Pune's Best Breast Cancer Surgeon: Dr. C. B. Koppiker

Breast cancer diagnosis can have a lingering effect on anyone’s mental well-being. Most women (and their families) get frustrated and even depressed after being diagnosed with breast cancer. While your family and friends, doctors, and everyone around you talk about getting the best treatment, medicines and diet, side effects, and precautions during and after the treatment, a minimal amount of breast cancer diagnosed women are being warned about the possible depression and long-term anxiety due to the breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and side-effects. Along with the medicines and advanced treatments a woman’s mental health plays an important role in her recovery. Thus addressing and improving the mental wellness from the start can help women with breast cancer recovery, and adjusting and adapting the new changes in life.

Anxiety and depression are the most frequent emotions cancer patients face. Anxiety can be the result of the possible changes happening in the future or the events that have happened in the past. Thus the doctors and counsellors advice cancer patients to “live in the present” and “let go of the things you can’t have control on”. While a positive mind helps to cope up with cancer; adapting small changes can help boost your mental well-being. Well-balanced diet – Take enough calories to gain energy, which will help fatigue, boost strength and positive attitude. Getting fresh air – Going outside and getting fresh air and sunshine will clear the negative thoughts. Talk things out & grieve losses – Breast cancer patients experience losing their sense of independence and control over their life. Take your time to grieve losses, share your thoughts and emotions and decide to move on. Financial Counselling – Talk with the financial counsellor to help you navigate expenses. W...

Breast cancer diagnosis , treatment, and side-effects can impact the daily routine, health, and appearance, which can lead to depression. However, depression does not need to go hand-in-hand with breast cancer. Breast cancer integrative care includes various supportive therapies like laughter therapy, music therapy, and spiritual counselling to lift up breast cancer patient’s mood and help them bring back the positivity in life. Although integrative care therapies have positive and lasting effects the experience is deeply personal and depends on the severity of the disease and mental health.

The fight against breast cancer doesn’t end after the breast cancer treatment. The journey of the breast cancer survivors continues with adjusting and making new choices in life. This can be scary to most of the breast cancer survivors to accept the new changes in their appearance and physical fitness. Many women gain weight, grow hair different than their original one, and get dark patches on the skin. While some of these changes are temporary, accepting the new you can be very difficult. Also, the rigorous changes in diet and overall lifestyle can make you feel low for a longer time.

Breast cancer treatment, chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and heavy medication have major side-effects and impacts on women’s physical health and appearance. While chemotherapy works on breast cancer cells, the treatment also harms other tissues and organs of the body. Hair loss, skin and teeth blackening, fatigue are the common side-effects of chemotherapy.  Fatigue is one of the major side-effects and a reason of depression in women undergoing chemotherapy. The thought that they can’t do their daily chores on their own or need to ask for constant help is depressing for many women.