Nagpur: Restoring pride of breast cancer survivors

NAGPUR: Over four decades ago, a teenager left the column about her preferred profession empty while filling her Std XII form as she was apprehensive about becoming a doctor one day. Her professor father prodded her to just write ‘Dr’ in the column and said it will happen. The girl went on to complete her MBBS and MD (Gynaceology) in the coming years.
That wasn’t the happy ending to her story. Professional challenges, personal problems and dilemmas hounded Dr Rohini Patil (57), who overcame them to not only set an example but also gift hope to terminally-ill patients and restore pride of breast cancer survivors.
In October last year, she organized Daan Utsav where around 100 knitters and crocheters joined her for a daylong ‘knit-e-thon’ and ‘croch-e-thon’. Dr Patil, with support from family members and a breast cancer survivor friend, made around 900 knitted knockers — handmade breast prothesis — and gifted them to survivors across India.
Her group, Knitted Knockers India, has rapidly gained popularity on social media, and volunteers from Nagpur, Pune Bengaluru, Delhi and even Dubai are soon going to be on-board. “After a broadcast on Women’s Day on Akashwani, we got calls from Sangli, Alibaug and several places from the state,” she said.
Dr Patil’s journey to creating awareness and finding an alternative for women who underwent mastectomy (removal of breast) dates back to 2002. One fine day that year, while she was playing with her 8-year-old son Aniket, she felt a hard nodule in her breast. “Even before seeing a surgeon, the diagnosis was clear in my mind,” she recalls. It was breast malignancy.
Dr Patil’s surgery was traumatic experience for Aniket. The infliction came at the time when she had started finding her feet once again after shifting with her one-half-year old son in the late 90s. “On the fourth day of my surgery, I did a C-section on a patient at the same hospital,” she said, adding that Aniket’s smile helped her come out of those difficult times.
She was a changed person. “I learnt how people around loved me and how kids are a source of strength. It took away negative impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment,” she said.
A year later, she set up a nursing home, catering to the poor, and in the next seven years dedicated herself to working for terminally-ill patients and creating breast cancer awareness.
She got a hand-held screening device and mammography mobile unit from JNMC Swangi Meghe and reached up to Darekasa in Gondia’s Naxal belt.
During one such camp, she met tribal patients who developed negative body image, were depressed and secluded themselves after mastectomy.
“A survivor in the tribal area kept a bamboo basket to create a mount of the breast. This woman got her post surgery delicate area injured because of the rough edges of the basket. I did the dressing and healed the wound but the emotional trauma was difficult to address,” she said.
She met another survivor who came out of house 10 months post mastectomy because she was apprehensive in going out as her clothes were not fitting.
“The traditional silicone breast prosthesis are expensive. I was not able to sponsor them,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dr Patil visited the United States, where Aniket had shifted for his MS in Mechanical Engineering and subsequent job.
“I would visit camps and interact with breast cancer survivors. Majority of them were not using the silicone prosthesis. They were using hand-knit knockers which had crafted breast prosthesis. I sought help of Knitted Knockers founder in the US for training,” she said.
Dr Patil learnt the craft in two weeks at Tucson in Arizona. Since her return she has distributed the prosthetic free of cost to 1,000 survivors.