These Celebrities Fought Breast Cancer and Reclaimed Their Life

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October is hailed as Breast Cancer Awareness month and is dedicated to creating awareness about the disease. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states breast cancer as the most frequent cancer among women, impacting 2.1 million women each year, and cause of the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women. Early diagnosis has been determined to be key in cancer treatment by reducing barriers to care and/or improving access to effective diagnosis services. If breast cancer is identified at an early stage, it allows more effective treatment and reduces the risks of death to a great extent. Screening and testing women to even with no symptoms is vital and using tools like mammography, clinical breast exam and breast self-exam.

This month we bring to you stories of some popular women who fought their own breast cancer battles and conquered it, showing many others out there that resilience and courage can be key to fighting a deadly disease and if they can do it, so can many others. They prove that there is a life after it too.

Mumtaz

The famous yesterday actress Mumtaz who gave hits like Khilona, Apna Desh, Roop Tera Mastana, revealed recently that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the year 2000 when she was 54, after identifying a malignant lump in her breasts. She overcame it with determination and family support after medical intervention and rounds of chemotherapy. Mumtaz quoted in a media interview, “I don’t give up easily. Even death will have to fight me.”

Martina Navratilova

The Wimbledon tennis champion was diagnosed with a non-invasive form of cancer, called ductal carcinoma in situ, which was detected during a mammogram in 2010. The cancer was surgically removed followed by radiation treatments, and Martina, who said she skipped her mammogram for several years, urged women to get the test done regularly.

Christina Applegate

Christina Applegate, who played Jennifer Aniston’s sister in the series Friends has undergone a double mastectomy after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. She had inherited the BRCA1 genetic mutation, a trigger for breast cancer, which her mother is also a survivor. In 2009, she founded Right Action for Women, which assists women at increased risk for breast cancer who don’t have the insurance or financial means to cover the high costs of breast screenings.

Sheryl Crow

Singer and a Grammy award winner Sheryl Crow was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 at the age of 44 and underwent minimally invasive surgery and radiation. “With your diagnosis comes a lesson, and for women who’ve shared their lesson with me, it’s always the same,” she told in a media interview. “Women are overachievers. We take care of the people around us while we work and do a thousand [other] things.” But she women must learn “to put on their oxygen mask first before putting it on anyone else.”

Gautami Tadimalla

Famous south Indian actress Gautami was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 35 and overcame it. She is known for her films Apoorva Sagodhararargal, Raja Chinna Roja, Dharma Durai, and Iruvar. She has also done Bollywood films Janta Ki Adalat, Pyar Hua Chori Chori, and Teesra Kaun? and also became a costume designer later.

“I received my diagnosis of breast cancer on a Valentine’s Day”, she wrote in her blogpost Life again in 2016. “I guess. I was fortunate. I had loved ones around me, supporting me in whatever way they could. And through it all was my daughter, who walked with me every step of the way”. She has found an NGO Life Again Foundation.

Tahira Kashyap

Actor Ayushman Khurana’s wife Tahira Kashyap has been in the news recently for her diagnosis of breast cancer and how she battled it bravely. Tahira had “stage 0” breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy procedure. She has a show, “My Ex-Breast”, a 7-episode series on Audible Suno, where she talks about fighting cancer and its effect on her family. She has also turned author with her recent book, 12 Commandments of Being a Woman.

These women have only fought through their sufferings to emerge stronger at life. Do you or someone you know has a cancer story to share? Let us know in the comments.

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I got my first period at the age of 13. Always painful, heavy and irregular. My gynaecologist said the condition will improve with age. And yes, it did. The irregular periods were gone by the age of 16-17. But what never left my company was this pain, this unmerciful and burning pain. I remember sometimes I used to faint because of the pelvic pain and heavy bleeding. I see many girls who play, swim, party and lead a normal life even when they are menstruating. I would say “Girls you must be God’s favourite”.

So, I considered myself a not so favourite of God and started leading my life accepting the monthly challenges. But then my life took another turn. When I was 26, I started getting random cramps. Cramps like mini ninjas were trying to kill me from inside. Getting down from my bed in the morning became like a battle. I rushed to my gynaecologist. And after all the scans and tests, I was diagnosed with Endometriosis, a chronic illness I have to live with.

I had not heard of endometriosis before nor had any member of my family. I had to do my own research by consulting the internet and doctor. Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue similar to the endometrial tissue (tissue that forms the lining of your uterus) grows outside of the uterine cavity, on ovaries, fallopian tube, bowel, and tissues lining your pelvis. Some of the symptoms I suffered from were:

chronic pain during or in between cycles
heavy bleeding during periods
Fatigue/lack of energy/weakness

Some days can really be hard when the pain is to the extent that I cannot stand up straight or walk properly as the pain is down my legs and up my back. Lying curled up in bed in the fetal position around a hot water bottle becomes a common way of coping.

The treatment my doctor suggested is of combined oral contraceptive pills. These pills contain a mixture of estrogen and progesterone and works by suppressing ovulation and affects the production of female hormones in the ovary. The hormones in the Pill cause the uterus lining to become thinner, causing periods to become shorter and lighter, thus reducing endometriosis symptoms. I have been taking this treatment from past 3 years now with planned breaks in between. I can say that in my case the treatment did not work as effectively as expected. Instead it brought some side effects like weight gain and mood swings.

This is when I had to bring some changes in my lifestyle. And trust me these changes work as add-ons to the treatment.

Yoga and workout: There are yogasanas which are specially for Endometriosis pain relief. Workout is important because this treatment can cause an unproportionate weight gain.
Avoid dairy products: As suggested by an ayurvedic doctor because dairy products contain hormones which can affect the natural hormone generation of the body.
Add green vegetables and fruits in your diet.
Positive attitude: This illness can sometimes play with your mind and you can feel sick and on your own. Don’t fall for it. Go out, spend time with people and try to lead your life as normal as you can. Just take one day at a time.

People often say, “You don’t look sick”. But I am not surprised, even I was not aware of it before. A surprising fact is that approximately 10 per cent of women in India are suffering from this debilitating illness, still, no one knows about it till they suffer themselves. So, I just want to bring this awareness among girls who are suffering from lethal pelvic pain or any other symptom. Don’t spend half of your life assuming that it is just normal period pain and go see your gynaecologist for correct diagnosis before it’s too late.

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