CAROLINE BAZZI

Beirut– 48-year-old Anc Xelil told our news agency her story about breast cancer and how she overcame this disease. “About five years ago, I completed my treatment. When I was 38-year-old, I felt a lump in my breast one night. The next day, I called my doctor and I was asked to get a mammogram. I was worried but I never thought I was a breast cancer patient.”

She continued to tell her story as follows: “My doctor asked me if I took regular mammograms. I was under 40 and I hadn’t taken any tests. After getting a mammogram test, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctor told me they should perform surgery on me to remove the cancer cells. I lost my father and aunt to cancer so I accepted to undergo the operation. I wasn’t afraid. After the surgery, I received eight chemotherapy sessions and 35 radiotherapy sessions. I bought wigs due to hair loss. My nails turned dark and I used nail polishes to cover up the effects of the disease.”

“People supported me”

Anc Xelil always tried to be optimistic during her treatment, “I believed in myself to overcome this disease. I thought it was a phase and it would pass. And I overcame it. Sometimes, I felt hopeless and suffered from pain. My family, friends, and people around me always supported and stood by me.” Anc Xelil is a divorced woman and she gets custody of her son. “I was just worried about my son.”

Call on women

Addressing women, Anc Xelil said, “Do not be afraid. Always think that you are beautiful when you have this disease. Women should get mammograms every year for an early diagnosis. They should resist when they are diagnosed with cancer.”