Saturday! Saree! Staff!

The staff of CBC chose a Saturday to drape in beautiful pink sarees

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A staff meeting with a twist…Crowning Glories of CBC…

Apart from the serious discussions on work matters we had a little fun added to the staff meeting. You can see the winners below for each category-

1. The most naughtiest of all in CBC – Mrs. Jhansi
2. The most attractive woman in CBC – Mrs. Uma
3.  The most beautiful lady in CBC – Dr. Selvi

These three won by securing maximum votes!!

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Breast Care Nurse Hema! Best Care Nurse Hema!

Celebrated her birthday this month….

Born and brought up in Mannargudi, Hema finished her nursing education and shifted to Chennai on job. Life’s not been always easy for Hema. From her childhood she has faced lot of overwhelming obstacles. But none of it shook her grit a bit.

It’s been said that a friend is a gift that we give ourselves. Hema is such a gift whoever has had the privilege to know her. She is a person who values friendship and relationships the most. She enjoys chatting with her friends during the long distance commute by bus every day.

She gets excited about every opportunity to learn new skills and become even more well versed in her profession. Focused and dedicated she is along with speaking her mind boldly.

Every day clinic sees a mix of patients from every walk of life with varieties of emotions. Some of them could be really rude to our staff. During such times, one notices Hema handling the patients in a dignified way without letting the steam off.

She has been one of the prides of CBC. Resilient, smart and compassionate are the synonyms of our Hema. All the best Hema!!

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Workshop on making prosthesis

Coming to terms with a missing part after mastectomy is not easy. To alleviate this bare feeling and help in feeling confident again prostheses are provided to the patients immediately after surgery.

In our mega event Engal Utsav Mrs. Nandita Muralidhar spoke about the making of prosthesis, how to maintain them and how it has helped many patients. After that we have been receiving many enquiries showing interest in learning to knit these prosthesis. So Mrs. Nandita and Mrs. Meera Badri initiated a workshop. To our surprise there were very few takers. This didn’t deter our spirits. With very few participants the workshop ….. successfully.

Not only knitting happened. But also loads of fun, laughter and some yum yums to pop into our mouths!

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Workshop & Lecture by Dr. Selvi Radhakrishna@Bhubaneswar

Workshop on breast biopsies

When there are areas of suspicion a stereotactic or an ultrasound guided breast biopsy are done to obtain pathologic information. Our experienced and competent conducted a workshop on breast biopsies at Bhubaneswar which was an opportunity for the participants to not only learn how these are done but also why these are done and how to document the same.

Lecture on breast imaging

As many are aware, we at CBC have Tomosynthesis- 3D mammography which detects allows the doctors to see through the breast tissue with a greater accuracy and clarity as compared to the 2D mammography. This helps in chances of finding cancer early and also reduces the risk of false alarms.

Dr. Selvi was invited to give a lecture on breast imaging in Bhubaneswar. She gave a lucid talk on breast imaging, the modalities, technology, interpretation and interventions.

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தன்னார்வத் தோழமைக் குழு டிசம்பர் 2019

சென்னை மார்பக மையத்தின் தன்னார்வத் தோழமைக் குழுவின் 2019ஆம் வருடத்தின் கடைசி மாதாந்திர  கூட்டம்   14/12/2019 அன்று நடை பெற்றது.

இம்முறை  ” மாற்றங்கள் – ஒரு பயன் தரும் கலந்துரையாடல்” என்பது  கருப் பொருளாக நிர்ணயிக்கப் பட்டிருந்தது.

நிகழ்ச்சியின்  தொடக்கத்தில் ஒரு வினோத விளையாட்டு இடம் பெற்றது! வந்திருந்த அனைவரும் இரு குழுக்களாக பிரிந்து எதிரெதிர் திசைகளில் குறுக்கும் நெடுக்குமாக நடக்கும்படி பணிக்கப்பட்டோம். நடந்து கொண்டிருக்கும் போதே வந்து விழுந்தன ஸ்ரீதேவியின் வேடிக்கையான கட்டளைகள்!  “எதிரே வரும் நபரைப் பார்த்து தலையசைக்கவும்!, அவருடன் கை குலுக்கவும்!, இடுப்பினால் இடிக்கவும்!,….” என இன்னும் பல!

ஒரு வழியாக இந்த லூட்டி முடிந்தபிறகு  நிகழ்ச்சியில் பங்கேற்க வந்தவர்கள் ஐந்து அல்லது ஆறு பேர் கொண்ட நான்கு குழுக்களாகப் பிரிக்கப்பட்டு தனித்தனியாக அமர வைக்கப் பட்டனர்.

ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட நேரத்துக்குள்  குழுவினர் தமக்குள் கலந்து பேசி, தங்களுக்கு மார்பகப் புற்றுநோய் என்று கண்டறியப்பட்டதும் உண்டான மனநிலை, அத்தகவலைத் தாங்கள் எதிர்கொண்ட விதம், சிகிச்சையின்போதும் அதற்குப் பின்னரும் ஏற்பட்ட பிரச்சனைகள் மற்றும் பக்கவிளைவுகள் என்று  பல்வேறு  கோணங்களைப் பதிவு செய்யும் விதத்தில் ஒரு வரைபட அட்டை (CHART) தயாரிக்க வேண்டும் என்று கேட்டுக் கொள்ளப்பட்டனர்.

அடுத்த நொடியே களை கட்டத் துவங்கியது அரங்கம்!  கரைபுரண்டு ஓடும்  உற்சாகத்துடன் தத்தமது அனுபவங்கள், கருத்துக்கள் மற்றும் ஐயங்கள் எல்லாவற்றையும் பகிர்ந்து கொண்டனர். அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட நேரம் முடிந்த பின் நான்கு குழுக்களும்  தங்கள் வரைபட அட்டைகளை காட்சிப்படுத்தினர்.  அனைத்துமே தனித்தன்மையுடன் அழகாகவும் வண்ணமயமாகவும் விளங்கின.

அனேகமாக எல்லோரும்  முதலில் அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்ததாகவும் பின்னர் குடும்பம், உறவு மற்றும் நட்பின் துணையுடன் புற்றுநோயை எதிர்கொண்டதாகவும் பதிவிட்டிருந்தனர்.

கீமோ தெரபி சிகிச்சையின் பக்க விளைவாக ஏற்பட்ட தலை முடிஇழப்பை சமாளித்தது எப்படி , உடல் சோர்வு, குமட்டல்,வாந்தி போன்றவற்றின் தாக்கத்திலிருந்து மீண்ட விதம் என்று பல்வேறு தகவல்களைத் தெரிவித்தனர்.

முக்கியமாக சிலரிடம் இந்நோய் ஏற்படுத்திய மன அழுத்தம்.

உடலின் ஒரு உறுப்பை இழந்ததால் ஏற்பட்ட தன்னம்பிக்கைக் குறைவு, வெளி  இடங்களுக்குச் செல்வதிலும், உறவினர்கள் மற்றும் நண்பர்களைச் சந்திப்பதிலும் விருப்பமின்மை, என்று பலவிதங்களில் வெளிப்பட்டிருந்திருக்கின்றன.

பெரும்பாலானோர் இந்நோயிலிருந்து மீண்ட பிறகு வாழ்க்கையின் பல்வேறு புதிய பரிமாணங்களை உணர்ந்து கொண்டதாகக் கூறினர். புதிய ரசனைகள், புதிய ஈடுபாடுகள் புதிய பொழுதுபோக்கு நடவடிக்கைகள் என வாழ்க்கை இன்னும் அழகாகவும்  அர்த்தமுள்ளதாகவும் மாறியுள்ளது என்றனர்!

இந்த CBC குழுவில் உறுப்பினராக இணைந்தபிறகு தங்கள் வாழ்வில் ஒரு புதிய அத்தியாயம் ஆரம்பமாகி உள்ளது என்று குறிப்பிட்டு அதற்காக டாக்டர் செல்வி மற்றும் சக உறுப்பினர்களுக்கு பலரும் நன்றி தெரிவித்தனர்.

அடுத்து  டாக்டர் செல்வி அவர்கள்  உரையாற்றினார். அவருடைய உரையின் சாராம்சம் வருமாறு:

“உலகில் வாழ்கின்ற அனைத்து உயிரினங்களுக்கும்  அடிப்படையில் மூன்று குணாதிசயங்கள் இயல்பாகவே அமைந்துள்ளன.

முதலாவதாக  Self Preservation என்று பொருள் படும் தற்காப்பு நடவடிக்கைகள். சிறு புழு பூச்சிகள் முதல் விலங்குகள், பறவைகள், மனித இனம் எல்லாமே தாங்கள் நீண்ட காலம் நலத்துடன் வாழ முயற்சி செய்வது கண்கூடு!

இரண்டாவது எப்போதும் புதுப்புதுத் தகவல்களை, அறிவு சார்ந்த, திறனை மேம்படுத்தும் செய்திகளைத் தேடிச் சென்று கற்கவேண்டும் என்ற ஆர்வமும் முனைப்பும்!

மூன்றாவது தற்சார்பு என்று வகைப்படுத்தத் தக்க தன்னம்பிக்கை நிறைந்த நடவடிக்கைகள். எடுத்துக் காட்டாக

தனது தோற்றம், நடை உடை பாவனைகள் குறித்த அக்கறை, பெருமை; எப்போதும் அமைதியாகவும் ஆனந்தமாகவும் வாழவேண்டி எடுக்கும் முயற்சிகள்.

