Govind Sandhu was at his ‘fittest and healthiest’ when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. Here, he tells the Herald about the ‘flu-like’ symptoms that led to his diagnosis and why he’s sharing his experience on social media.  

In June, the Sydney-based head of TikTok’s global music partnerships had finished the 75 Hard fitness challenge, completed the Sydney half marathon, and was preparing to train for the Gold Coast marathon.   

“I love to exercise, optimise everything from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep,” he tells the Herald. Now 38, Sandhu grew up in Queenstown, and reveals that whenever he gets the chance, “I always love to run trails around Arrowtown”. 

But then he was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma — something he says came as a “massive shock”. 

“What this diagnosis has shown me is that cancer doesn’t discriminate,” he says. “And that’s something that I’m really passionate about now, because prior to diagnosis I was the fittest and healthiest I’ve ever been. 

“The diagnosis came after me feeling what I now know are symptoms, but essentially they could have been anything from flu to Covid-like symptoms — sweat, body aches and just feeling super-tired. 

“I had no idea that those could be symptoms of cancer — and at 38 years young in the best peak shape of my life, you know, you’re not thinking, ‘This must be a life-threatening disease’.” 

So far, Sandhu has undergone three of six cycles of chemotherapy to treat his cancer, which is a high-grade or aggressive diffused large B cell lymphoma,. 

“Fingers crossed that the body responds well to the treatment and we’ve killed off the cancer. That’s the goal. You’ve got to prepare for the worst but hope for the best, and at the halfway mark I’m at a good place where my body is responding well to treatment,” he reveals. 

“The irony is you try so hard to get into remission, then it’s all about doing all the things to make sure it stays in remission — so, definitely life-changing.” 

Since his diagnosis, Sandhu has opened up about his experience of cancer and his treatment on social media, something he says has been “a really therapeutic outlet”. 

“It’s not always easy, sharing things from constipation through to one’s own mortality can be quite confronting,” he admits. 

“But what I found is that there are so many people going through this that are facing the same thing and feel isolated and lonely. There are so many people that don’t feel comfortable talking about it, so I think just the more that we can get on the front foot and if there are people willing to do that like myself, it’s a positive thing.” 

Sandhu says he’s feeling “a lot of love” — not just from those who are going through cancer themselves, but from the online community in general. 

“What this whole process of sharing has showed me is how beautiful humanity really is and how caring people are and can be, which has been a really beautiful thing to see.” 

The TikTok exec says cancer shouldn’t be a “taboo word”. 

“We should talk about this in the same way that we talk about everyday things ... this should be something that we talk about within our group of friends and family and make sure that we do what we can to get ahead of it — because the earlier you can get ahead on something like this, the better.” 

Now, he wants to encourage others to advocate for themselves and go for regular health checks. 

“Unless we push for our own health and the way that we’re feeling, and also pushing people that are the experts in this field to explore a little further, we’re never going to get the desired results that we want because we live in a system where it’s quite easy to overlook things.” 

What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma? 

Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer, which is the fourth most common cancer in New Zealand. About 1070 Kiwis are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma each year. 

A spokesperson from Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand explains, “There are many different subtypes of lymphoma, which are commonly grouped together as Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). NHL is the most common type of lymphoma. 

“Both HL and NHL lymphoma start in the lymphocytes affecting the person’s immune system. HL is marked by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells, is less common and has a lower median age. NHL is the most common of the two, has a higher average age of over 50 and has many different subtypes.” 

Symptoms can include tiredness, swollen lymph nodes, flu symptoms, shortness of breath, increased bleeding and bruising, night sweats, rash or itching and loss of appetite. It’s important to note these symptoms can also point to less-serious illnesses, but if you have concerns, you should talk to your GP. 

Low-grade lymphomas may not require immediate treatment, while high-grade lymphomas usually do. If these cancers respond well to treatment — which may include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or a stem cell transplant — they can be curable. 

Clinical trials of a treatment called CAR T-cell therapy for some types of lymphoma are now taking place in New Zealand. 

DIETS/HEALTH CHANGES 

• Consult a GP or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any diet or making any health changes suggested in this article. Individual needs for nutrition and exercise may vary. Always seek the advice of your GP or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have.

• Healthline provides a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week over-the-phone health service at 0800 611 116 you can call for free health advice, information and treatment from professional healthcare providers. 

Bethany Reitsma is an Auckland-based journalist covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2019. She specialises in telling Kiwis’ real-life stories, money-saving hacks and anything even remotely related to coffee.