Despite tremendous advances in medical science, any mention of "cancer" is enough to strike terror in our hearts. Just a decade ago, cancer meant the end of life. But over the years, things have improved quite a bit. Surgery, medicine, and post-treatment care have all undergone a revolution. And now it is not only possible to survive the disease, it is also possible to live a normal life post-treatment. However, there are factors that still make this disease a monster. And some of them our in our control.
Lack of awareness is possibly the biggest reason why we are yet to beat the beast. We do not go for regular medical check-ups. We ignore health issues. We keep playing ostrich because we are afraid to face the implications of a detectable lump. And once the disease is detected, many of us choose to trust quacks and magical cures rather than doctors and science. And this results in many otherwise curable cancers claiming lives.
It is not only ignorance, but also one's attitude in the wake of being detected with cancer, that makes hell lot of difference. While a positive attitude makes medicines more effective, negative attitude and lack of faith may have adverse effects.
And this was the theme of the play CANSURvive by Pink Chain Campaign. The play was written by Asif Ali and Sajida, Vivek Kanaujia, Sonal Jha, and Bhupesh Kumar Pandya played the main characters Rajni, Sanjay, Kamal, and Rajeev. The story revolved around two women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and their families.
Rajni and Sanjay are deeply in love with each other and Rajni is a fitness freak. She does aerobics and Salsa and also drags her husband along. Both of them support each other in everything - work, household work, and everything else. In fact, it is Sanjay who notices the lump and forces Rajni to seek medical advice. As a result, her treatment starts early.
On the other hand, Kamal and Rajeev, though married, are not really "together". Rajeev is more interested in his Xbox and Kamal always manages to see the negative side of things. So when Kamal finds the lump in her breast, Rajeev dismisses it at first. By the time Kamal manages to start her treatment, the lump has already been there for three months.
This sets the tone for their entire fight against cancer. Does negativity and lack of family support spell doom for Kamal? Can Rajni indeed fight the disease off with her attitude? Can both of them and their families endure the long-drawn battle? Do watch the play to find out who wins and who loses.
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