இந்நிலையில் தங்களுக்கு வந்திருப்பது “புற்றுநோய் ” என்று தெரிந்ததும் ஏற்படும் அதிர்ச்சியும் அச்சமும் இயல்பானவையே!

அதையெல்லாம் தாண்டி, மரணத்தின் வாயிலையே தொட்டு மீண்ட நிலையில் நிமிர்ந்து நிற்கும் அனைவரும் பாராட்டுக்கு  உரியவர்கள். இந்த அனுபவம் நமக்கு வாழ்வின் மகத்துவத்தை உணர்த்தி, நம்மை நாமே நேசிக்க கற்றுக்கொள்ள வைக்கும்.”

டாக்டர் செல்வியின்  அருமையான உரை பலத்த கைதட்டலுடன் அனைவராலும் பாராட்டப்பட்டது.

இறுதியாக  திருமதி. மாலதி நாராயணன் சார்பில் அனைவருக்கும் இனிப்பு, காரம் அடங்கிய சிற்றுண்டி மற்றும் காஃபி, டீ வழங்கப்பட்டன. முத்தாய்ப்பாக அனைவருக்கும் சிறு குறிப்புகளை உள்ளடக்கிய குட்டிப் பெட்டிகள் வழங்கப்பட்டன. வீட்டிற்குச் சென்று திறந்து பார்த்து அந்தக் குறிப்புகளில் உள்ளபடி செயலாற்றி, அவற்றை குழுவின் புலனப் பக்கத்தில் பதிவேற்றுங்கள் என்ற கட்டளை/ வேண்டுகோளுடன்!

Support Group Meeting December 2019 (in English)

The monthly meeting of CBC support group took place on Saturday 14th December. The theme this time was “Changes” – A Meaningful Discussion.

The event began with a very interesting and funny event thought about and organised as usual by the one and only Sridevi in her inimitable style!  Everyone present were divided into two groups and asked to walk about randomly in any direction they chose! Then came the instructions in quick succession ….

“Nod at the person you come across, Shake hands with her, give a high five, hit her with your hip, give a fist pump….” so on and so forth!

This helped one and all to shake off any lethargy we may have had and pumped up our adrenalin levels and made us wait eagerly for what came next!

Then we were divided into four groups of six or seven members. We were asked to consult and discuss amongst ourselves about our initial reactions to being diagnosed as having breast cancer; our concerns and anxieties before, during and after the treatment; how we coped with all of that and how the whole experience transformed our lives and personalities. We were also requested to present all this in a graphic and colourful chart!

As there was a time limit set for completing the task the group members sat down immediately and there were animated discussions, sharing a tearful moment or two, reassuring gestures, and “Yes, I can relate to this, l was there too” moments, and an awful lot of bonding and love. At the end of the allotted time all the groups were ready with their charts. The colourful charts were then displayed and explained by the group members. All the charts were individualistic in their approach and depicted their ideas and viewpoints clearly and beautifully!

Almost everyone said that there was an element of shock and disbelief at first and then a stoic sense of acceptance and a determination to fight set in. Most of them mentioned that a strong and supportive family, relatives and friends helped them to sail through the difficult times.

The trauma of losing a breast and the resulting change in appearance made some shun outside company while others took it in their stride with relative ease. The side effects of chemotherapy like nausea, hair loss, fatigue, body aches and pains were also highlighted. The use of wigs, prosthetic breasts were widely appreciated.

Emphasis was given to how they overcame the depression they faced with the support of family and friends. How exercises, new hobbies and interests helped them to re-invent themselves and motivated them to move on with renewed vigour and confidence. Most of them thanked the CBC support group and Dr Selvi for helping them to turn a new leaf in the book of their lives.

Now it was the turn of Dr Selvi to address the gathering. She spoke at large emphasizing on three basic innate qualities of all life and especially the humankind!

FIRST is what can be broadly classified as an instinct for self-preservation. From tiny insects like ants, mosquitoes etc to other animals, birds and human beings want to live for as long as they can.

SECOND is the curiosity to know what’s going on in and around, a thirst for knowledge – a constant seeking of new skills and means to enhance and improve their life experience!

THIRD is the confidence and feel good factor one develops and cherishes which eggs them on to live happily and peacefully taking pride in their appearance, demeanour and actions!

Therefore it’s quite but natural to get shocked and depressed knowing that they have the dreaded disease CANCER. What is commendable that these ladies who have fought the cancer successfully and have started anew stronger and grittier! My congratulations to all of you who have learned to value and appreciate the beauty of life!

Her speech was welcomed with a thundering round of applause by all those present.

Then everyone was treated to tasty sweets,snacks, coffee and tea sponsored graciously by Mrs.Malathi Narayanan.

