We were lucky to catch up with Mugdha Rahatekar recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mugdha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I would like to be remembered as someone who gave others hope and joy, someone who raised awareness about Ovarian Cancer and shared her story in hopes that it helps others. I would like to be remembered as the one who did not let anything get to her, and the one who saw the positive side of things. Lastly, I’d like to be remembered for sharing simple, easy recipes (many that I learned from my mother and mother-in-law, and many that I developed/ created as I got interested in cooking).

Mugdha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started my instagram page in order to share my story about being an Ovarian Cancer survivor, and for sharing my love of food. On my feed (and stories) I share about my story while raising awareness about Ovarian Cancer (which is called a silent killer as it is usually diagnosed during later stages). I also share different recipes (predominantly Indian food, but not restricted to it). I occasionally also share about DIY projects that my husband and I do around the house and garden, about gardening (we grow our produce during good weather), and travel.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in 2019, when I couldn’t pass urine all of a sudden. Getting a call from the doctor saying the biopsy result came back positive is never easy. I stayed strong for my family and loved ones as I went through a couple major surgeries (including a radical hysterectomy which meant we couldn’t have biological children, and a forced menopause for me), and chemotherapy. According to me, acceptance is key. Accepting the situation makes it less difficult to face the problem. I like to keep reminding my social media family, and real life family, and anyone I talk to about acceptance. I never knew I had the strength to go through a cancer diagnosis & treatment, till I actually came to that point in life. And, I will continue to share my story for as long as I can in hopes that even if it helps one person, it’s worth sharing!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I think a key factor is connecting with your followers. If you do not interact with them, stay connected with them there is no reason for them to continue being in your social media family. I try to respond to all messages, and comments from my followers and try to answer any questions they may have.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: recipe.of.my.life
• Youtube: recipeofmylife
• Other: Atmosfy – recipeofmylife