Telugu actress Hamsa Nandini opened up on her cancer diagnosis in an emotional post on Instagram on Monday morning. “No matter what life throws at me, no matter how unfair it may seem, I refuse to play the victim. I refuse to be ruled by fear, pessimism and negativity. I refuse to quit. With courage and love I will push forward,” she started her note by writing.
The actress continued, “On a morning 4 months ago, I felt a lump in my breast and the trauma of my mother, whom I lost to cancer came out gushing. Within a few hours, I rushed to a Mammography Centre for my very first mammogram. I was immediately asked to meet a Surgical Oncologist to discuss the type of biopsy that needed to be carried out. My fears were confirmed. I was diagnosed with a Grade III Invasive Carcinoma (breast cancer), and the hype ensued; pangs of trauma from my mother’s battle with cancer drove me into a volley of waking nightmares. We all have such grand plans for our lives; as for mine, no number of adjustments seemed enough to accommodate the malady that became a proverbial tumour of my precious time.”
Talking about her diagnosis and treatment, she wrote, “With thorough consultations from a surgical oncologist, PET scans and a plethora of other tests, I learnt that I would need to undergo a lumpectomy, 16 cycles of chemotherapy and radiation. I felt a sense of déjà vu, reminiscing about my mother’s cancer battle that ended with her demise after she gave it a valiant fight. I was also asked to undergo a genetic test called BRCA as there was a chance that my cancer was hereditary. I tested positive for the BRCA1 mutation and my battle morphed into a full blown war. I was told that there was a 70% chance of me redeveloping another breast cancer and a 45% chance of developing ovarian cancer throughout my life. I realised my fight didn’t end with lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. I would have to go through multiple prophylactic surgeries over the course of the next three years. Eliminating all risks is impossible and the threat of cancer will loom on for as long as I live.”
She continued, “At the moment, I have already undergone nine cycles of chemo, and I have seven more to go. As I see myself change physically and mentally, I try to instill in me a sense of acceptance. My demeanour is a true reflection of how I have taken this battle head on uptill now and I will just not let it get the better of me. That mindset is true strength and the starting point in this long journey ahead. Decoding that mindset, I realised I have inherited my mother’s incorrigible optimism during her own fight with the same cancer, someone I lost at the early age of 40. She taught me that some of the biggest adversities are often to be mounted as some of the strongest opportunities for a larger cause. From that perspective this journey has been bestowed upon me as an added responsibility, a newly added purpose to my life. As for the craft of acting , which will always be my first love, I shall come back stronger and better. This is my promise.”
However, the actress is determined that she will not let this deadly disease take her down or dampen her spirit. Rather, she wants to inspire a meaningful environment for people to detect, understand and tackle this menace in a cohesive manner.
Take a look at her post:
The actress also thanked her fans and followers who inquired about her absence. She assured them that she is under the care of an exceptional team of doctors and with the support of her family, friends and the film fraternity, she is putting up a spirited fight.