The climax was yet another surprise sprung upon us, planned by naughty Sridevi! All were given tiny stainless steel boxes which apparently had some secret message hidden inside, with instructions to go home and open. We were also requested to complete the task specified in the boxes and post pictures in the CBC SUPPORT GROUP’s whatsapp page!

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ஆஹா….ஆஹாஹா….ஆரம்பமே அபாரம்!!

நவராகமும் ஸ்ரீ கணேசரும்

தில்லாங்கில் தவழ்ந்திட

நான் எந்தரோவில் இருப்பினும்

(எந்தரோ-whichever row; pun intended!!)

உன் தயையை தடுப்பவர் எவரென

காற்று செவியை வருடிட

பூர்ணசந்திரிகாவுடன் கைக்கோர்த்த கல்யாணி

தாளமிடச் செய்த தில்லானா

சிந்தையும் செவியும்  குழைந்திட

மகுடிக்கு கிரங்கும் நாகம்போல்

மயங்க வைத்த குழல் வாழியே!

கடலைமிட்டாய் பப்படம்

தேங்காய் பால் பாயாசம்

உருளைக்கிழங்கு வறுவலும்

ஊறுகாய்க்கு தயிர்சாதமும்

உச்சுக் கொட்ட வைத்த நம்

உணவகம் “தளிகை” வாழியே!

Mrs. Nalina Kannan had cordially invited our CBCians to attend Amudhadhwani, (kutcheri hosted by her restaurant Thaligai) on 24^th December. We enjoyed the flute concert by Dr. P. Padmesh and his troupe. This was followed by moru-moru (மொறு-மொறு) dinner based on the theme raga Karaharapriya! Our heartfelt thanks to Nalina for this thoughtful gesture.

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November 2019

Happy news….

Happy to share that Dr. Selvi Radhakrishna is offered the post of Adjunct Associate Professor in the Division of Molecular Medicine in St. John’s Research Institute of St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences.

Potluck Lunch…

After a lot of planning, running around and successfully completing Engal Utsav the organizers (famously known as Thiruttu Gumbal!) met for lunch.

What a variety…from Sarkarai Pongal to ice beeda, vathalkuzhambu to curd, rotis to paneer butter masala, thayir vadai to paruppu usili, kurma to tomato rice and naarthangai pickle!! Dispersed after a happy time of Antakshari.

Happy Birthday….

Jhansi Rani, as the name suggests the Queen of Mammography celebrated her birthday this month! Born and brought up in the rural parts of Arcot, she has been the one of the naughtiest kids in the neighbourhood. A girl who loved to play football with all the boys, who loved to climb trees for mangoes, who loved to eat pumpkin seeds which were kept for drying, who wore two skirts so that it doesn’t hurt when her mother hit her. Not just mischievous but also intelligent. You bet, she is still the naughtiest in the clinic. Even now, the twinkle in her eyes is evident for us to know that she is up to something next!!

Despite societal stereotypical pressure, her father made sure she completed her education without any hurdle. She studied Diagnostic Imaging Technology in Cancer Institute. Those days she stayed along with few other women in a small room in Adyar and studied.

At the age of 19, she started her career in Chennai Breast Centre. After marriage her long distance commute between Walajabad and Chennai never deterred her spirits. Having a 3 plus year old bright child and a supportive husband she balances her life and profession well!!

A cheerful, happy-go-lucky girl one can see her learn about machines in a jiffy. Whenever someone feels a bit low her timely humorous comment brings a laughter to their face. After OPD in Chennai Breast Centre apart from her duties and responsibilities, one can see our Jhansi going up and down talking to everyone in the clinic with her hands inside the pockets. This is her way of making sure that whether others need her help. After this, she goes about completing her work. Many times whenever there is a technical glitch, people can hear us shouting out “Jhansiiiii…..” Immediately she would sprint across and make sure that the issue is resolved.

We wish her all the best!

November Support Group Meet

Can you write your name in the air… with your nose????  In her inimitable style Sridevi warmed up the audience with this exercise…. Of writing ones name in the air, first with the outstretched right hand, then left… Then the right foot, then the left….. And finally the nose!!!!! That broke the ice and got the group into the mood, laughing, giggling. We had some sporting husbands in our midst who joined in.

This November support group meeting was a bit different. It was our first meeting without Dr Selvi. Her absence was felt a lot, but then, like well-trained students, the meeting was conducted by the team without a glitch.

Most of the support group meetings had the format of Dr. Selvi talking on a topic chosen, followed by doubt clarification and some activities. This time it was decided to have a sharing session by the participants about their journey.

Our special guest was, Radiation Oncologist Dr.Subathira Balasundaram. As soon as she took her seat, each person who had been through her radiology department was full of praise for her and totally at ease with her. Hence instead of sharing by the participants, this meeting began with gaining clarity about radiotherapy. Note that, in earlier meetings, chemotherapy, hormonotherapy and surgery had been covered.

