Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in India. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Usha Jesudasan, author, friend, patient of CMC Vellore and a cancer survivor herself, shares her insights.
Who is a cancer survivor?
Someone who has had cancer at some point. Maybe a year later or 5 years later, you are cancer-free because you have been treated.
What do you need to be a cancer survivor?
- Take your medication regularly. Go for your regular check-ups and tests as advised by your doctor. Report earlier if you notice anything worrying.
- Follow your doctor’s orders on diet and exercise. Eat foods that nourish your body and give you strength. With breast cancer, for example, moving your arms is very important, so that you have enough strength to do your daily housework, cooking or typing on a computer
- Have a daily positive attitude. Don’t worry about next month or next year, instead focus on the things you can do TODAY.
- Being calm and find things that bring you joy. Your mood will change, go up and down. But small things can make you happy. Maybe looking at a flower growing in your garden or watching a bird sitting on the electric wires outside your house or apartment. Little things can bring great joy.”
Every day, CMC’s doctors and nurses care for cancer patients and survivors. This October you can remind your loved ones – mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, friends – that early detection can save lives.