Archana Chauhan (Cervical Cancer Survivor) with Strong Will Power

I am 35 years old. I am a government servant. I am a professional writer. I had my own NGO named Archana foundation. I have also started an initiative named stambh'. I have one daughter. My husband is also a government servant. 

How it started

I am an active person. I used to travel from Gujarat to Mumbai for work-related purposes. Before 6 months, I started missing periods, but I thought its because of stress. Although everyone said that I should contact the doctor, I didnt take it seriously. After 6 months, I went to the gynecologist; told her about the problem. She did a physical examination & the Cervical Cancer was clear. I broke down when I got to know about Cervical cancer. I told my husband. My tests began & sometimes our whole day used to be in the hospital. 

Treatment

Doctors told me that they have to conduct surgery because the size of the tumor is small. The surgery was painful. After the surgery, the reports came & the doctor asked for radiation. I got Photoluminescence (PL) radiation, where I received 27 radiations. I didnt know about the consequences. This radiation was followed for 3-4 months. I used to take medicine early in the morning. Finally, the treatment was completed and I got back to my normal life. 

Side-effects 

I was not able to eat or drink anything. I became so weak that two people had to lift me. I was not able to move easily. My Urine output stopped. The Urinary tract infection is still there even after 3 years. I still take medicines for the same.

Recurred

My husband is on the medical line; he got affected by Covid on 27th May 2020. Doctors told me that to stay away from him but I didnt follow that. The same day I had a tumor in my hand of ball size & that was so sudden. I called my doctor & he said that they have to conduct the ultrasound. I didnt tell anyone in the family. When he did my ultrasound; his reaction made me understood that its Cancer once again. Biopsy was required but it was difficult to find the doctor. After some more time, one doctor agreed to do my biopsy. They said they will call at night. The doctor called me & asked questions like whether I used to get blood in urine or nose and I said no. She told me that Cervical cancer has resurfaced and it can be stage 4. It was difficult at this stage to treat. The doctor asked to do a PET scan to know the exact location. The results showed that I had second primary Cancer. This time it was Vulvar Cancer. I consulted many doctors & every doctor told me different solutions. Everyone said one thing that the coming 6 months will decide my future. It was rare & difficult in my case. I took the decision & went ahead with the treatment. 

Treatment for the second time

The doctor told me to go with surgery. It was risky as it was Covid time. The situation started getting worse day by day. My husband got recovered in the meantime and I told him. On the day of surgery, the doctor gave me anesthesia & went ahead with the treatment. It was 5-6 hours of surgery. Nothing was removed from my body. The biopsy report of the operation was bad. I had to undergo radiation again. I got chemotherapy too. Chemo gave me many side effects although it was not given much. I was not in my senses for days. I got the same side effects & infections, even more, this time. In between the treatment, I was Covid positive. It became worse day by day. I recovered in 15 days. In August, my treatment was completed. In October, the doctor did my PET scan and the reports were normal. Then they said if my 2 years went well then there is some positive approach. Every month I go to the doctor even if it is a small concern.

Right now I have no cancer cells but there are chances of recurrence. I am healthy right now according to the doctor. My body is getting back to normal now. 

Making Awareness among People

I have started making people aware of Cancer. HPV Vaccine is important. Get your mammography & PET Scan test done every 2 years if you are married. The time has changed now, cancer is also affecting the younger age group. On womens day, I did 110 womens tests, all reports were normal. In September, I am going to get 25 females vaccinated free of cost. If I get the opportunity I will get the vaccines free of cost.

Message

We all are winners. Every person who is fighting with it is a hero. 

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