However, it turned out to be a much needed topic too. The happiness and joy with which Dr Subhadra was greeted by each of her patients spoke volumes of her popularity among the ladies present. This speaks much more than anything else does about the person.

Dr Subathira, explained that in the treatment of cancer, radiation was the third course of treatment after surgery and chemotherapy, before hormonetherapy. While X rays and other diagnostics used low level of radiation, radiotherapy involved high doses, targeting tumours to kill the cancerous cells by destroying the nucleus of the bad cells.  Depending on the type of radiation opted for, the stage, grade etc of the tumour, the number of sittings varied. Common side effects were darkening of the skin, peeling of the darkened skin, itchiness at the site and sometimes tiredness. Some were lucky to not have any side effects.

One myth dispelled was that radiation caused bone problems. She said that sometimes radiation was given to strengthen bones. Radiation from radiotherapy would not cause or aggravate osteoporosis and cancer. She told us the precautions to be taken and care during and after radiation.

In the next half hour, the ladies came forward and shared their experiences of life before, at diagnosis and after treatment, with Dr. Subathira which was the actual agenda of the meet!! 🙂

Nandita also briefed the gathering about the efforts of Sharana Breast Cancer Relief and Research Foundation, the NGO started by Dr Selvi, to help fund the treatment and operations of the economically backward patients. To that goal, the support group members make and donate small things like cards, bookmarks and keychains. These are “sold” and the proceeds add a few drops into the Sharana bucket. There is no fixed price. One gives what one feels like.  Any CBC member can help towards this noble effort. Either make and donate items or purchase the ones donated by others. It can make a difference in someone’s life.

What is a CBC meet without some fun and games? All had been instructed to bring paper and pencils. What followed was a team quiz…. In maths. Logical thinking actually with numbers.  Teams could be seen seriously consulting each other and getting to the answer. It has to be said that none of the questions went unanswered! Meera Badri looked every inch a teacher, with the pointer and explanations! All teams did well!

The snacks were sponsored by Mrs. Girija Varadarajan, and we all tucked in to the lovely sundal and kaapi. As a token of appreciation, a painting made by Sita Viswanathan was gifted to Dr. Subathira. The meeting dispersed with the promise to meet the following month. Another fruitful, lovely get together!

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Workshops by Dr. Selvi Radhakrishna

Dr. Ravi Kannan whose vision has turned a small cancer centre into a full fledged hospital in Assam invited Dr. Selvi to conduct a workshop on biopsy for his staff. Very happy to be invited by her boss from Adyar Cancer Institute (She worked under Dr. Ravi Kannan in Adyar Cancer Institute in the initial years) she travelled to The Cachar Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Silchar. When asked about her trip she replied, “They are doing a phenomenal work at Cachar. I have returned feeling inspired to do more.”

Dr. Selvi also conducted a workshop as a faculty in the annual conference of the Asian Society of Mastology held in AIIMS, Bhubaneswar

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Engal Utsav-12th October 2019

Triply Special

What a celebration that was! It was…..

……a celebration in style! Loads of Fun! A Very Helpful Panel discussion . And most important, a very warm, happy, loving celebration. Yes… That’s the key point. It was an inclusive family celebration. Every year, Chennai Breast Centre conducts one full day celebration programme, jam packed with fun, frolic and good information. This year, on 12th October,  it was doubly, nay, triply special. 

 

   

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Finally the day dawned. The support group landed up at the venue, Thaligai restaurant. We are very lucky to have the owner, Nalina Kannan on our team. So it was a “family-wala-feeling”.

Loose ends were tied, final adjustments in the decor sorted out.

And the wait began. Dr. Selvi and the CBC staff, first attended to their duty, finished the OPD including a last minute unplanned patient and joined us at the venue. With the high profile visit of the Chinese premier and PM Narendra Modi  to Chennai creating a lot of traffic diversions, it was heartening to see the number of ladies who went out of their way to find alternative routes to get there. Then the Utsav started.

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Puppet Show…

The ball was set rolling with a shadow show with puppets , props and mimicry. Srimathi, Sridevi and Rhama put on a delightful show and brought to life the animals with Srimathi producing the animal sounds so beautifully. They sounded real. We welcomed the day with the song on Engal Utsav Day singing along with the girl puppet.

Yoga for good life…

One key to good health that’s in our hands is exercise. We are so lucky to have the service of a trained Yoga master cum counselor Mrs. Roja Gurumoorthy in our midst. In the next half hour Roja taught some very simple breathing techniques  coupled with stretching exercises to strengthen our lungs.

She also gave tips to deal with the side effects of chemotherapy with hydrotherapy. This is actually one strong advantage of having survivors as counselors. The side effects of many of the drugs may not be spelled out but having ” been there, done that”, our counselors and people like Roja  are able to hit the nail on the head as it were. She showed us a technique of tying an ice cold  wet towel around the abdomen to counter acidity and digestion problems during chemotherapy. Thank you Roja for all the things you showed us.

