The last two posts addressed issues I’ve faced in the past. In this post, I’d like to talk about a very recent issue that is a concern for me and I know that it is something that affects many women.
There were three things that I usually am afraid of. I mean shit scared and I will run for my life if I have to. Lightning, Earthquake and a turbulence while on air traveling. Why am I telling you this? Or why do I want to write about this? It’s because of late there is another thing I am afraid of and going to be till the day that I die.
I lost an aunt and two uncles to cancer. The most recent one was in 2019. They all suffered three different kinds of cancer. But what has this got to do with me being so afraid? In 2016, my mum was diagnosed with cervical cancer. We were lucky that it was local and thanks to one of my aunts and my eldest sister who forced mum to undergo a check-up which she had brushed off before they got involved.
The same year had brought us so much joy as mum’s only grand daughter was born but soon after we discovered this news.
This time, I didn’t know if I should panic, get myself checked, read about these types of cancers or be worried that I just had a child. Luckily for me, my eldest sister is a doctor and she handled mum’s illness like a superhero. She’s the bravest amongst all of the five siblings. From day one till now she’s taking care of our mother even though she has a hectic schedule.
As women we are worried as there are so many chances that we could also hereditarily contract the same illness. My two elder siblings got their pap smear done soon after mum’s diagnosis. It took me four years to get the courage to get tested for I am constantly living with the fear that I have it.
There is very little knowledge about the various type of cancers that ail the woman’s body but there is never an open discourse to learn more about how we can be affected.
These two cases are only in my family, I can assure you that we don’t talk about cancer and how to care for ourselves but we are just happy that my mum’s a survivor now.
I’ve led an unhealthy lifestyle ever since I left home. But now, I am trying to get myself to understand that as we grow older; our body changes and can’t take as much stress and as much junk that we shove it in us.
I am not scared of death but the things I am scared of are Chemotherapy and Radiation. I’ve been with my aunt for her therapies and I’ve seen how my mum was after radiation; they are situations that I would like to avoid and keep my body healthy.
It pains me that there are younger patients with these illnesses but the awareness is few and far between.
In India alone, it is estimated that every year 96,922 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 60,078 die from the disease and we still shy away from the discussion that is required. (from First Post, APR 07, 2019)
Let’s talk, let’s share, let’s be present for one another.
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