When life posed challenges, Sonal had befitting answers

Sonal, a 46-year-old single mother always made it a point to do self-examination regularly since her mother died of breast cancer. However, no one expects to actually find anything. Sonal faced the wrath of societal pressure the moment she decided to get a divorce and raise her daughter independently. Her own family was unsure of how she would manage in a society where a single woman is not given the respect she deserves. However, she went against it all and fought for herself and her child. She worked hard day and night and reached a senior position at her workplace.

Sonal has completed BSC (Statistics) and advanced diploma in software application and works with a private firm as delivery manager.  

Everyone knew she is strong, but the day she felt a hard lump in her breast, it came crashing down. It was December of 2020 and the pandemic was not getting better. Deciding to not let the fear boggle her decisions, she immediately went to a doctor. Talking about the same, she says, “My mother died of breast cancer. She had noticed the signs earlier, but she hid it from all of us because of fear. By the time, I noticed it and took her to the doctor, it was too late. Cancer had spread and it was stage IV. She bravely fought it until the last, but the only thing that was stuck in my mind was a lot more could have been done if she had told us sooner. She might have been here today to see my success and her granddaughter’s achievements.”

Fortunately, the self-examination and fight against the fear worked and the cancer was in an early stage and only localized to the outer tissues. A breast conservation surgery or BCS was enough to remove it along with chemotherapy and radiation. Breast conservation surgery is done to remove the part of cancer while keeping the breast tissues and shape as normal as possible.

Facing the Facts of Life  

“I met a lot of other women while I was undergoing my treatment. All of them seemed to have lost the reason to live because of their cancer diagnosis. On the other hand, the diagnosis was hard. I took my time to accept it, but while doing so I just thought of one thing. I have a lot to live and I want to see my daughter standing up on her feet, she needs me and I have to be there for her. This very thought was enough for me as a mother to fight anything that came my way. I couldn’t let a disease break me down. I decided to fight with it with all in me and take it positively. The diagnosis was bad, but I had many positives. The stage was not later, there are treatments and the doctors are exceptional at what they do. The only thing I had to do was to be positive and fight as much as I could and I did it” she says.

Emotional Sonal requests that women worldwide, not think of cancer as the end of their lives. She urges them to look at their loved ones, and keep fighting positively. She firmly believes that the reason she could go through those intensive eight months of treatment and surgery without hurdles was her will to defeat the disease. The pandemic was hard, she only had her daughter because limited people were allowed in the hospitals, but the only thing that mattered was to win against the disease and come out healthy.