Help me fight breast cancer

My story on Youtube !

My name is Amina Naseer I am from Lahore, Pakistan. A housewife and a mother of two kids one boy 6 years old and one daughter of 4 years old. My illness and the shocking suffering journey started when I felt a small lump in my armpit. For that I went to the doctor for a breast ultrasound, there I came to know that I have suspicious lumps in my left breast which has spread to my axilla that is armpit.

I was diagnosed in September 2021 of breast cancer stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma. It was early stage but it was a great shock to me and my husband that how this happened used to hear from others but never thought it would or could happen to us . Our whole world felt upside down as to what will happen but still being positive as we had heard that breast cancer is the most curable cancer in early stage. As I am a mother and a wife have to look after them their needs a mother cannot overlook their kids needs and to take care of them as they are still so young. My boy school going whom I teach at home and household chores cooking etc.

After that we started going to different hospitals different doctors to get rechecked that may be the diagnosis is not right as no one in my relatives or family has history of cancer but at last after 2 months and so many tests mammography, biopsies, CT scan, bone scan and reports again and again so it was meant to be that I had to go through this challenging illness journey. In cancer treatment journey its always we as not just the patient is affected or suffering but the partner of the patient and people living around you are also affected by the patient and their illness in every aspect and routine of life.

Cancer not only affects you but it also affect your family, friends and everyone is affected. Their emotional, physical and even financial support is needed as this is a very expensive and a very long treatment.

I started getting checked to get my treatment plan so had to go through many tests, for the treatment to start.

It started with chemo sessions protocol, the first 4 sessions were devastating on my brain , body , stomach even emotions feelings dint know what to eat what not to eat first day of chemo the whole day and night kept vomiting.. still managed to get up after 2 days with help of in laws and my husband. He has been a true partner and my strength through all this helping with kids all their needs from helping in studies to bathing, sleeping with them to playing with them, attending their needs , even helping me in household chores when i couldn’t make my own breakfast even, making for me and then feeding to me helping me bath when I dint energy during surgeries.

One kid goes to school I teach him myself at home after school his homework his needs cooking bathing kids playing with for all that I needed energy for I had to manage sometimes somehow as my husband works from home at night duty, he left his day job to work from home to be there for me and family. Some days I had to show myself strong to show my kids that their mother is okay as they couldn’t understand what was happening to me as to why I was going hospital so much , as to why I couldn’t be with them more often like I used to be. When the first protocol of chemo session was done I had so many side effects blisters and mouth sores couldn’t eat or drink. It was so painful that I used to cry sometimes while drinking water even. And u know most difficult part that daughters mostly share such problems tensions with their mothers, I can’t even do that because my mother is a depression patient so telling her anything serious in detail could make her mental health worse.

I also had my youngers brother marriage during my first chemo sessions. So I also attended that also during my chemo sessions don’t know how did I get my energy but my belief has been there that he who gave me this suffering and illness will give me patience and strength to fight and survive and thrive through it all. Then comes side effects of hair loss which is a painful experience physically and mentally. Physically as in hair loss is itself very painful during chemo my head used to feel like its on fire. After bearing for few weeks, I had my husband shave my head because the head was in pain all the time that I couldn’t even sleep at nights and seeing so much hair on my pillow the following morning. My mornings used to start with crying then giving myself strength, seeing my kids then started my day with smile on my face.

Then my second protocol started with chemo and that started giving me skin burns blisters so painful as my hands or arms were actually burnt with boiling water or fire itself because my veins were so thin, couldn’t tolerate chemo with ease. I had 9 sessions of chemo total were given till march 2022 that costed around 200,000 PKR every 3 weeks from start because my husband is a private job worker and I am from middle class. So how much could I afford, my family supported me to the extent that they could but till when and how much one could support? Everyone has their own house expenses their own kids and life expenses. I have also house expenses, then my hospital bills then so many tests , chemo sessions and everything I applied for financial aid was rejected. I was given chemo sessions plus 150,000 PKR cost Herceptin (medicine name)injection also as I was Her2 triple positive and Er triple positive Pr also positive. Then in April I had my first surgery lumpectomy, In which surgeon tried to save my breast as I am young woman to my body mattered to me. In that surgery lumps were taken out and 25 lymph nodes were also taken out. The first surgery costed 200,000 PKR after that I got surgically cleared.

