Life Before Cancer
Sumitra, aged 58, is a loving mother of 4 children, many grandchildren and even a great grandchild. She has devoted her life to caring for her family, putting them before herself and her own needs. Her husband works as a maintenance worker in the hospital, they live on the grounds in housing provided by the hospital. Despite this, Sumitra has always refused to use modern medication; she has never even set foot in the hospital. She has always relied on ayurvedic treatment to help her with any ailments.
Now that her children have all moved out and have started their own families, Sumitra was enjoying being able to look after herself and do more things for herself. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and took great pride in the close-knit family she had created.
The Diagnosis
Around one year ago, Sumitra noticed swelling on the side of her neck. Over time the swelling grew more and more. She was diagnosed with a tumour on her left tonsil. Her husband and family insisted her to seek medical treatment required to fight the tumour. Sumitra went against her family’s wishes, determined to stick to her principles and refused to take any treatment other than the ayurvedic methods she was used to.
Sumitra’s daughter, with her son and two daughters, moved into Sumitra’s house after she became bedridden 7 months ago. This was to help Sumitra’s husband keep his job at the hospital to support them financially, while Sumitra’s daughter and granddaughters cared for her at home.
CanSupport’s Work
CanSupport have built a relationship with the entire family, supporting them individually through this tough time. The team have also helped the family come to terms with and understand that Sumitra is refusing medical treatment and encouraged them to support her with the decision.
The team has provided counselling for Sumitra and her family every week. They have been a huge help to the family, particularly in supporting Sumitra’s husband through this very challenging time.
A Change
On the team’s most recent visit Sumitra was in a great deal of pain as her ayurvedic medicines were not helping enough. The nurse gave her medication to take alongside her ayurvedic medicine advising her that if this is not enough there is stronger medicine she can take.
The family was relieved that Sumitra had finally taken at least some of the treatment she needed to make her days less painful. Although this may seem a small step, the family thanked CanSupport as they knew that without their knowledge and assistance, Sumitra would never have accepted the medication that she needed.
CanSupport has built a relationship of trust and care with Sumitra and her family and continue to assist and support them all in numerous ways. The entire family has noticed how CanSupport positively changed their lives. They all feel stronger and more prepared for the future knowing they have someone to turn to in times of hardship.