My Story: 'People Call Me A Cancer Survivor, But I'm Just A Mom Who Battled With Life For Her Baby'

I come from the city of Jalgaon in Maharashtra, where I was born and raised. I shifted to Mumbai in 2010 and started my higher education. Everything was on track, and life had so many new opportunities for me. During the same, I met Sugat Gopnarayan, and we started knowing each other. He was in his final year when I was in my first year of graduation.

Over time we had conversations over text messages and calls as he shifted to Pune after completing his studies. We got into a long-distance relationship, and everything felt so nice. We got married in 2015, after five years of relationship. Interestingly, we tied the knots on the same day we committed to each other for a relationship in our college days.

Life Changing Moment

In 2020, we decided to have a baby as we both were ready to welcome new addition to our family. I was thrilled when I discovered I was pregnant, and my husband was more excited than I was. He often used to sit and talk to my belly; it was a moment of joy for both of us. A day came when my life completely changed. It was during the sixth month of my pregnancy when I felt a lump on the left side of my breast.

Sugat and I rushed to the doctor for a medical examination. The doctor confirmed that it was breast cancer. More than myself, I was worried about my baby; several questions were bouncing in my head. He held my hand tightly and said nothing would happen to you and our baby. We started the chemotherapy session immediately and underwent 12 sessions during my pregnancy.

Every session was painful for me, and I could feel the same. In January 2021, I delivered a healthy baby boy, a fighter like me. It was a moment of great joy and relief, but the treatments were still not over. I underwent breast surgery and several other sessions of chemo and radiotherapy. People call me a cancer survivor, but I'm just a mother who battled the deadly disease for my baby.

I was entirely out of Cancer, but the side effects of medical treatments gripped me tightly. After six or more months, I stood on my own feet and dedicated my time to doing fitness activities. It has been a long time, and with the support of my family, I am completely fine now. We spend a lot of time taking care of our baby, Swaraj. It has been a journey of ups and downs, but we, as a family, came out stronger.

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