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Brave breast cancer patient Alifiya Rahil Hussain today urged women to put their fears and embarrassment aside and get checked out for any anomalies they uncover … and to keep going back for help if they are convinced something is wrong.
Today she has decided to share her journey fighting the disease in the hope of helping others facing a similar situation.
The expat Indian mother-of-three, who works in the real estate and retail family business and has been living in Bahrain for nearly 40 years, discovered a lump in November while breastfeeding her youngest child, Ammar.
Scared, Alifiya and her husband Rahil, 42, who also works in real estate, sought medical advice and were told it was probably a ‘blocked duct’ and to forget about it.
However, Alifiya did not forget about it and it continued to nag at her. She then began searching for an oncologist to get a second opinion.
Alifiya, 39, who lives in Salmaniya, said: “I felt something wasn’t right. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and had I not gone to check again I may never have discovered the true cause.”
Although, once again it was not clear-cut, or simple, to get answers. “This is why I want to share my story,” she explained. “Sometimes it’s very hard to find the right doctor and I particularly wanted a female doctor.
“The doctor I found when I first discovered the lump was lovely and she asked me to go in for a biopsy immediately. However, by the time the test results were out, my doctor was on leave and it took some convincing for the hospital to give me the results directly.”
The biopsy confirmed that the lump was a Stage 2 malignant tumour.
“My husband and I were stunned, shocked and absolutely heartbroken,” she said. “All of a sudden everything in my life seemed to fall apart and nothing seemed to matter anymore except family.
“We couldn’t believe it as we were told so often that breastfeeding mums were unlikely to ever get breast cancer in their life time. Never believe all that science and what those statistics tell you!”
Initially, there were a lot of tears and hugs. However, Alifiya turned to her cousin in the UK, Dr Kasim Behranwala, pictured right, a senior breast cancer consultant, for guidance about what to do next.
After he explained the procedures to her and the next tests that she needed to get done, she and Rahil made their way to King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) in Busaiteen for an MRI, a mammogram and an ultrasound.
Alifiya consulted with Dr Sara Al Reefy, a breast care specialist, and together with her cousin, they agreed on the best practices for her and on a surgery plan.
She explained: “We didn’t want to waste any time and we had the surgery the following week at the Royal Bahrain Hospital, when my cousin came down. He was with us throughout for added moral support.”
Alifiya had to undergo another operation the following week to remove additional margins of tissue to ensure the entire tumour and any affected cells were removed.
Dr Sara also coordinated with Dr Sadeq Abdulla, a vascular surgeon, to install a port during the same procedure for follow-up chemotherapy treatment, a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells but can have side effects.
After much research, the couple found Dr Nandan Shanbhag, at the Bahrain Specialist Hospital to conduct the chemotherapy.
According to Alifiya, Dr Nandan was extremely supportive along with specialised chemotherapy nurses at the hospital, Sumitha and Soumya.
Alifiya said: “To make sure I was comfortable, he used to share his experiences with me and the day I had a reaction to one of the medicines he sat with me throughout for four hours to ensure I was OK.
“It’s very important to have a good rapport with your oncologist as you could get varied reactions to the treatment. Although nothing you do can prepare you for the day that your hair falls out from chemotherapy. You just have to stay strong and remember that it will all pass eventually ... and hair does grow back.”
Next stop was radiotherapy which uses radiation, such as x-rays, gamma rays, electron beams or protons, to kill cancer cells or damage them so they cannot grow or multiply.
Her medics connected her with specialist doctors in Mumbai, India, for six weeks of treatment.
Alifiya, playing with her children, Lamiya, seven, Zahra, 11, and two-year-old, Ammar, said: “I thank God for everything and for allowing me to find out at a relatively early stage.
“Remaining positive throughout would not have been possible without the love, prayers and support from my husband, my children, my parents, my mother-in-law Suraiya Bandukwala, my sisters, brother-in-laws, nieces, nephews and friends who made sure I was laughing and smiling throughout.
“It was quite fortunate for us that Bahrain introduced the one year visa – thank you Bahrain – and my mother-in-law could come down and be with us and the kids during this time.
“I have been extremely lucky to have also had amazing doctors along this journey and I would like to make a special mention to Dr Kasim, who came down for my surgery, Dr Sara, who has been wonderful, Dr Sadeq, very supportive and Dr Nandan, who helped us always remain positive and pulled us through the last part of the treatment.
“I cannot say how strongly I recommend all of the above true professionals.
“Remember, life is too precious so spend time with those you love, always stay positive and try to do something good for someone-else.
“Also, please do self-examinations regularly, and, in case you find any cause for concern, please don’t waste time – visit a breast care doctor immediately ... and be persistent.”
Alifiya’s family first settled in Bahrain when her grandfather Ali Mohammed Bahrainwala move here in the late 1800s and set up Khansaheb AbdulHusein & Brothers store with his brothers. Her father Gulamabbas set up Noble Traders in 1955 and Kingdom Pride Centre in 2007.
She said: “I love Bahrain. It is my home and I am thankful to the amazing doctors based here.
“I would love for the government to go one better and consider opening a ‘One Stop Cancer Centre’ with different oncologist and tests, surgeons, expert physiotherapists, laboratories and radiotherapy treatments all in one place.”
Alifiya has produced a list of helpful tips on dealing with the discovery of breast cancer.
1. You need to have an ultrasound. Cancerous lumps aren’t painful and mostly have an irregular shape. If the doctors have any doubt they will carry out a biopsy.
2. In the biopsy, doctors will use measurements from the ultrasound and remove a sample for testing. If the result comes back as malignant, then you need to go to plan the treatment needed.
3. The doctor normally requires an MRI Breast and a Mammogram report too. KHUH has very good machines for both.
4. Once you have all the information, your doctor will guide you through a proposed surgery plan. The surgery normally needs to be performed within three to four weeks of the tests being done.
5. A sentinel node biopsy may be carried out too during surgery where two dyes are inserted into the breast to check the route that the cancer cells may have spread. If there is a spread, then can remove lymph nodes from under the armpit as well.
6. You may inform your doctor in advance, that if the lymph nodes are involved, you want to have the port inserted during the same surgery. In that case, you will need to meet and book an appointment with a vascular surgeon in advance.
7. If your lymph nodes are removed during surgery then you need to consult with a lymphedema-trained physiotherapist. Fortunately we have a few specialists who are excellent and have been trained in Germany thanks to Think Pink Bahrain.
8. After surgery, you may need a PET CT Scan. This is done only at KHUH and during this procedure a radioactive material is inserted into your body to show any possible spread.
9. Then you need to identify an oncologist, who will plan any chemotherapy required based on the PET scan and other reports. They will guide you should radiotherapy be required.
If readers would like to contact Alifiya, email editor@gulfweekly.com and we will forward your correspondence.