In my every chemo session I had to go through this painful experience of burnt skin with blisters for it took a whole month to heal and my each chemo was after every 3 weeks. So, every time on hand on arm sometimes on foot also this painful wound happened. And till today I have these scars everywhere. Chemo side effects change your whole brain, heart, body physically also and mentally and emotionally also. I felt angry irritated and emotionally detached from everyone that made me more frustrated because it was out of my control. My partner supported through all this but what a patient feels during we can’t even explain fully or make anyone understand each body part is aching bones are aching. Feet legs are mostly sore and weak. I was tired all the time mostly in fever.

After that I was due for radiations I had to go for radiations I was given time for it which got delayed as the machine in the hospital was under maintenance because I went for free radiations in a charity hospital and a long line of patients which caused 2 month delay and then my follow-up check-up came up and in my follow up tests of CT scan and bone scan and ultra sound mammography and other tests which showed that the cancer had relapsed again and this time my cancer has changed its original form which I came to know through 2 3 biopsies.

Now again for this relapse I couldn’t go through radiations and I had to go under another surgery mastectomy in August 2022 costing PKR 250,000 then the her2 was changed to triple negative and Er also negative. Then after that I was given chemo session of 5 sessions. Again as a follow up after second surgery. Costing 150,000 PKR lac per session. Then in November I had my last chemo session Then I went for follow up tests as i was again due for radiations treatment. Then again in tests of CT scan and ultra sound costing PKR 40,000 it was shown that I had enlarged lymph nodes in axilla which indicated cancer again then I was sent for pet CT scan costing PKR 70,000 as for this detailed test there are only 3 hospitals for this test in Lahore. And I couldn’t get appointment in whole Pakistan due to shortage of medicine and only one hospital had medicine in which this test costed 3 times more than PKR 70,000 . So for this test appointment I had to wait for two months just to get appointment. During that time my cancer spread from axila lymph nodes to cervical nodes and internal mammary between chest in lymph nodes also.

And now I can’t go for cancer care hospital for free radiations as again my treatment will be delayed so can’t take that risk so have to go private hospital this time as my PET CT scan showed that cancer is spreading aggressively and as per scenario of two times relapse and that it has spread from axilla to cervical that is neckline and to chest in between in nodes so the treatment is tough and complicated .So as per my doctors further treatment plan so I had my 3rd surgery in which 11 nodes were taken out all had metastatic cancer and quiet big in size my reports are attached I could be having surgery again costing PKR 200,000 to PKR 300,000 as it will be extensive and then radiations privately costing PKR 300,000. So we have been drained out of finances at this moment. And then immunotherapy (type of chemo treatment)will be starting after radiations that is PKR 250,000 per session.

So total cost that we need to get fund raised is around PKR 2.5 million. Please help me with this journey so i can survive and come out of it as I am still strong and still fighting for my life for my kids and for myself and for my husband i want to live so. Until now I have been managing surviving through every wound , every painful experience and 3 surgeries in 1.5 years, and whenever i got down it happen to fall down or was losing hope on every stage through every step with help of my husband and seeing my kids that I want to see them grow I got up again to fight with this cancer. This all so much has happened in just these last years from Sep 2021 till now March 2023 and still I am surviving and managing my kids and helping them with their lives and my house also. So with your support I could get the best treatment and best chance to fight with this cancer and come out of it healthy and become cancer free.

As I have already mentioned that I live in Pakistan and GoFundMe doesn’t allow to make I.D in Pakistan. So, Chris movement CIC (Company number12838078) has helped me making this I.D and would be sending me the money directly. Chris movement CIC also wants to maintain transparency so I would be uploading the evidence of money transferred to me by them.