When Bassant Eyada, 36, a college lecturer, was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, she attempted suicide on the day of her surgery. “Thank God I failed in the attempt because my husband saved me, but what really made me stop were the words of my daughter who said ‘don't leave me mum',” she said. Her seven-year-old daughter was then her biggest support, and she was able to understand the changes her mother was going through because of what she was taught in school. “She would tell her teacher how proud she was of me,” Eyada said, with a smile. Eyada's husband was also a great help. He followed up on her medications, “until now he makes sure that I take them daily,” she added. According to World Health Organisation's Website, in 2012 some 1.7 million women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer. But the good news is that 6.3 million women who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the previous five years are still alive and thriving. “I love cancer,” said Esraa Al-Sherbiny, an advocate at the CanSurvive non-governmental organisation. Wearing her “Live Strong” rubber wristband, which represents cancer support, accompanied with a supporting cancer necklace, Al-Sherbiny said that cancer had allowed her to spend more time with patients. She said the role of the advocate was to know about the disease, give advice, and speak positively about cancer to change its stigma. According to Al-Sherbiny, many patients face different stages in their reactions after discovering they have cancer. These stages include denial, anger, guilt, and acceptance accompanied by sadness. The advocate's role is especially important in the denial stage because patients become aggressive to people close to them, though they may not have the same feelings towards strangers. Caregivers and people around patients can help them through these stages, she said. Hend Nazeer, patient services centre director at the Breast Cancer Foundation of Egypt (BCFE), said that the psychological wellbeing of patients was based on the reactions of people around them. If they show shock, this can affect patients negatively. The attitudes of caregivers and the people around the patient can also motivate them to live and achieve deeper relationships. One 39-year-old housewife and breast cancer survivor who did not give her name agreed. After her mastectomy she had been through a very difficult period. “The people trying to calm me down were themselves at their wits' ends,” she said, though thankfully her husband and her siblings were there to help her. “I thank God for all His blessings, and this is the first time that I have felt really tested,” she said. “The side effects of the chemotherapy and the loss of my hair were almost harder than the disease itself,” she recalls. Having three young sons was not a burden as her sister looked after the youngest who was one year old. Her eldest son was 12, and he sometimes made meals and looked after his younger brothers. Their mother taught them what cancer is and why she was losing her hair. “With or without hair, we love you,” her children told her. Discovering BCFE, she joined a group therapy group, which helped her to reflect positively on her role as a wife and mother. The therapy helped her to become aware that she was not alone, and her psychological wellbeing improved in a short period. “We found support through each other,” this survivor says. Cancer has placed both women at the forefront of various campaigns. One woman now participates in BCFE activities and events, while Eyada is leading a campaign for better oncology.
