Five relapses didn’t stop IT professional from working, maintaining a sense of normalcy
In 2016, Deepa received a devastating diagnosis of stage 1 lung cancer. It came as a shock to the IT professional who had never smoked nor had a family history of cancer.
Within a few months, the disease progressed to stage 4 and spread to her brain, bone, uterus and shoulder. Deepa underwent a multitude of treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and surgery.
The disease left many side effects including insomnia, hearing loss and numbness in her left arm. At one point, she lost her sense of taste and could not take spicy foods.
And yet, the cancer relapsed five times.
Work Keeps Her Going
Despite these setbacks, Deepa is a force to reckon with. She demonstrated grit and optimism throughout her cancer journey.
Part of the reason is how she retained her job throughout. Working not only pays for the hospital bills but also gives her a comforting sense of normalcy. It is for this reason that she’s keen to dispel misconceptions that cancer patients face at work.
“[People] thought that my cancer relapsed because I wasn’t resting fully. In my case, my cancer had nothing to do with work,” she says.
“There is this thinking that once you’re hit with cancer, you have to rest and stop working. People can’t seem to digest the fact that I can still work in spite of cancer. Work makes me happy and keeps me occupied.”
Her bosses were understanding and allowed her to work from home and take medical leave, underscoring the importance of supportive employers.
Deepa also benefitted from the Singapore Cancer Society’s (SCS) Return to Work (RTW) programme which helps cancer patients transition back to the workforce. RTW built her confidence in navigating situations at work and gave her a support system to handle work stress.
Family Was Her Anchor
Deepa counts herself lucky that her husband, Vinit, and son, Deepanshu, were a grounding force throughout her cancer.
Both came along during key doctor’s appointments so they could be apprised of her condition. When Deepa was unsure about something, Deepanshu proactively Googled and asked her doctor questions.
Meanwhile, Vinit took on household chores and settled the family’s finances, allowing Deepa to channel her salary toward her treatment. This gave her peace of mind.
A Light to Others
On top of juggling cancer and a career, Deepa actively gives back to the community.
While undergoing treatments, she volunteered with the Keat Hong Community Centre and was appointed as a C2E (community emergency and engagement committee) grassroots leader in 2019.
Besides that, she is active in cancer support groups and has held various leadership positions in SCS’s Bishana support group for women.
Her accomplishments inspired SCS principal occupational therapist, Ann Kuo, who nominated her for the 2022 Inspirational Patient & Caregiver Awards organised by Singhealth. Deepa’s story motivated Ann to continually improve the RTW programme to cater to workers in similar situations.
As Ann explains: “The return-to-work programme initially started with supporting cancer survivors in their search for new jobs but has expanded to include advanced cancer patients with existing jobs to maintain their role.”
Every cancer story is unique. Deepa’s experience has left a mark on SCS and its efforts to help individuals transition back to work in the pursuit of meaningful lives.