Diagnostic du cancer du sein

Ma vie a commencé à m'emmener sur un chemin différent de celui que j'avais prévu quand on m'a diagnostiqué un cancer du sein de stade 3, cela aussi le jour de mon anniversaire, c'est-à-dire 12^th Novembre.

Traitement du cancer du sein

After my diagnosis, I was initially puzzled as to how to move forward with my treatment. I was confused about whether to start my treatment in Indore itself or to go to Delhi for it. But I finally decided that Indore would be better suited for me, as after the # I would need more care which won't be easily accessible in Delhi with my family settled in Indore.

Nous avons consulté l'oncologue à Indore, et le 22^nd November 2008, I underwent Breast Cancer mastectomy, and the doctor also removed the lymph nodes. The size of the lump was 6-7cm, and out of the 33 lymph nodes that were sent for biopsy, 17 came back positive. The doctors planned six Chimiothérapie cycles which were to be followed by five weeks of Radiation therapy. Since the port wasn't much preferred at that time, I took all my Chimiothérapie à travers les veines. Depuis je suis sous hormonothérapie.

During my treatment, I always believed that I would face cancer head-on and defeat it. This thought was ever revolving around in my head and gave me the strength to start my journey to recovery. After the Chemotherapy cycles, there were several challenges like depression, mood swings, etc. which I encountered but I had seen my aunt going through the same situation and gained strength from the belief that this was just a phase that I had to go through. I always believed primarily in one thing; if you have faith in God, faith in your doctor and faith in yourself, you can always defeat this disease. Whether it is cancer or anything else, you just need absolute faith to get through successfully to the end of the line. During my treatment, I always had these thoughts in my mind, giving me the strength and confidence to come through the other side of the tunnel. I also used to find solace in chanting. Whenever I felt like I couldn't sleep, or felt negative thoughts creeping up in my mind, I used to chant Gayatri Mantra, so that my mind gets diverted from my body and my disease. Chanting helped me to relax and used to boost me up.

La positivité tout autour de moi

Another major factor that helped me immensely in my battle against Cancer du sein was the support I received from my family and relatives. My husband and daughter were my pillars of support throughout my journey. Thanks to their continuous support, I never panicked in any situation. There were days during my Chemotherapy when I was not able to eat for 7-10 days continuously, but even during those days, they helped me to be confident and optimistic.

Il y avait une autre personne en dehors des membres de ma famille qui m'a éminemment aidé dans mon cheminement, le fondateur de l'ONG Sangini, feu Dr Anupama Negi. C'est elle qui m'a conseillé après ma première chimiothérapie et m'a guidé à travers le bon régime alimentaire, les bons exercices et tous les autres détails concernant la maladie. Sangini est un centre de réadaptation qui fournit non seulement des conseils aux patients, mais comprend également la gestion du lymphœdème, où les patients apprennent des exercices, des massages et des bandages pour réduire le lymphœdème, qui peut survenir après une chirurgie du cancer du sein. J'ai commencé à la suivre et j'ai été tellement inspiré par elle que j'ai décidé d'aider les patients atteints de cancer comme elle l'a fait après avoir terminé le traitement.

Merci, cancer du sein

Je sais que cela peut sembler étrange, mais avec le recul, je remercierais le cancer d'être entré dans ma vie. Ma vie a subi plusieurs changements après le cancer. J'ai commencé à aider et à conseiller d'autres patients, ce qui m'a donné un grand sentiment d'épanouissement. J'ai commencé à être reconnu comme conseiller parmi les médecins et les patients d'Indore.

Une fois ma radiothérapie terminée, mon mari a dû subir un pontage. Pendant son traitement, j'ai vu plusieurs patients atteints de cancer dans le même hôpital qui étaient bouleversés, et j'ai commencé à leur parler de la façon dont j'avais vaincu la maladie, comment j'allais parfaitement bien maintenant et comment le traitement du cancer s'était tellement amélioré maintenant que tout le monde avait de bonnes chances de guérir. Peu à peu, j'ai commencé à conseiller plus de patients. Pouvoir redonner à la société m'a rendu très reconnaissant. C'est devenu une devise dans ma vie d'aider autant de patients atteints de cancer que possible.

There are a lot of queries that cancer patients and family members would have, and since doctors can't be expected to answer all of them, I started doing what I could, to alleviate their concerns. It's been ten years since I started doing this. I started this as a self-examination program and have now conducted over 125 programs. I also started gathering a team of volunteers to assist me, and now I have 15 volunteers with me, who currently counsel patients in different hospitals across the city of Indore. We have also participated in marathons and conducted a fashion show that spreads positivity to bring awareness about the disease. We also provide wigs and prosthesis to cancer patients. I always tell patients that they can approach me 24/7. I also provide them with a régime alimentaire that they can follow to keep them nourished with necessary supplements during treatment. Some of my young patients tell me that I'm like their mother. The sense of fulfilment and gratitude that I receive from these patients makes me thankful towards cancer for giving me this opportunity in life. It's always added encouragement when you get appreciated for your efforts. I was also one of the 15 women from MP who received the Devi Award from CM Kamal Nath. I also received 51 most influential women in Indore and Akhil Bhartiya award.

I tell the patients that unlike conditions like diabetes which can stay with you for the entire life, cancer has a cure. While we don't have a choice as to how we die, we do have a choice as to how we live and enjoy our life. So I always tell my patients to enjoy their life to the maximum and not to let cancer overcome them.

Récemment, en février 2019, j'ai découvert que mon cancer avait rechuté en cancer du sein métastatique avec atteinte de la moelle épinière et des os. Après le diagnostic, j'ai reçu une radiothérapie palliative pendant deux semaines. Je suis actuellement sous hormonothérapie, je lutte contre la maladie et je continue de conseiller les patients atteints de cancer. Mais je suis sûr que je réussirai cette fois aussi, avec la connaissance supplémentaire de la maladie et la confiance que j'ai en moi et en mes médecins.

Guerrière du cancer du sein : message d'adieu

This is a short marathon, you are given a torch, and you have to carry it to the final destination. Always remember that you are not a sitting duck for cancer to come and affect you, but you will fight cancer with all your might, and you will win. Have complete faith in God, your doctor and yourself. You should always fight with confidence; cancer is just a word, not a death sentence. Don't ever try to hide your disease; instead, tell people that you are facing the disease with pride.