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Care givers’ speeches

Mr. Ramalingam, husband of Devi Poongothai and Mr. Ram Viswanathan , husband of Sita shared with us their journey and experiences of the roller coaster ride that cancer treatment is. They shared valuable insight as to how they dealt with the diagnosis, the treatment and thereafter how life changed.

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Landmarks of Chennai Breast Centre

Sridevi then took over the stage next and gave an insight into how Chennai Breast Centre has grown into an important landmark of Chennai. 

Chennai Breast Centre is –

• A One stop breast cancer centre with state of the art equipment
• Has the first high definition 3D Tomo mammogram in India
• Has an advanced ultrasound machine
• Has Core needle biopsy and Stereotactic Biopsy facility
• Provides advanced pre and post treatment care
• Equipped with trained staff trained
• Constantly evolving up-to-date procedures and knowledge

All under one roof!! So a patient who comes in the first time, can get the whole range of diagnostics done within an hour of the first check up. That includes counseling in between, to deal with the shock of the result too. This is where Sharana Breast Cancer Relief and Research Foundation, a trust found by Dr. Selvi Radhakrishna plays an important role. It is a non-profitable, charitable, non-governmental organization, which aims to assist economically disadvantaged women during this very difficult phase of life when faced with the diagnosis of breast cancer. The activities of the trust are-

• Patient assistance
• Awareness Programmes
• Genetic testing
• Support Group
• Counselling
• Training
• Pathology Facility & Bio- repository

Much of the vital work we do is funded by bequests.  These come to us from the donations of those whose lives have been touched by cancer in some way.

Sridevi elaborated on the patient assistance, awareness programmes, genetic testing, BIIP training and the pathology facility & bio- repository work. (www.sharanatrust.org)

Mrs. Sita Viswanathan spoke briefly on the support group. These support group programmes were conducted based on the availability of Dr. Selvi earlier. Sita was the person who got the idea going, was the catalyst and insisting that these should happen regularly.

Next Mrs. Padma Prasad who had taken on counselling from the time her treatment ended, explained the counselling aspect, how each patient who faced the shock of the diagnosis was helped to cope up with the journey ahead.

One of the major traumas a breast cancer patient faces is the sudden loss of a body part, which while being ” dispensable” creates a lopsided look. Mrs. Nandita Muralidhar took the stage to tell the audience more about the prostheses and the roll CBC plays in dealing with the difficulties of mastectomy patients.

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Yum Yummmm Lunch

It was around this stage that we realised that our stomachs had started rumbling grumbling. After some merriment and laughter, we all headed for lunch. And what a lovely lunch that was! Thank you Nalina. 

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Post lunch

The panelists for the discussion, the guest doctors had started arriving. Post lunch, just as everybody settled into their seats, a sudden  song. From among the audience,  the support group members  sang Achamillai achamillai…

It was then that one surprise item was sprung. 12th October happened to be Dr Selvi’s birthday, so unknown to her, a video collage/ presentation covering her journey through life, put together by the Sridevi, Uma, Hema and Jhansi was projected. A cake designed by Uma was produced, which the birthday baby had to cut.

 

 

Wishes & Accolades showered…

   

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Tears of love…

The next speaker had most of us fighting tears.The youngest invitee present was Ms. Aswathy Mariam Varghese, daughter of Bindhu Varghese. She told us of her story and how her mom’s diagnosis and treatment that took place when she was just 10, and the role she saw Dr Selvi play in her mom’s recovery,  had shaped her life. It inspired her to join medicine and she’s a medical student now. She  hopes to be like Dr. Selvi and follow in her footsteps.  How wonderful!!!!! It’s just what the world needs! Why were we in tears? Well, towards the end of her spectacular speech, emotion got the better of her, and she gave in to it…… leading to all of us feeling choked with emotion!.

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Panel Discussion

The panelists then took their place for the discussion – Dr. S G Ramanan, Medical Oncologist,  Dr. Shobhana Mahadevan, Gynaecologist, Dr. Tamilselvi Urologist and Dr. Jayashree Gopal, Endocrinologist.



Questions were posed by Dr. Selvi and the panelists fielded the questions.The tone of the discussions, while being serious, was dealt with in a friendly approachable manner by all the doctors. The doctors were presented with a token of appreciation from CBC, and left , leaving behind a much more aware audience.

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Since we’d overshot the time, the proceedings were brought to an end with vote of thanks by Kavitha. The ties of the group, that special bond has grown stronger. One comment made by a non survivor(one who hadn’t been through cancer 😀 ) was that she came to the meeting expecting a sombre group, serious , sick looking cancer patients, but was blown away by the cheerfulness, radiance and camaraderie in the gathering. It was another fun filled event… as all our CBC meetings are!  It was a celebration through and through. She was so taken aback by it that she almost felt as if she was at a disadvantage!!!!  We dispersed with promises of getting together the following month at our regular monthly meeting.

