This is how I did it

I am an ordinary girl who came to Bangalore looking for a job about 10 years ago. After some struggle and help from a friend, I landed a decent IT job.

Life unfolded, and I was made to marry the boy of my parents choice. I wasn't supposed to refuse as I was told I "don’t have the desirable looks expected of a North Indian girl."

After some months of marriage, things turned for the better and my daughter came as a blessing. Since then I have been a happy but insanely busy, an almost single mom rushing against time to finish errands to keep a balance between work and home. Amidst this, I felt a lump in my left breast (without any other symptoms). The biopsy reports confirmed carcinoma of the breast. I was the first to receive the news from my doctor. The fear of going away from my daughter gave me the strength to fight this. At that point, I wanted to do everything to increase my chances of survival.  I want to live as long as possible for my daughter. I even decided to go through with a prophylactic double mastectomy, while knowing that it will affect my married life, where just 4 years have passed.

Upon further investigation, it was established that I will be in constant danger and it may affect my daughter too. And life, of course, continues its course, and other unpleasant revelations came my way, enough to break me down inside out and ruin everything I was holding on to.

But I am still steering it through - living each day at a time. I have brought my daughter into this world and it’s my responsibility to make it the best for her. I am her world and she is mine. Life is too precious, don’t let it break you and don’t let it go.