Living with cancer: Jenny Swaminathan’s inspiring story of fighting cancer not once or twice but thrice!

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Living with cancer: Jenny Swaminathan’s inspiring story of fighting cancer not once or twice but thrice!
I have met many cancer survivors who have inspired me by their sheer positivity and energy and the patience and grace with which they conduct their life. Women like breast cancer survivor Ujwale Raje who not only managed to work and raise her daughter through her treatment, but also does a great service through the Pink Initiative for women undergoing breast cancer treatment. But, Jenny Swaminathan is unique in the way she has dealt with cancer over and over and over again. She is unlike any cancer patient or survivor I have ever met. Jenny, or Jenstar as her friends call her, is the life and soul of any gathering.
The devastating cancer treatment has not dimmed her radiant smile or glowing skin. She is compassionate and warm as she greets me with a cup of masala chai and biscuits even as I delve into the ordeal she faced for 2 years.
When was the first time you knew you had cancer?
In August 2015 I was detected with ovarian cancer after several visits to gynaecologists who could not figure out what was wrong with me. Finally, I met the right doctor who diagnosed my condition and told me that I had an endometrioid carcinoma and might need chemotherapy to shrink the tumour first before the surgery. But, my surgeon Dr. Shishir Shetty was confident that he could perform the surgery without the chemo. So, we went ahead with the hysterectomy.
Then began the rounds of chemotherapy. However, I was bleeding badly and in December 2015 they discovered that I had a utero-vaginal fistula.
Did you have to undergo surgery again for the fistula?
What was supposed to be a small surgery was a six-hour long ordeal because they discovered another tumour between the gall bladder and kidney. They gave me a urinary stoma which I carry till date.
Did you follow any special diet or treatment after that?
What was supposed to be a small surgery was a six-hour long ordeal because they discovered another tumour between the gall bladder and kidney. They gave me a urinary stoma which I carry till date.
Did you follow any special diet or treatment after that?
In March and April 2016, I had to undergo External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and brachytherapy. After that, I took some time off and went for treatment to Vaidya Narayana Murthy at Shimoga in Karnataka. I followed a very strict diet and did not even have tea or coffee for about a year.
So then you were cancer free?
Yes. For about a year but in December 2016, they discovered I had lung cancer i.e. small cell carcinoma of the lung.
I received four rounds of chemo from January to April 2017. I was hospitalised again in April because of a bad bleed which left me unconscious. However, thanks to the support of my friends and family, I survived.
But, I felt something was wrong because I felt the left side of my face going numb and could hear a ringing in my ears (tinnitus).
In July 2017 I went for an MRI and was diagnosed with brain cancer because of a metastasis of the small cell carcinoma of the lung.
Neither did I, I only wish that the doctors who treated me for lung cancer at Apollo in Chennai had warned me about this possibility. I came back to Dr Shetty who referred me to the renowned oncologist Dr Advani who recommended radiation for the brain.
Jenny how did you and your family cope during this time?
My son is in the 10th grade and I can’t let him know what chemo or radiation feels like because it would be devastating for him! So I smile and it is an automatic response and when I look at my husband and my family and friends I know that I am blessed. The people around me make sure I am kept happy. My friends plan fun things to do all the while.
(Jenny lives in Bombay with her son and cat and her husband works in Dubai. Of course her friends and family rally around her every time she needs them, but she is still on her own most of the time and manages her treatment and all her commitments on her own.)
Jenny you are really strong! Most people would not have half your courage!
I am not really that brave but I have realised that we are only responsible for our stress level. I want to warn women about the effects of stress. I feel strongly that women get tense and stressed unnecessarily all time. They “take tension” and do foolish things like I did when I tool hormonal pills to regulate my periods without a proper prescription.
You are stunningly beautiful, how did you cope with the side effects of chemo?
Initially, when the hair fell off I was upset. Now I just go ahead and shave it off so I don’t have to deal with clumps on my pillow. So half the time I am bald. With radiation, I also discovered that my eyebrows and eyelashes are falling out. It’ll go and it’ll come back. I just cry and finish it off.
Bald or not, with or without eyebrows, Jenny radiates strength and kindness and is a striking beauty especially when she smiles. Her smile is enough to warm you inside out in your saddest, gloomiest moment!
Jenny I know that you are not jumping for joy yet because you need to be in remission for 5 years before we can all shout from the rooftops that you are a survivor. Calling you an inspiration does not do justice to the way you make us feel. TheHealthSite.com Team is rooting for you to beat cancer and see you smiling for many more birthdays to come! Happy birthday, Jenstar