Hyderabad: Breast Cancer Awareness Month is observed around the world from October 1st to October 31st. On this occasion, ETV Bharat Sukhibhava is sharing with its readers the story and struggles of some survivors who have won the battle against cancer.
“The day the doctor told me that my report had confirmed breast cancer, I thought the world had stopped spinning. Far from thinking about recovering from the disease, I had a feeling that how long I would be able to live. Thinking about all of this, I had become a victim of a different kind of stress", says Aruna Vajpayee (45) of Jaipur, Rajasthan who had breast cancer in the year 2016.
Not only Aruna but as soon as this complex disease is confirmed, most women feel that their life is about to end. The reason for this is the lack of awareness among people about this disease and its treatment and the fear prevailing in their minds about cancer. Whereas the truth is that it is possible to get rid of breast cancer at the right time and with the right treatment.
All the survivors who agreed to share their stories on the occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month say that the battle to fight breast cancer is not just physical but also a mental one. Because not only is the treatment of this disease long and painful but during this period the confusion associated with the disease, the fear of not being cured, the effect of medicines on the body, and its effects on hair, beauty, and health greatly affect one's mental state.
From the Survivors: Narrating the story of her struggle with cancer, teacher Aruna Vajpayee tells that she came to know about cancer in the second stage. There was a lump in her right breast, which she had been ignoring for a long time due to work and laziness. But later, along with some discomfort in that lump, some other types of physical problems like fever, vomiting-like sensations, hormonal imbalance, etc started to appear. There seemed to be a difference in breast size. When she consulted the doctor, he advised her to get tested and cancer was detected.
She says that the journey of cancer treatment was not easy. It was painful to face breast surgery and different types of therapy. Sometimes the results were positive and sometimes the situation worsened. But with the encouragement of the doctor and gathering more information about breast cancer, her hopes of defeating the disease kept growing. However, she does feel guilty that she delayed consulting a doctor, otherwise the problems during the treatment could have been less. But she also says that this journey has made her mentally stronger.
Neelima Verma from Delhi tells us that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. In fact, there was a history of breast cancer in her family before, and her mother had the disease before her. She says that earlier cancer cells were found in one of her mother's breasts. Cancer had spread slightly, so surgery was performed to remove one of her breasts. But the effect of chemo and other therapy was too much on her body.
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However, after treatment and proper care, she was fine for a few years, but after the surgery, her mother was diagnosed with cancer in her other breast after a couple of years. But this time she was not very lucky because, by the time the cancer was detected, it had reached the third stage. In the second surgery, even after the removal of the second breast, chemotherapy, and all the treatments, she could not be saved.
Since Neelima was aware that having a history of breast cancer in the family also predisposed her to this disease, she followed all the precautions in advance and used to get her check-ups done at regular intervals. In one such investigation, he was confirmed to have breast cancer in the early stages. After proper treatment and taking all the precautions, she is now completely cancer free.
When Bharti Sharma of Indore was diagnosed with breast cancer, her child was about a year old. In the beginning, when there was a lump in the breast, she and her family thought that it would be a lump due to the accumulation of milk in the breast. During this time she was also facing menstrual and hormonal problems. They did not pay much attention considering them as post-delivery problems.
But when even after all the efforts, the lump did not get cured and other problems also started bothering her more, then on the advice of her specialist, she got a mammography examination done in which cancer was detected. Shortly after becoming a mother for the first time, Bharti fell into severe depression when this disease was confirmed. For which she took counseling along with treatment. Not only this, but she also joined a cancer survivor group. By meeting people who have successfully overcome cancer, and following the doctor's guidelines with the help of counseling, she also adopted a positive attitude toward her treatment, and today she is completely free from breast cancer.
Surekha Bhandari from Dehradun fought a difficult battle with cancer. At the age of 45, she became a victim of genetic breast cancer. She tells that due to her busy schedule, she could not understand her problems and various symptoms. When she felt more trouble, she used to take medication on her own. But when she started bleeding profusely, had a fever every day, felt weakness and fatigue, and swelling in the body, then she consulted a gynecologist. Knowing her symptoms, the doctor also asked her to undergo a mammography along with other tests. It was confirmed that she had breast cancer at the second stage.
Since the cancer cells had started spreading, she had to face some difficulties in the treatment. Since her cancer was classified as genetic cancer, as a precaution, her affected breast as well as the other breast was surgically removed. But she says that she didn't lose hope during this time. Although she still has to be more careful about diet and other important things along with some medicines, she is leading a healthy life at the moment. And also trying to make people aware of breast cancer through programs and campaigns.
Regular Checkups Required: Dr. Vijayalakshmi, a gynecologist from Uttarakhand, tells that whether they are homemakers or working women, most of them do not take much care of their health. Not only colds, and fevers, but they also ignore any problems related to menstruation, infection, abdominal pain, or hormones as if those problems will be cured on their own. She tells that most of the middle-aged women who come to her for examination and treatment come to see her when their problems start bothering them too much. In such a situation, it is very important that such events should be organized where the woman is first taught to be aware of her health and body.
She says that she advises every woman who comes to her to have a mammogram and Pap smear along with a complete body checkup at regular intervals or once a year. She points out that breast cancer treatment and recovery can also affect the victim's mental state, so counseling by a doctor or medical counselor can reduce their mental stress during treatment, allowing victims to recover from the disease and cope with complex situations can be very helpful.