Three cheers to 10 years of CBC! Three cheers to Dr Selvi!! Three cheers to all of us!!!

Support Group Programme

The minute one mentions cancer, one immediately thinks of the patient.

The focus of cancer is usually on the patient. Yes, it is very tough on them. But what one tends to overlook is the impact the illness and the tough time has on the care giver. It could be the spouse, or parents or siblings. This was what was addressed at our monthly CBC support meeting on 14th September.

The proceedings of the meeting started with a beautiful verse from the Thirukkural by Seetha Ramachandran. One that spoke of the gratitude one needs to have for the silent supporters; the shoulder to lean on; our partners who help us through this tough ride.

This time, care givers were specifically invited to attend the meeting .Dr Selvi spoke about the various areas of stress and responsibilities that care givers faced, like the fear of losing the lady of the house, taking over responsibilities of the house, managing finances, as well as their own work, disruption on normal family life. If such stress is not acknowledged and addressed it could lead to even more tension and stress. Besides the talk by the doc, the care givers were invited to ask questions and also say what they needed.

The key points covered were

1. Do not Google wildly because you only get more confusion than answers.
2. Give the patient time, especially after the treatment is over. End of treatment does not mean normalcy restored. The body takes time to heal.
3. Get papers and documents in order and file them. Preferably papers relating to treatment and to finance in separate files.
4. Always keep scanned/ photo copies of all papers being used for insurance
5. Keep insurance up to date. Do not default or delay payments.
6. There are ways to get over the effects of the lowered libido and side effects of low estrogen. Don’t hesitate to ask the doctor.
7. Do not hesitate to accept help when it’s offered. You too need a break.

One key outcome was that the men in the group showed an interest in forming a WhatsApp support group of their own.

Our effervescent MC Sridevi took over and with Arathi, put all of us through a fun filled Zumba workout. A good 20 minutes later, we had worked up an appetite for the lovely sundal and coffee. The snacks were sponsored by Seetha Ramachandran. It was yum!!!

சென்னை மார்பக மையத்தின் தன்னார்வத் தோழமைக் குழுவின் மாதாந்திர கூட்டம் 14/9/2019 சனிக்கிழமை நடைபெற்றது. இம்முறை

நோய்வாய்ப்பட்டவரின் “நலம் பேணும் புரவலர்கள்(Care Givers)

பற்றிய விழிப்புணர்வு மையக் கருத்தாக முன் வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது.

முதலில் அனைவரையும் வரவேற்று திருமதி ஸ்ரீதேவி உரையாற்றினார். அக்டோபர் மாதம் 12ஆம் தேதி  நடைபெறவுள்ள வருடாந்திர நிகழ்ச்சியான  “எங்கள் உத்ஸவ்” என்ற கொண்டாட்டம் பற்றிய தகவல்களைப் பகிர்ந்து கொண்டார்.

அடுத்து இதுவரையில் நடந்து முடிந்த பல்வேறு கூட்டங்களில் இடம் பெற்றிருந்த வினா, விடைகள், முக்கிய குறிப்புகள் மற்றும் தகவல்கள் பற்றி சுருக்கமாக எடுத்து உரைத்தார். இது  கூட்டத்தில் முதல் முறையாகப் பங்கேற்க வந்துள்ள நலம் பேணும் புரவலர்களை மனதில் கொண்டு எடுத்த முயற்சி!

பின்னர் நோயாளிகளுக்கு பல வகையிலும் பக்கபலமாக இருக்கும் அனைவருக்கும் நன்றியும், பாராட்டுக்களும் தெரிவிக்கும் வகையில்

“திடீரென்று கடுந்துன்பம் தாக்கும் வேளை தாங்கிப் பிடிக்க திடம் வாய்ந்த துணைகள் இல்லாத குடும்பம், பலமான விழுதுகள் இல்லாத பெரிய ஆலமரம் ஒன்று கரையான் அரித்துக் கீழே சாய்வதைப் போலவே அழிந்துவிடும்.” என்று பொருள் படும்

“இடுக்கண்கால்  கொன்றிட  வீழும்  அடுத்தூன்றும்

நல்லாள்  இலாத  குடி” என்னும்  திருக்குறளுக்கு விளக்கம் அளித்தார் திருமதி. சீதா ராமசந்திரன்.

