When Sharmila Pati received the diagnosis a couple of years ago that she had breast cancer, there was, understandably, a long list of things racing through her mind.
But leading all others was the resolve to not let the disease get in the way of her goals.
“We’re go-getters and risk-takers,” said Sharmila, 46, including her husband Roy as she shared her cancer survivor’s story ahead of this year’s Nite of Hope Gala Evening. “For example, we moved out of the country in 2000 to pursue a business in Seattle. Not many people do that kind of thing with two young children.
“So, when I got the news about having breast cancer, I was focused on not letting it slow me down at all,” she said. “That’s not how I am. I’m always go, go, go.”
That was apparent right after the doctors told Sharmila, who now lives in Cloverdale, that the lump she discovered in her right breast came back positive for cancer, following a biopsy.
“I just felt a lump and wondered what it was,” Sharmila said, adding her first call was to her sister, a registered nurse, who advised her to get it checked out.
“It was so odd because we have no history (of cancer) in our family. It was the last thing I was thinking of.
“And when I heard the news (diagnosis), I wanted to know right away what it meant and what I had to do now,” she said.
There was not even time for any sentiment.
“I remember a nurse giving me a Kleenex and asking if I needed it,” said Sharmila, who works as an admissions advisor at CDI College in Surrey. “I told her I didn’t. I was more interested in knowing what came next.”
What happened next was the decision to undergo a partial mastectomy, followed shortly after by breast reconstruction surgery.
But it wasn’t until after the surgeries that doctors discovered the disease had spread into her lymph nodes.
“That’s when I said, ‘Whoa,’ because that meant chemo,” Sharmila said. “That ended up being the toughest part. It lasted for six months.”
That was the only time when she allowed herself to slow down, said Roy. But, even then, the reaction to the drugs was not that severe.
“It’s her personality. Some other ladies in chemo were having a really tough time. It was taking a toll on them,” Roy said. “But she’s not that type of person. She’s the kind that works through things to make the situation better.”
“Sometimes, I don’t think it has really sunk in,” Sharmila said, adding she prefers to think about the future, one that she has been afforded by the advances in treatment events such as the Nite of Hope have made possible through fundraising.
“After going through all of this, I realize how important (cancer) research is,” Sharmila said. “It’s allowed me to be where I am today, back at work, doing what I do — watching my kids play rugby, going out with my friends and getting back to the gym.
“Plus, if you want something, or if you believe in something, it will happen. That’s how I feel. That’s what I believe.”
