In the tapestry of human experiences, the narrative of breast cancer weaves a thread that touches lives in profound and unexpected ways. With tales of courage, and remarkable strength, faced with uncertainty, Zahra, Nashmia and Unaizah find the resolve to fight back. These are stories of young women with hope, and unbreakable spirit confronting this formidable foe head-on.

‘You can’t believe life is over’

Zahra Khan was 30 when she did a self-exam and found a lump in her left breast. “It was a slightly hardened feeling, that wasn’t visual in the form of skin discoloration or nipple inversion. I had no symptoms. But I had the sense that I need to have this checked immediately,” she says.

The GP recommended an ultrasound as mammograms are not prescribed to women under 40 years old, unless it is a specific case. Luckily, one of the most renowned female doctors was available at a walk-in clinic. “I was then prescribed an urgent mammogram along with a biopsy. All in a span of three days, only to find out that it was cancerous after all.”

At 30? How did she maintain a positive outlook? “With intense belief that pain is temporary and time will fly by fleetingly, I now look a year back with nearly nine months of rigorous treatment, I cannot imagine how I went through it. I recently returned from holidaying in Maldives. But even while I underwent treatment, I was quite normal. One can’t sit back and believe that life is over. Because that’s when you begin to deteriorate, leaving you with a snowball effect. The more positive you feel, the more of the same happens,” she says.

Breast cancer awareness month has been celebrated every October since 1999. Here, three young women share their stories about how they survived breast cancer

One could find solace in the clichés: to stay fit and healthy, eat healthy, work out regularly. But according to Zahra, “the fittest and healthiest of people have been diagnosed with breast cancer. So, my takeaway from this is: life is short. One never knows what’s waiting for you round the corner.”

For younger women who are currently dealing with cancer, Zahra advises not to overanalyse the diagnosis. “Don’t read too much on everything,” she says. “Preconceived notions can wreck emotional havoc. Let the body experience what’s happening to it and let it react on its own. Let go, and let God was the motto I stood by, as suggested by one of my friends.”

‘Early detection does save lives’

Nashmia Amir Butt was diagnosed when she was 31 years old. As she had lost her maternal grandmother to breast cancer nearly 40 years ago, and growing up around parents with medical background, she was fully aware and always self-examined. Last year, she had booked a routine annual mammogram for her mother. “Getting ready for that appointment, I felt something on my right breast. I immediately informed my mother, hoping it would be a period lump. Since we were already headed to the hospital, we thought to have it checked. I was recommended an ultrasound, after which I immediately headed for a biopsy,” she says.

The biopsy results take 10 days to arrive, and Nashmia was flying out to Istanbul for her wedding in seven days. She was lucky to have her results expedited earlier and on the day of her mayun, she was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. With immense strength, she didn’t panic. But it took a good two weeks to delve into the stage, the type of cancer, and the required treatment. “So, I sat down with my fiancé to inform him and we went ahead with the wedding. We had a great time.” She went through six rounds of chemotherapy followed by a surgery, radiation and hormone therapy throughout the year, prepping her for tough 12 months.

But before diving into the hardcore treatment, she wanted to preserve her fertility. “I feel blessed to have maintained control over my treatment that way which made decision-making a lot easier.” Nashmia’s support system was a pillar of strength, especially her immediate family. She found that since treatment protocol was the same all over the world, she chose to stay in Karachi, around her pets and loved ones “because chemo is hard. There were days I was surviving on IV nutrition. I couldn’t lay down on my back or chew food, something that we take for granted.”

There were times when she wished for the treatment to stop out of exhaustion. “which is why I emphasise on a strong support system.” Through her journey, Nashmia focuses on the importance of self-awareness and breast-awareness for young women. “They should know what normal feels like. Know your body. It should be number one priority. Because early detection does save lives.”

‘Not easy to lose a body part’

Unaizah Ali was in her late 30s when she began to feel continuous pain in her right shoulder. A few days later, she felt a lump in her right breast. The next day, without telling anyone, she scheduled a mammogram and realised “things weren’t right.” While there was only 1 percent chance of the lump being cancerous than infectious, the doctor’s urgency left her uneasy. Feeling apprehensive about the results, “I burst into tears thinking about my babies. It is then that I realised much earlier than when the reports came in, or the doctors had declared it, or all of us knew what we will be getting into.” The biopsy reports confirmed early mid-stage high grade cancer. With many un-asked questions, and inexperienced sentiments, Unaizah was ready to take the disease head on. With daily visits, check-ups, bloodwork, scans/ultrasounds and bone tests, one goal that she had set for herself was “I will walk on my legs till I can. Life had thrown a challenge and I accepted it willingly, only to conquer it with the support of my family and friends.” Her treatment was no short of a turbulent ride. From effects to post-effects of chemos, mouth bristles, injections, medicines, “everything was hard but I am glad it didn’t stay for long.”

While some nights were scary, others were bearable. “Losing my hair was another challenge we embraced bravely. My siblings arranged for beautiful caps from across the world in matching colours which added brightness and style to my life.” The next to follow was the surgery. “It wasn’t easy to lose a body part.” Another round of chemo took its physical and emotional toll. The radiation of 21 working days was an extremely tiring experience for her. However, she was back at work with new zeal and energy. While Unaizah’s road was difficult, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

The writer is the head of content at a communication agency sara.amj@hotmail.co.uk

Published in Dawn, EOS, October 29th, 2023