Seema Patil’s Head-Shaving Story

Diagnosis

Seema Patil, whole-time director at Zerodha, discovered she had stage 2 breast cancer in 2021 after a routine check-up revealed a lump. She had been a fitness enthusiast with no symptoms, which made the diagnosis a shock.

Treatment Journey

Her treatment included a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The chemotherapy cycles were especially draining—she described the days after each session as feeling like she had been “run over by a truck,” dealing with fatigue, joint pain, nausea, and loss of appetite.

Shaving Her Head

One of the visible side effects of chemo was rapid hair loss. Rather than hiding it with a wig, Seema chose to shave her head and face the change directly. In a powerful gesture of solidarity, her husband, Nithin Kamath, shaved his head too and promised to stay bald until her hair grew back.

 Strength and Resilience

Seema found that staying active, even simple walks, helped her recover more quickly than resting passively. She emphasized that movement gave her both physical and mental strength during treatment.

Lessons She Shared

From her experience, Seema highlighted three key takeaways:

Get regular health check-ups, even if you feel healthy.

Ensure proper health insurance coverage, since treatment costs can be overwhelming.

Lean on your support system, because emotional and practical help makes recovery easier.

Outcome

After nearly a year of treatment, Seema was declared cancer-free. Her openness about her journey, especially the symbolic act of shaving her head, challenged the stigma around cancer and inspired many others to confront illness with courage and honesty.