அடுத்ததாக டாக்டர் செல்வி தன்னுடைய சிறப்புரையைத் தொடங்கினார். நலம் பேணும் புரவலர்கள் எதிர்நோக்க நேரிடும்

சிக்கல்கள் என்னென்ன, அவற்றை எப்படி சமாளிப்பது போன்ற பல பயனுள்ள தகவல்கள் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுன. புற்றுநோய் தாக்கியது

என்று கண்டறியப்பட்டவுடன் ஏற்படும் அதிர்ச்சி, பயம்; குடும்பத் தலைவியை மையப்படுத்தியே இயங்கி வரும் இல்லத்தின் தினசரி நடவடிக்கைகள் தலை கீழாக மாறுகின்ற சூழ்நிலை; வீடு, அலுவலகம் குழந்தைகளின் படிப்பு எஎல்லாவற்றையும்  ஒருவரே கவனிக்க வேண்டும்; வீட்டில் சிறு குழந்தைகள், வயது முதிர்ந்தவர்கள் இருந்தால் கூடுதல் சிரமங்கள்!  மருத்துவச் செலவுகள்!  இவற்றால்

மனச்சோர்வு, மனஉளைச்சல் ஏற்படக்கூடும்.

அறுவை சிகிச்சையின் போதும், பின்னர் தொடரும் கீமோ தெரபி, ரேடியேஷன் சிகிச்சைகளின்  போதும் நோய்வாய்ப்பட்டவரின் உடல் நலம் பாதிக்கப்படும் நிலையிலும் இந்த மனச்சோர்வு, தன்னிரக்கம் குழப்பம் நீடிக்கக் கூடும்

பொறுமை, தெளிவான திட்டமிடல், குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களிடையே பரஸ்பர கலந்துரையாடல், மருத்துவக் குறிப்புகள், பரிசோதனை முடிவுகள், மற்ற ஆவணங்கள், மருத்துவக் காப்பீடு குறித்த தகவல்கள் அனைத்தையும் முறையாக கோப்புகளில் சேமித்து வைத்தல் இவையெல்லாம்  கண்டிப்பாக உங்களுக்கு உதவும்.

கூகிள் தளங்களில் தன்னிச்சையாக தேடுவதைத் தவிர்க்கவும்.

இவ்வாறு பல நன்மை பயக்கும் ஆலோசனைகள்  வழங்கப்பட்டன.

இறுதியில்  பெண்களுக்கென அமைக்கப்பட்டு வெற்றிகரமாகச் செயல்பட்டுக் கொண்டிருக்கும் குழுவைப் போன்றே ஆண்களுக்கும் ஒரு குழு இருந்தால் அவர்களும்  தங்கள் அனுபவங்கள், அச்சங்கள்,

ஆலோசனைகள் அனைத்தையும் ஓருவரோடொருவர் பகிர்ந்து கொள்வதுடன் ஒருங்கிணைந்து பல வகையிலும் வளர்ச்சி காணலாம் என்ற கருத்து முன் வைக்கப்பட்டது! இந்த சந்திப்பின்போதே ஒரு சிலர் தங்கள் கருத்துக்களை எடுத்துரைத்தனர்.

கடைசியில்  சுறுசுறுப்பாக பதினைந்து நிமிடங்கள் காணொலியைப் பின்பற்றி அனைவரும் துள்ளலான, துடிப்பான நடைப் பயிற்சி மேற்கொண்ட பின்  சுவையான சுண்டல், சூடான காஃபி, டீ சாப்பிட்டு விட்டு நிறைந்த மனத்துடனும்,வயிற்றுடனும் விடைபெற்றுக் கொண்டு வீடு திரும்பத் தலைப்பட்டோம்!

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Proud to be part of NCG

Recently Dr. Selvi attended the National Cancer Grid Meeting as NCG coordinator for breast group research themes and establishing guidelines for breast cancer.

National Cancer Grid is a network of major cancer centres, research institutes, patient groups and charitable institutions across India. CBC is a member of NCG which aims at establishing uniform standards of patient care, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

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In collaboration with SJRI….

A two member team (Mrs. Jothi & Mrs. Savitha) visited CBC from St. John’s Research Institute (SJRI), Bengaluru for the bio-repository work of storing tissues and paraffin blocks in Chennai Breast Centre for research opportunities. The storage techniques and data maintenance were discussed.

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எங்கள் குட்டி கவிதாவிற்கு சீர் அனைத்தும் செய்து நலங்கு வைத்து மகிழ்ந்தோம் CBCயில்…

குட்டி கவிதாவின் திருமணம் இனிதே நடைபெற்றது….

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New Arrivals

Big or Small-they make us happy….

1)

The -86° C freezer arrived!! A cold-storage for biospecimens (blood, tissue) and their derivatives (fractions, DNA, RNA , cell-lines etc). It will help in keeping these specimens safe and readily available for research purposes. You can help us towards this vision of a future free of breast cancer.  Please contact to know more : 9444971787

2) A small aloe vera plant is the new arrival in the garden of CBC

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Golu Hopping….

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Preps and Rehearsals at CBC for Engal Utsav & 10 years of CBC 

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