It was in 2017 when my mother (Ovarian Cancer) suddenly started feeling a bit fatigued and developed a bloated stomach. Physically, we all were very healthy, so I told my mother that she was just getting fat. We didn't take it seriously, but then she developed a urinary problem. We consulted a general physician, but he brushed it off, saying that it was nothing major.
She was also having a cough and fever, so we thought it might be viral fever, and took her to another doctor who prescribed some tests and told her that there was some fluid in her stomach, but not anything to be concerned about. He advised us to go to a laboratory and send the fluid for testing.
I am very close to my mom, and I always accompany her to the hospital, but I had an exam that day, so my brother and sister took her to the hospital. Her fluid was taken out and was sent for the test. When my siblings went to the doctor with the previous blood reports, he said that it could be two things; TB; which gets cured in 6-12 months, or ovarian cancer.
When my siblings came home, they didn't tell me anything; they felt that I wouldn't be able to accept it as I was the youngest and closest to my mom. When the reports came to me, I started looking them up on the internet. I have a friend whose cousin is a doctor, so I sent the reports to him, and then I got to know that it was Ovarian Cancer. But none of us said anything about it to my mother.
My mother doesn't like to eat food from outside because she thinks that there are germs and it can affect your health. But just 2-3 weeks before she got sick, we had dined from outside, and thus we told her that the fluid and Pain in her stomach was because of the germs. We felt that she would not be emotionally strong to accept it as she had a family history of cancer, and had lost her close ones to cancer. So we thought that if we told her she had ovarian cancer, her whole morale would go down, and that would affect her chances of survival.
When we got her tested first, reports showed that it was only in the ovary, but when we took her to another hospital, we found out that the fluid was in her abdomen, lungs, and near the heart too.
Days passed, and her health was getting worse. One day when she fainted, and we rushed her to the emergency. We told the doctors everything about her Ovarian Cancer diagnosis, and they told us to be prepared for anything. She was not able to breathe, and her heart was not pumping, so the doctors said that they would do the surgery first to take out the fluid and then focus on other things. However, due to some issues, the surgery got delayed and her health further deteriorated.
Eventually, the doctors came and said that they were taking her for surgery. They gave me a form to sign. I was so scared that I asked them about the risk factor, and they said, If we don't do the surgery, she will die, but if we do, then there are chances that she might live. So I signed the form. The operation took around 12-14 hours. She had a pericardial window and was on the suction machine. We were not sure whether she would survive the Surgery as it was too dangerous.
When she was given the first chemotherapy, the doctors told us that she would have many side effects like hair fall, nausea, constipation, etc. So, they advised us on how to handle the side effects and told us to take care of her.
We had to hide it from her
She didn't have any idea about what was happening to her. The biggest fear for us was that she would have hair fall. Doctors said she wouldn't have hair fall in the first chemotherapy, it would happen after the second or third chemotherapy, in around a month. So we had one month to prepare her mentally for everything.
When we used to go to the hospital, we used to dress up very well and even put our lipstick on because she always said that when our eyes see good, our heart also feels good. We also used to eat together with her so that she wouldn't think that her children were sad or something was severe. She only knew that she had germs in her stomach, and within a short period, she would be okay.
On 11 December, she was discharged, but she came home with her suction tube. When she had her CT scan, we found a blood clot in her body, so we used to give her blood thinner. When the nurse came home for the first time, I asked him to teach me how to give injections and do suction. I learned everything from him gave her injections and did all her work myself so that we wouldn't need a nurse daily, which may make her suspicious.
Gradually, we told her that the medicines she was taking were so powerful that she might have nausea, vomiting, ulcers in the mouth, and even some hair fall too. When we told her about the hair fall, she asked us to tell her what had happened to her. We laughed and said that chemotherapy was used for many diseases, and not just the disease that she was thinking of. We tried to brainwash her a little.
Our doctors were upset with us because we were not telling our mom about ovarian cancer, and it was their policy that a patient should know about their disease. But we said, If you want your patient to die, not because of cancer but because of the mental trauma, then you may tell her. We knew that she couldn't take it, and that was the reason we were hiding it from her.
