Tattoos
After a stint in advertising, Sujatha Srihari, from Chennai, trained as a tattoo artist. She got into medical tattooing quite by accident, when she was asked by a surgeon if she could do work on a patient with vitiligo. One thing led to another, and one day she was asked if she’d ever done a tattoo of an areola. Sujatha said she hadn’t, but was confident of executing it. She did. Unfortunately, while the rest of her medical work continues, she faces a problem while finding work with breast cancer survivors. “There are few who consider reconstruction surgery, and even fewer who know that this is a possibility,” she says. Also, it’s difficult to advertise something like this: “You just don’t, you can’t,” she says, hoping that even if women don’t opt for reconstruction, they’ll still consider tattooing their chests.
Headgear
Beanies from On My Terms
W hen a friend in the US shipped a bunch of beanies to Sujaya Walia, she’d wear them out everywhere she went, whether it was chemo daycare or a restaurant. “My kids (then 12 and 10) loved that I was able to look trendy,” she says, thinking back to 2013, when she was getting treated. Meanwhile, other people undergoing treatment also asked for them. So Sujaya began to import them, and then gradually to have them locally made. “People want to go out to break the monotony between home and hospital,” she says, without having to declare to the world that they’re undergoing treatment. Order at facebook.com/onmyterms.in
Hair for Hope India
A little before their launch in 2013, Nisha Jose donated her hair for a wig. Soon, she and a friend launched Hair for Hope to help people regain a little bit of what they’d lost. They operate all over India, but mainly in and around Kerala. Nisha says she’s been to over 150 homes, to measure heads for a correct fit. That’s the time people open up, she says, some crying, some venting — emotions they’re not able to share even with closest family because they fear they’ll get them worried.
She also organises donation drives at schools and colleges and is amazed at the way young women come forward to give a part of themselves. Hair collection and wig-making takes place through the Sargakshetra Centre. If you’d like to donate, you’ll need to have at least 17 inches to give. Wash hair thoroughly so there’s no oil, dry completely, put a rubberband at 16 inches and cut above. Then courier.
Her next project is to start a volunteering service for lower income groups, where a child has cancer. “It requires both parents to be there, and they lose out on employment,” she says. So if one parent is with the child, they need another person to help with tasks around the hospital. Contact 9446835013.
If you’ve been freshly diagnosed, consider cutting your own hair and getting a wig made.
Bras and swimwear
“In the first three months, go with a sports bra, as you need something compressed so the scars don’t expand, especially in a breast-saving surgery, where we make incisions on the breast,” says Dr Ramesh Sarin, oncologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi. Thereafter, look at a mastectomy bra — the whole point is to restore body-image, but it’s also of practical use, because your body may end up with a right-left imbalance and with back and neck pain. The Indian Cancer Society Rehabilitation Centre in Delhi provides a set of bras and prosthesis free of cost to anyone who has had a mastectomy. In addition, they offer imported, lightly-used silicone prostheses, from the UK, which cost in the ₹8,000 to ₹12,000 range when new. These can last upto 10 years, and are available at ₹500 along with bras. Or pair them with Marks and Spencer post-operation bras that are skin-friendly, sexy, and have pockets for the prostheses. Naturana, a 102-year-old company in Germany that ships to India, produces swimwear suitable for those who’ve had a mastectomy. They also do bras. Look up naturana-shop.eu
When docs and patients come together
In 2012, Shruti Sharma and Neeti Leekha Chhabra, both 31 then, were detected with breast cancer. They shared an oncologist, Dr Sarin, who put them in touch. The women realised they had several doubts around daily life: “Simple things like when is it okay to wax, or what to do when the medication has an impact on intimacy,” says Neeti. So they formed a WhatsApp group with support from the doctor, to help other women who were newly diagnosed. Message at 9650456669 or 9958562277 to join the group.
In addition, Dr Sarin banded together with a group of doctors, to run an informal initiative forum4breastcancer, which does a number of educational talks. They recently made a video (on YouTube) called ‘All the answers you seek when breast cancer strikes’, that features Shruti, Neeti, and five other survivors, who tell you their stories and take you through the basics.
Shahnaz Husain’s Chemoline
The scalp tonic contains ingredients like amla , manjishtha , hibiscus, brahmi , triphala and fenugreek seeds, which have a gentle, cooling effect on the scalp and promote blood circulation to the hair follicles. This restores the natural balances and helps the absorption of nutrients, thus checking hair loss and promoting healthy hair growth. The Chemoline skin cream contains plant oils and extracts, like aloe vera juice, date, chironji , along with wheatgerm oil, olive oil and almond oil, which heal, soothe and nourish the skin.
