UAE cancer survivor’s unyielding spirit

Acceptance and self-reliance are part of UAE resident Nicola Simpson’s healing.

Breast cancer survivor Nicola Simpson said that she was advised ‘not to let her cancer live her’. Victor Besa for The National

DUBAI // Health and fitness was always a huge part of marathon runner Nicola Simpson's life. The news she had breast cancer could not have been more of a shock.
That diagnosis was in 2013, and, as she prepares for a double mastectomy later this year, the 47-year-old, who credits the support of close friends for aiding with her recovery, knows that not all women are as lucky as she has been and that more could be done to help.
Specialists discussed improvements for support networks in the UAE at a meeting staged by the Emirates Association for Cancer Support (EACS).
A plan has been devised to help those with breast cancer coordinate their long-term care.
Mrs Simpson went through her final chemotherapy treatment in July last year.
"I never thought cancer would arrive in my world," said Mrs Simpson, from Zimbabwe. "Some people are not confident enough to talk about breast cancer. Others don't know what to do.
"I was offered some good advice, that I should live the cancer and not let it live me. That turned everything on its head. It can become all-consuming and easy to lose control."
Mrs Simpson had flown to South Africa for a wedding when a friend advised her to have an unusual spot checked out. She was fit, healthy and had run a half-marathon the day before.
The health check revealed a need for further assessment. The spot turned out to be a 7cm tumour and a biopsy confirmed she had breast cancer.
An operation to remove a lymph gland followed. Mrs Simpson will undergo a double mastectomy in July in Cape Town as a precautionary step as she is considered to be at high risk of developing the cancer again, possibly in her other breast.
"You have to show you are dealing with cancer," she said. "But acceptance on a personal level is the first step. A positive attitude is also very important. Not everyone can rely on their friends and family.
"Some people pull into themselves, as they deal with things differently. Expats often go back home to have treatment and receive support. But as an expat in the UAE with cancer, it is not always easy and the support here could be better."
Mrs Simpson's diagnosis in Cape Town took two hours following her biopsy, but some results can take up to seven days. It is a process she would like to see improve.
During her treatment, friends helped out with errands, such as picking up her son Ethan from school or going for walks with her after chemotherapy sessions.
In that time, Mrs Simpson's 40-year-old cousin was also told she had cancer. She died two months later.
The loss brought home the severity of her own condition and tested her positive attitude.
Just a few months after her final treatment, she ran a marathon in Myanmar in November and has now joined a support group called Breast Friends.
It is the kind of project that Dr Afra Al Murri, director of EACS, a non-profit organisation for the financial and morale support benefiting cancer patients, wants to see developed here.
Breast Friends provides psychological counselling and support to all breast cancer patients, survivors and their families. It also offers educational programmes to the community about breast cancer.
The group meets on the third Sunday of the month at Emirates Towers Hotel.
Established by Dr Houriya Kazim, consultant breast surgeon at the Well Woman Clinic and the UAE's first female surgeon, the group has partnered with the Al Jalila Foundation, established by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. It is one of the few specialist breast cancer support groups in Dubai.
"I personally know several women that credit Dr Kazim and Breast Friends for supporting them through the most difficult time of their lives," said Carla Duarte, who works at the Al Jalila Foundation.
"Today they are champions of the cause and make sure that no woman faces breast cancer alone. Too bad other cancers do not have the same support system."
To find out more about Breast Friends, email [e-mail].
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