Breast Cancer Survivor Volunteer – Manisha

Manisha, a volunteer for the
Survivors Helping Survivors
program.

I work as a statistician in a federal agency. In my free time, I love to paint pictures and do crafts. I was diagnosed at 41 years. I went for my first mammogram and it all started from there. I had a mastectomy, sentinal lymph node, and later lymph node dissection. I am planning to have reconstruction in the future.

What helped me cope through my survivor journey the most was the love and care I received from family, friends, and coworkers. Being a breast cancer survivor has taught me: that life can be bad and good at the same time. While I felt terrible about being diagnosed with BC, but I also felt so blessed to have so many loving people around me, all at the same time. Also, after being diagnosed, i realized that there is more to life than planning for the future- it is living in this moment.

I volunteer because:  I got so much from one of the volunteers during my preoperative procedures. I was really scared and she made me comfortable. I could not have done it without her, and I just hope that I can do the same as a volunteer. One piece of advice I would give to a newly diagnosed woman would be: It is normal to be scared. But don't give in to the fear- together with your medical team, family, and friends you can beat it.