Reader\'s Digest IN 02.2020

38 february 2020

Reader’s Digest Better Living

ph

ot

os

:^ v

ik

ra

m^

sh

ar

ma

/in

di

a^ t

od

ay

,^ s

un

ila

kh

an

na

,^ c

ha

nd

ra

re

kh

a^ g

ul

ab

an

i^

themselves. We don’t

prioritize ourselves

or consider ourselves

important enough.

This must change. Stay

aware and informed.

Be watchful and ensure

you reach out for help

when you need it; if you see abnormal

changes in your body. Early detection

and timely treatment can make all the

difference in the fight against cancer.

Rajni Bhagat Arora, communications

professional, breast-cancer survivor

Life goes on

When you know you

have cancer, you have

to live with it. There’s

just no ignoring or de-

nying that fact. But I al-

ways keep one thought

at the back of my

mind—life goes on. The question ‘Why

me?’ never crossed my mind. Right af-

ter I was declared cancer-free, my wife

was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

She went through six years of treatment

and passed away in late 2018. Any dis-

ease could afflict anyone. You could die

of a heart attack or in a road accident in

one day—so I saw no point in thinking

‘Why me?’. It’s a part of life.

Anup Kapur, marketing professional,

bladder-cancer survivor

Your will is your weapon

The most important thing to remember

in the fight against cancer is that your

own willpower is your

biggest weapon. A

partner, family member

or friend can offer

support and strength

but the foremost

thought in a patient’s

mind must be ‘I will get

better. I will get healthy again’. Also, I’ve

seen many people, especially women,

retreat from the world, unwilling to

step out of their homes, because of hair

loss or other physical changes caused

by cancer treatment—this shouldn’t

happen. Surgery has greatly changed

my husband’s appearance and how he

speaks, but he never lets this diminish

his confidence or stop him from going

out and interacting with people.

Sunila Khanna, wife of an

oral-cancer survivor

Pay it forward

My journey with cancer

has made me stronger,

more compassionate

and helpful. If one has

faith in oneself, one’s doctor and God,

defeating cancer is not impossible. My

experience motivated me to make a

difference to the lives of others fighting

this battle, so for the past 16 years I have

worked to support cancer patients. It

gives me immense satisfaction and a

great sense of purpose in life. The love,

respect and friendships I found along

the way are a great bonus.

Chandra Rekha Gulabani, director at Jagriti,

Indian Cancer Society, breast-cancer survivor