Amit Tuteja (Caregiver Of Ovarian Cancer Survivor): It's All About Being Positive

Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

In 2017, my mother had a general check-up where nothing major was discovered, except for a slightly abnormal thyroid level, for which she started medication. After beginning the thyroid treatment, she started coughing a lot.

When her thyroid level decreased, we reduced the medicines. Then in January, she began experiencing significant bloating, had difficulty eating, and was vomiting frequently..

Despite numerous tests, the issue was misdiagnosed as a liver problem. By the end of March, we went to the hospital for a proper ultrasound to understand what was happening and to decide if a biopsy was needed.

When the doctor did the ultrasound, it revealed there was some abnormal growth, so the doctor recommended for a CT scan. We did the CT scan the very next day, and it came out as Third Stage as Ovarian Cancer. We went for a PET scan also, and that confirmed the same.

Ovarian Cancer Treatment

We started her Chemotherapy sessions, and also did a lot of alternative treatment with the consultation of a nutritionist. After some chemotherapy sessions, she developed an infection around her chemotherapy port, and that took a lot of time to heal. We had to replace the port, but it got infected again

After three chemotherapy sessions, a PET scan showed very good results. We planned surgery, but the preferred surgeon was not available. So, we conducted another chemotherapy cycle before the surgery.

The Surgery was planned for 2nd July and it went well as planned. But post-surgery, she started having high fevers. One day her fever was so intense that she almost collapsed in the hospital. She was taken to the ICU and was put onto the ventilator as her hands and everything had started going blue due to lack of oxygen.

She was on a ventilator for almost a week before she came out. But after she came out of ICU, she faced various complications for a month, so, for a month, we were in the hospital.

Despite going through many tests every day and taking a lot of medicines, her condition did not improve. So, we decided to shift her to a different hospital. She got good care in there, and for almost 15 days, the doctor took her off of all the antibiotics. Finally, in August, she came back home.

There were still some cancer cells left, so the doctor asked to do more rounds of chemotherapy, which was tough for her, but she went through it. She was suffering from a lot of things including mental trauma and weakness, but positivity and spirituality, meditation, and listening to soothing music helped her a lot.

During her Chemotherapy sessions, she also took alternative approaches like naturopathy, Wheatgrass juice, did a lot of diet changes and homoeopathic treatment which helped her a lot.

Her last Chemotherapy cycle was in December 2018 and since then, all her PET scan reports have come out normal.

However, post-operation, she developed a hernia, which needs surgery but has been indefinitely postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been almost a year and a half, and things are stable now.

The Ovarian Cancer Foundation- Sashakt

Later, my sister read a lot about ovarian cancer and found out that there are a lot of cases where patients don't get diagnosed on time. So, she started an NGO called Sashakt- The Ovarian Cancer Foundation. She has conducted many sessions on ovarian cancer awareness in schools and communities to help people recognize the symptoms early which would help in the early detection of the disease.

Ovarian Cancer Survivor- Parting Message

It's all about being positive, so be positive. Follow a proper diet. Strengthen your immunity. Have a good lifestyle. Be calm. The physical cancer in your body can also create emotional cancer, in your mind. The only method to treat it is through a positive attitude. Be at mental peace, and never give up hope.