Senior citizen Nalini Satyanarayan cannot recognise her own voice now. Undergoing treatment for cancer of the larynx, the 63-year-old can breathe only through the hole in her throat. Her voice box has been removed. Instead, a trans-oesophageal puncture (TEP) valve helps her produce a voice. Yet she is living her life to the fullest.
As she rose to share her experiences at a press conference organised on Friday by Narayana Hrudayalaya's Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Centre, she apologised for her hoarse voice.
The usual stages
“I went through all the stages of a cancer patient — denial, depression and suffering followed by the never-ending treatment. But I did not lose hope and trained myself to speak through the voice prosthesis. Initially I used to find it difficult to communicate with others. Today, I am living a normal life like I used to before the diagnosis,” she said.
Meena Raj (50), who was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer at the hospital, is now working as a breast cancer patient navigator and counsellor at the same hospital. “As a survivor counsellor, I know how important it is to support other patients, speak to them about my experiences and instil hope and courage in their minds,” she said. Recalling her initial denial and shock (following the diagnosis), Ms. Raj said it is difficult for a breast cancer patient to come to terms with the diagnosis as it is connected to her identity.
Navigating others
Full of hope now, both for herself and for others, she said it was her passion now to build hope in others as they pass through the dark days of their lives.
She and many more cancer survivors narrated stories about their single-minded journey from despair to hope. Attempting to spread a positive message, these survivors asserted that early detection was crucial to cancer management.
Moni Abraham Kuriakose, senior consultant and head oncology at the Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Centre, said thanks to the latest research, cancer is now looked upon just like any other disease. “We want society to realise this fact and adopt a positive approach towards life,” he said.
Anthony Pais, senior consultant, surgical oncology (breast cancer specialist), said cancer was largely preventable now and most have undergone successful treatment. “They are living with it just as anyone else living with diabetes.” Other oncologists made presentations on advances in cancer care available at the hospital.
