Shivarajkumar on his cancer diagnosis: ‘I was scared; considered not getting treatment’

In the time since he returned to India after surgery in Miami to remove a cancerous bladder and have a new one constructed, Shivarajkumar has spoken to the media to detail the procedures he underwent in India and in the US. The surgery in Miami was successful and the actor is, at the moment, cancer free, but there was a point at which Shivanna, as he’s popularly known, considered not going ahead with the treatment.

In a conversation with veteran journalist B Ganapati on his podcast, Shivanna admits that after 2 procedures and the prospect of a third, he was a little disturbed about his physical health. The actor had not known about the extent of his condition until then, as revealed by his wife, Geetha Shivarajkumar, in the same interview.

Also read:

Geetha Shivarajkumar opens up on Shivarajkumar’s cancer diagnosis: ‘He’s been battling it since March last year…’ 

Shivarajkumar: When I heard it was cancer, I was cranky and began crying too

Although Geetha, their daughter Niveditha, and son-in law Dilip (Nirupama’s husband), had convinced Shivanna that his urinary issues were the result of an infection, when the cancer returned after the second surgery and began spreading virulently, they had no choice but to tell him. “When I heard that it was cancer, I was cranky and began crying too. In fact, I even wondered if I should get it treated or just leave it be and see how long I could go on. I’d momentarily lost hope and thought enough was enough. I was tired, after two procedures and related treatment,” he said.

With fresh rounds of chemotherapy set to start, Shivanna was also sceptical of its efficacy and wondered what would happen if it does not work well. It was Geetha, who gave him the confidence to soldier on. “She said, ‘We’ve come this far, let’s see how the next step goes’,” reminisced the actor. It then struck him that even though he was prepared for a different eventuality, he needed to live for his family. His only condition was that he wanted to finish up his next film, 45, his commitment on Dance Karnataka Dance and a few advertisements, before embarking on the next step in treatment.

Also read: Shivarajkumar: ‘I’ve been having some health issues since the last few months’ 

Shivanna admits he was scared when it was time for his first round of chemotherapy, wondering how it would be, but it went smoothly, with no side-effects, which allowed him to resume shooting for 45 within a few days, including an action block. “I was also worried about hair loss, but that didn’t happen. After the second chemo, I had a PET scan, the result of which was encouraging; the spread of the cancer had been nicely controlled. That gave me some relief,” said the actor, adding that the support of his family and friends went a long way in helping him come to terms with his diagnosis and in handling the treatment.