7th July 2023. There were times over the last two decades when I wasn’t sure I’d be here to tell the tale – By our CEO, Dr Tony Banerjee.
Two photos. The same person – me – twenty years apart to the day. A lot of kilograms heavier, oddly a lot more hair, albeit greyer, but also with a lot more wisdom and experience for my troubles.
You wouldn’t know from the smile, but the July 2003 photo was on the day of my advanced bowel cancer diagnosis when I was working as a junior doctor. The July 2023 photo is me today.
It would be remiss of me to not mention my family, and so many of you who I am proud to call close friends and extended family for your continued love and support in making sure that my illness remains a dot in the rear view mirror.
Multiple rounds of chemoradiotherapy and several major operations later, it is not lost on me how lucky I am to still be here today. Things could have been so very different, and I’ve often questioned how I made it and so many others haven’t, both personally and professionally. Life really is a lottery, and perhaps part of the reason I’m still here is because every day I’ve tried to celebrate it like it’s a win.
That’s not to say there haven’t been ups and downs, and smiles and frowns on the way…but that has been part of my recovery, and I’ve always tried to stay humble and be grateful for each day as it comes.
I’ve had a few observations on the way which I’d like to share:
1. Be grateful to be alive – we owe it to our loved ones who weren’t so lucky to show daily gratitude.
2. Stay positive throughout adversity – bad luck could be around the corner for any of us – try to remain positive and you’ll get through it.
3. Tough times don’t last – concentrate on brighter times ahead, that’s what counts.
4. Keep a good social circle – always try to make the effort to support one another.
5. Don’t sweat the small stuff – you’ll maintain your focus if you concentrate on the bigger picture.
I feel very blessed to be able to offer my clients first-hand experience of what it is like to go through their illnesses as a patient, and this remains a major reason why they trust HarleyDoc to provide them with the care that they require at all times.
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to have raised over £100,000 for various cancer-related charities, and I thank so many of you for contributing to this.
I’d like to continue and build on the work that we’ve done so far to help make a difference to patients’ experiences at their most vulnerable.
Watch this space for some of the charity fundraisers that we are planning to mark the twenty-year anniversary of my all-clear from cancer.
So please, like, follow and share the post as well as the HarleyDoc mission to provide our clients with world class care when they need it the most.
Thanks once again for all your love and support, and I look forward to sharing our journey with you…here’s to the next twenty years. Let’s get busy living.
Tony 🙏🏾❤️🔥