Thank You, Cancer

By Mojgan Hadi

Hello, my name is

Mojgan Hadi, and this is my story.

My Background

l was born in 1969 to a middle class family in Tehran. When l was a ten years old child, the Iranian Revolution (also known as the Islamic revolution) began in 1979, and a year later in 1980, the lran and Iraq war started.

After eight years of fighting, I was married the day that “the end of war" was declared between Iran and Iraq in 1988.

At that time, I thought this day would be the best day of my life and that I would have a wonderful future ahead.

Within two years of being married, my son was born, and six months after that, I was pregnant with my daughter. While one of my greatest desires was to study and go to a university, I spent all my time to tending to my children.

After a few years and because of a bad economic situation, I had to start working. I found work in a driving training center as a driving trainer.

This was a job with lots of stress and danger.

When I was about forty years old, my father developed stomach cancer and passed away at sixty eight. l loved him and his death was very painful for me.

During this time, l still was working, doing the housework, and taking care of my family.

Four years after my father's death, my thirty-eight year old brother was diagnosed blood cancer and this represented a disaster in my life.

For nine months, I went to the hospital to take care of my beloved brother, while still working at the driving school and managing the home and family.

It was a horrible time. Unfortunately, my dear brother who was a compassionate and kind man passed away.

Then, life became meaningless.

My Breast Cancer Story

The main story happened two years after my brother’s death.

Iranian people celebrate the new year in April. It was on that night (April, 2015) when I went to take a shower, and I accidentally found out a small tumor in my right breast!

The next day, I consulted with a doctor. At first, I did a sonogram (ultrasound) and then a mammogram, and then I found out the results. I was in shock and the world became dark to me.

I hadn't enough time to understand the problem exactly when I found myself in a surgery room!

Immediately after the painful operation, I began the journey of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and injections of Herceptin.

When I was going to the clinic for treatment, I observed young women and even some girls who were unmarried and diagnosed with cancer.

Listening to some of the patients' stories was more painful than my own sickness.

Some of their husbands had left them and had even taken their children with them.
Some of people had no health insurance and sometimes they had to forego treatment. Sometimes because the medicine's price was too expensive and they couldn't afford it and sometimes because of the sanctions that were put upon our country, we couldn't receive the drugs in a timely manor, or even at all.
Some people were obliged to sell their homes and borrow the money with high prices of interest.

It was misery!

After Treatment

After finishing my treatment, I started thinking about and reflecting upon my life.

I realized that with these things that were happening to me, and especially the way that I was confronting them, catching cancer was predictable; in short, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself and my lifestyle was really wrong.

l decided to change my life deeply and save myself! I started to study and research about new ways of treatments.

At first, I went on a vegetarian diet, and because of that, I lost a little weight and of course saved some money.

Then, I went to yoga class for few months. Yoga positively affected me and gave me a much needed sense of calm. However, because of lymphedema in my right hand, I couldn't continue.

Now that I was gaining more energy, I decided to learn English, which had been one of my desires for many years.

Getting My Life Back

I am interested in communicating with people in other countries, and I like to know about their culture and their spectacular places.

The best part was going to painting class. Playing with colors on canvas was amazing and was taking me to a colorful world. It was fantastic.

I started to travel in some beautiful places in Iran.

I love traveling- it is a little expensive, but wonderful. In doing these things, I came back to life, and it's a nice feeling.

So What's Next

I co-operate with an NGO about women's breast cancer in Iran, and I am curious to know about NGO's in others countries.

I say proudly to all female patients that this sickness made a big, and positive change in my life, in my opinions, perspectives, and in my relationships with people.

Now, I can solve problems and difficulties easier than before.

I control my mind and try thinking positively. I don't let myself into a downward spiral of sadness.

All of these accomplishments are because of my diagnosis with breast caner!

Thank you, cancer!