I was having a semester break, so I used to be at home and would shower her daily, dress her up, and comb her hair. Whenever I bathed her or combed her hair, I never told her about the hair fall she was having. It was only when she combed her hair that she noticed the hair fall. She was never totally bald, and she had some hair till the end of treatment too.
She underwent 12 Chemotherapy cycles, and they were given weekly. Whenever she had chemotherapy, she used to have side effects like ulcers in the mouth, constipation, and diarrhea.
It was a tough time, but we always kept her motivated. I used to tell her that if you go with the mindset to fight the disease, then you will win. I believe that being in bed all day would only make you feel more tired and mentally ill, but if you get up and do your work, it won't bother you much. We used to take her to the park and the mall. I think if you 'want' to feel good, then you will.
Then we had the BRCA test done to know if the cancer was BRCA positive or not. When the results came, it was neutral, neither negative nor positive. We were supposed to give her treatment according to that test result, but it came as neutral, and it blocked our way entirely. Our aunt also got diagnosed at the same time, and her BRCA results came out to be negative. This made us assume that it would be negative for our mom too. So she took the chemotherapy based on that assumption. In August 2019, her treatment was completed, and she started leading a healthy life.
In Feb 2020, we took her to an optician as she had some problems with her eyes. He said it was nothing but just an infection and prescribed some medicines.
Her eyes became normal, but she had a dual vision. So we went to another doctor, who did an X-ray and advised us to consult a neurologist as it could be nerve damage rather than an eye problem. We consulted the neurophysician, and he asked for an MRI.
When her MRI was being done, I asked the operator if he found anything, and he said that there was a small clot. When the reports came, they said to go for a second MRI and consult an oncologist. We went to the hospital, but our doctor was out of town, so we discussed everything with the people who used to work under her, and they asked for a contrast MRI.
When we got her contrast MRI done, and got to know that the cancer had spread to her midbrain, and it was very dangerous. We sent the reports to the doctor, and she asked for a PET scan to ensure that the cancer had not spread to other parts too. We got her PET scan done and found that it had only spread to the brain and not to any other parts.
The doctor said that mom had to be given radiation therapy, and two types of radiation were suggested: cyberknife and whole-brain radiation. After taking many opinions, we decided to go with the latter. She went through five days of radiation, and she had side effects like hair fall, fatigue, and dizziness. She had a hysterectomy too, and doctors confirmed that most of her cancer was removed.
She is so much better now, and I am happy for her. We didn't expect her to ever return home from the hospital or to do her work on her own. We never thought that she would cook again or would go shopping together. I used to sleep with my mom thinking about whether she would ever be by my side again. Even the cardiologist said that she never thought our mom would become so perfectly fine, judging by the way she came in.
My mom once asked me, Don't you get frustrated by always giving me medicines and food? I told her, When we are young, we are completely dependent on our parents, and you never said no to us. You tolerated all our tantrums, and when it's my turn, how can I say I'm tired? I lost my father when I was a year old, and my mom played both roles for me. What I am doing for her now is nothing compared to what she has done for us. We are always grateful for the love and care we received from her.
I didn't have anyone to share what I was feeling; I was very depressed. I am very close to my mother, and she is my best friend, but when she was sick I was the one who was holding a secret, and I couldn't tell her that secret because that would affect her. So I took the help of a psychologist. When I went to her, I told her that my family was very supportive, but there were a lot of people outside of the family who were not, and this thing was affecting me. I used to tell her what my fears were and shared everything with her, and indeed it helped me a lot.
I think people should take counseling because there are moments in life when you need someone to listen, understand, and guide you on this journey.
For Caregivers - Be strong and positive. Don't let your patients feel that they are a burden to you; don't let them know your inner worries. Talk to yourself, because self-talk is essential for a caregiver, say to yourself that 'Yes I am strong', 'I will do this' and 'I will give my patient a beautiful life.'
For Patient - Don't ever think that you will die of cancer. Fight till your last breath, at least for your loved ones; fight for the one who is taking care of you. Take care of your diet. Stay positive and hopeful.