On World Cancer Day, 2 Brave Survivors From Bilaspur Share Their Journeys

Cancer survivors Ajay Viajpayee and Aparna Joshi are now sharing their journey with other patients to give them strength to fight the disease. They were diagnosed with oral cancer and breast cancer respectively.

Bilaspur: Cancer is a disease that has the ability to spread from one part of the body to another but modern treatment has helped in improving the survival rates. Here's the story of two brave cancer suvivors from Bijaspur, Ajay Vajpayee and Aparna Joshi, who battled the disease and came out victorious.

Ajay Vajpayee was diagnosed with oral cancer while he was serving sentence in jail while Aparna Joshi, a government employee had breast cancer. Both of them have returned to normal lives after undergoing treatment. They are now narrating their battles and have stood up as examples for other patients.

Vajpayee complained of discomfort in his mouth when he was lodged in Bilaspur Central Jail from 2009 to 2014. The doctor advised him for a medical test and was diagnosed with oral cancer. "I asked doctors the reason as to why I got the disease because I neither smoke nor consume 'gutkha' or is addicted to alcohol. Doctors told me that 70 percent of people having oral cancer have addictions but the rest are people like me," he said.

Another cancer survivor, Joshi said she felt uncomfortable sitting for long hours at her office in Bilaspur and approached the doctor. "When the doctor informed me that I was suffering from breast cancer I became very scared. My major concern was for my child who was only one and a half months old then. I was afraid that my disease might have got spread to my child. The doctor assured me that it is not necessary that cancer will pass on to the next generation. I still went for medical test and was relieved to find that my child was healthy," Joshi said.

According to Joshi she went through immense mental trauma during the initial phases of her disease. "I gained strength and hope by receiving consultations from doctors and interacting with other cancer patients," she added.

The life stories of the cancer survivors are now giving strength to people who are battling the disease. They are part of the awareness campaign that is being run to inform people about cancer and ways to fight it.

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