Saturday, Oct 22, 2016

Dubai: Breast cancer fighter Brigitte Chemla, 54, lives a fully active life inspiring women to go in for early screening and urging them to give the challenge a good fightback. In 2007 she was in Stage 3 of breast cancer. “I underwent mastectomy of the left breast as well as reconstruction, then chemotherapy, as well as a one-year Herceptin therapy,” Chemla said.

Chemla, an entrepreneur in the health insurance field, recalls the day of her surgery. “When I woke up from the mastectomy with immediate reconstruction after eight hours of surgery, the first thing I did was to touch my breast and, when I felt it, I felt so relieved. Losing a breast is similar to experiencing an amputation for many women. But some women decide to delay breast reconstruction while others cannot imagine living with mastectomy.”

Chemla believes that for every woman who has undergone mastectomy, the most important decision to take [regarding reconstructive surgery] is “to do what is good for you. You have to follow no one or allow anyone to push you”.

Chemla, who had a complete treatment in Dubai, made amazing friends and became one of the treasurers of the support group Breast Friends. “When I finished my cancer treatment in June 2008, like most of the breast cancer survivors I had lost faith in myself and required time to recover,” she recalls.

So Chemla began learning new sports - she enrolled for karate, ballroom dancing and scuba diving — pursuits that were never on her agenda before. “Few years later, I’ve got my black belt in karate, I am proudly competing in ballroom dancing in the UAE and abroad and I love scuba diving,” she says with pride.

She is all praise for her support group that stood by her in her hour of need. “Breast Friends has been for me a life saver. I met ladies who went through the same as me and made me believe that not only will I survive but also that there is a life after cancer.” This is also where she discovered how many ladies were not having any help going through their cancer, either financially or in terms of having friends or allies. “When Dr Houriya Kazim [a leading breast cancer expert of the UAE] called for help in 2008, it was natural for me to get involved in the cause,” said Chemla.

Her advice as a health insurance professional is that people need to be educated about the disease and be made aware of the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices to prevent the disease from getting hold of them.

“My advice for women who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer is: Keep fighting. Cancer is only a disease, not a curse. After the fight, take control of your life and make it as beautiful a life as it can be. You went through a time that no one can describe but you, and you learnt so much from it. Among the first things you learn is that life is precious and beautiful. And of course, continue your regular check-ups.”

By Suchitra Bajpai Chaudhary Senior Reporter

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