
Becoming a doctor wasn't Krista's first life passion. She was actually a teacher first and chose to switch her profession based on one wonderful experience she had with a medical professional well before her cancer diagnosis. After having an allergic reaction, she was inspired by how she was treated.
"I really admired that ability to retain a sense of calm and purpose in really dangerous life-threatening situations," Krista said. But being at home when COVID-19 struck was upsetting for her, as she wanted nothing more than to help others in need. "During the first wave of the pandemic, I felt very, very guilty, that I couldn't help."
At one point, Krista thought she might have caught COVID-19. It turned out that she didn't, but the news was still disastrous. After fighting cancer and beating it once, the cancer had come back. She now had small, almost-impossible-to-remove tumors in her lungs, which was yet another setback for the med student.
But no matter what, she's still determined. Four months ago, she posted a scan and talked about a conversation she had with a consultant. "She saw me again today as metastatic cancer patient Krista. Do you know what she asked this time? She asked me if I was going to finish final year," Krista said. "I told her, becoming a doctor is my greatest goal, and I'd do my best to get there."
Unfortunately, this is a situation that Krista is going to have to face for the rest of her life. Her doctors can't give her an actual prognosis on how long her life will be. Pretty much, she could live another year or go on and live another 50 years — the latter which she, personally, doubts.
"It's probably not going to be 50 years, let's be honest. But one can hope," she noted to CNN. "If I do have the good fortune to live more than a year, I want to spend it working and living and doing what I love. I don't want to sit on the couch for two years and watch Netflix." It's people like Krista who make the world a better place. Not only is she dedicated toward completing her goals in life, but she wants to spend her time helping others. She's a real inspiration to others.
Krista's most recent update was overwhelmingly positive — and it was all thanks to medication. Krista's been on Cabozantinib, which she states won't leave her immunosuppressed. And that means that right now, she can go back to school. "I'm BACK at medical school. I am back training to become a Doctor. I'm back being a full version of myself. I am back to back studying and drinking oat lattes and wearing pants that have belt hooks. I am due to finish my training this summer, and I have a job lined up to work for the NHS in Autumn." The NHS will be lucky to have such a fighter on board.
