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I Cancervive! |
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Cancer survivors surprise with their grit &
their willpower. Here we mention a few of their
stories disproving the myth that Cancer is always
fatal. If you wish to share your experiences as
a Cancer patient / relative / friend, do write
to us & we will be happy to share your words
of inspiration & hope in this section.
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Mr. Bibhuti Chakraborty
- After recovering from Laryngeal Cancer through proper
surgery & therapy more than 15 years ago, he took
up the work of educating fellow patients suffering from
Cancer of the Larynx. Teaching patients, how to speak,
after Laryngeal Surgery, became his passion and today
Cancer Centre, Thakurpukur boasts of a 200 + strong team
of patients who can speak through the miracle of speech
therapy without having voice boxes!!
One of his speech therapy students, Mr. Gurudas Mukherjee
recounts how he was detected with laryngeal Cancer in
1995, when he was only 36. Being in sales, and a chain
smoker at that, he was unable to follow repeated medical
advice to rest his voice. Gradually, he developed a persistent
cough & hoarseness & was found to have vocal cord
nodules. Biopsy proved the existence of Cancer and he
was advised immediate surgery. For him, at that time,
being the only bread earner of his family, with a 2-month-old
son, the situation was almost impossible to face. However,
managing to gather funds, he underwent surgery followed
by a 25 day Radiotherapy session. Thereafter he took speech
therapy from Mr. Bibhuti Chakraborty & within a short
span of 3 months, was able to lead an absolutely normal
life again! Today, he is a Postal agent, marketing Post
office schemes to prospective clients, with his vocal
prowess! He leads a healthy life, even taking care of
his family's requirements. His experience, he says has
taught him to be extremely aware of the body's warning
signals. He advises all people to take quick steps to
ensure correct treatment of the smallest of ailments so
that they never become severe. Also, he advises avoidance
of addictive substances such as tobacco, pan masala etc.
because as they say, anything in excess is bad for you.
Good habits, exercise, timely food & suitable lifestyle
restrictions go a long way in controlling the expression
of disease - in other words, "A stitch in time, saves
nine!" |
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Ms. Mrinmoyee Chakraborty - A teacher with Loretto
Day School, Bowbazaar, she was detected with Breast
Cancer in 1997. Looking back, Ms. Chakraborty says
that it was very difficult for her to believe that
a person like her, who had never suffered from so
much as fever, could have been diagnosed with cancer!
An exceptional student throughout, the beautiful
Ms. Chakraborty has been successful in all her academic
pursuits, including an M.Sc. in Physiology from
AIIMS, Delhi followed by a B. Ed. in Biology from
Jadavpur University. Being an NCERT scholar throughout,
she is a dynamic & optimistic personality, used
to seizing the opportunities that life offers. So,
when she faced Cancer, her first thought was - "Why
waste a single day in self pity, when I don't know
how many days I have?" Having a close knit
family alone worried her as she was sure her diagnosis
would cause them a lot of suffering.
Being Diagnosed with Stage II of Breast Cancer at
46 years, Ms. Chakraborty underwent surgery in June
1997 followed by Radiation for 5 weeks. She returned
to her job in September, 1997, less than 3 months
after her surgery, and started Chemotherapy. The
hairloss was depressing but did not deter her from
carrying on with her life normally. She remembers
explaining to her students about the hairloss and
asking them not to be distracted by it!!
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"Taking interest in your therapy helps in the process
of recovery", she says "because it is important
to share your concerns with your doctor as well as understand
the expected therapy goals & the patient's co-operation
in optimizing the treatment."
To the medical fraternity, she says - "As a patient
I always compared the cost of the treatment to the value
of my life, in my perception. Therefore, it is important
to understand the patient's concerns before advising him/her
any treatment, so that the patient can avail of the same
in his/her capacity."
Ms. Sikha Sen -
Detected with Breast Cancer 15 years back, she was
advised routine Surgery / Chemotherapy (CT) / Radiotherapy
(RT). She is hale & hearty today, attending regular
follow-ups & interactions with the attending doctors
at Cancer Centre, Thakurpukur.
Ms. Subhosree Banerjee - Detected with Retinoblastoma
(A malignancy of the eye) at 3 years of age, in
1986, she underwent surgery followed by RT/CT and
was advised to be on regular follow ups with her
doctors. Today, she is a young lady, busy pursuing
her studies & can dream of a bright future ahead.
Mr. Sunil Yadav - Found to have Lymphoma
at 12 years of age, he was given the recommended
therapy. Today, he is a strapping young man who
is working with the Indian Railways, & proving to
be the bread-earner of his family. |
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