36 THE WEEK • JULY 21, 2019
PLUS“During those seven months, I matured a
lot. I would be fine during the daytime, but
the nights would be scary as there’s nothing
to do. There were both good days and bad
days during chemotherapy,” remembers
Sashi.Movies and Chemo.
Her advice to others is to remain active, talk
to friends, and keep busy on the good days.
“On bad days, lie down and watch a
movie.” She has a bone to pick with movies
that depict cancer. “They paint such a
negative picture. The minute someone is
diagnosed, everyone starts crying as if the
person is already dead. It’s high time we
had movies that show how people recover
and lead normal lives.”Skydiving after Chemo.
Sashi’s husband was a great source of
strength and positivity at the time. He kept
himself in the loop of her treatment at every
step and would research everything
thoroughly. “During my bad days, I threw a
lot of tantrums. I had warned my family that
I would scream at them, and that they
should not take it to heart. If I have to let it
out, I have to scream. I would yell for no
reason and then cry later. But they never
showed that it affected them. I am truly
blessed with the people around me.”“Two months after my chemo, we went to
New Zealand and I went skydiving. I was
still wearing a wig, but I went anyway. We
also went to the Great Barrier Reef [in
Australia] and went walking on the ocean
bed. It was unforgettable.”How to Live Bindaas.
One of her great dreams has always been to
be a model. “My husband took us to get a
photoshoot done in New Zealand. They did
some light make-up before the shoot. The
results looked so good. Today, I see myself
on hoardings and in magazines for the SelfV
campaign, and I feel so good. I also love
singing and dancing and my family begs me
to stop because I can’t sing or dance for
nuts. But I do it anyway.“It’s been ten years for me as a survivor,
and I am doing well, and so is everyone at
my support group, Pink Hope Cancer
Support Group. Some have marked 10
years and some have marked 20 as
survivors, and they are all doing brilliantly.
This is why I say people should not fear
cancer. It’s like any other disease. It’s just
the word that frightens you. The treatment is
tough, but that too is a passing phase. After
that, you are done with it.”Spreading Hope to
Millions.Sashi stresses the importance of finding a
support group. “When I was diagnosed,
there was no Pink Hope. So, my doctor put
me on to a friend, and she put me on to
someone else and all of us came together
to form the group. A support group is
important because no one other than
someone going through what you have
really understood.Her advice to people is simple: get regular
check-ups done after a certain age. Laugh
a lot. Eat healthy. Exercise. “Would crying
have helped me when I had cancer? No.
Learn to face and handle your problems.
And always live life bindaas!”