At the age of 63, Jaipur’s Premlata Sand has defeated cancer, twice. She is now helping other cancer patients with their battles. Counselling them, motivating them, and helping them navigate through the challenges of cancer at the Bhagwan Mahaveer Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (BMCHRC) as the cancer consultant. “I was first diagnosed with cancer in 2001,” she says. Premlata, back then lived in Vijayanagar, a tehsil in Rajasthan, without advanced medical facilities. “I experienced a sharp pain in her left breast, so I went to a doctor, and I was told that it was just a non-harmful cyst in my underarms due to hormonal changes,” she shares. It was normal for her because she had just undergone uterus removal surgery a year ago. The doctor suggested that hormonal imbalance is one of the common impacts of the surgery. Not paying much attention to that, Premlata, continued with her daily life, until one day, she could not bear the pain anymore. “I could not move my left hand at all and lost a lot of hair,” she says. “This is when I was suggested to go to Ajmer and get it checked properly,” she shares. Going to Ajmer, getting herself checked, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “Back then I did not know anything about cancer, but I did not have any fear. I was very positive towards life.” But it was only until she underwent the operation, followed by chemotherapy. This broke her down. “I experienced so much pain that I wanted to hammer my head. I used to tell my mother to poison me,” she says. Her mother helped her navigate through these challenges. “My mother told me that my kids are very young, and they need me, so I should get better for them. This is what kept me going,” she says. Helping Others with Their Cancer BattlesIn 2008, after her husband passed away, she moved to Jaipur with her son. This is where she reached out to BMCHRC. “I shared my story with them and told them that I wanted to help other patients who were battling cancer,” she shares. Premlata shares that her father had always said to her that humanitarianism is the greatest virtue, which is where her inspiration to help other cancer patients came to her. “I did not just want to sit idle, I wanted to keep doing something. So, I learned yoga from Baba Ramdev, and I also earned my MD in Acupressure in Jodhpur. I wanted to seek alternatives to stay fit and healthy. Medicines are very costly, so I wanted an alternative that can help people without spending so much on pills,” she shares. Now, along with a cancer consultant, she is a Yoga instructor and an Acupressure specialist, treating over 60k people. In 2018, she went to Jaipur’s old age home and lived there to serve the elderly, help them and motivate them through their challenges. Another Battle, All Over Again18 years after her first battle with cancer, Premlata was diagnosed again with cancer, this time, a different kind. “I had severe back pain, but I ignored it at first thinking that it was just one of the things that happened with old age when you lift a heavy thing,” she shares. Being associated with a cancer hospital came in handy here and she went for a bone scan as suggested by one of the doctors. This is when she was diagnosed with fourth-stage cancer. “The doctor said that I only had a week’s time, but here I am, 5 years since I was diagnosed the second time,” she says with pride. Evolution In MedicinePremlata mentions that she has seen a lot of change in medicine, especially how accessible and less painful it has become. She underwent five radiation therapies that she recalls as being challenging, but not as painful as chemotherapy. Despite all odds, she still greets everyone with a smile and hopes to inspire others with her journey of defeating cancer twice.