“Cancer is so limited; it is just a WORD, not a sentence!” says 40-year-old Harsha Nagi, a beautiful mom to two fantastic girls. This incredibly inspirational woman has survived Stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis by considering cancer not the end of her life but the beginning of something bigger. Let’s meet a leadership and fitness coach who has dedicated her career to the well-being of breast cancer warriors. Happy reading!
Getting a warm hug from someone is one of the sweetest experiences. These hugs saved me from an impending problem. In August 2021, I sensed something odd in my right breast when my kids hugged me. Initially, I ignored it, but I consulted a gynecologist when it didn’t go away. She ran some tests and told me about stage 3 Breast Cancer diagnosis.
This was a huge shock for someone who used to indulge in an hour of workout every day! I could not process how I, out of everyone else, could get it. I used to coach women on strength training and nutrition, so this was totally out of my radar.
While I was trying to digest this huge blow that life just threw at me, the oncologist suggested I get surgery earliest possible. I was worried about the future of my kids. At the bottom of my heart, I was also afraid how I would undergo the painful chemo sessions & bear the extreme changes in my physical appearance.
Post stage 3 cancer diagnosis, the treatment journey left me with a lot of side effects while chemo and radiation. From nausea to mouth sores, convincing my body to fight against cancer was extremely painful.
Almost a week before I was expected to start losing hair, I decided to go for a bob cut like Preity Zinta. All I wanted was a fun memory of my beautiful hair before cancer took them away! While I thought the haircut would be an exciting experience, I ended up crying on the seat.
As soon as the hairdresser started cutting my hair, strands started coming out. It was almost like some of my hair were just kept on my head, and one had to just touch it to take them off. I planned to get a full shave. While the hairdresser was shaving my head, I decided to let go of the sad layers of my personality.
At that moment, I realised that cancer can’t cripple the hope which keeps me going each day. I promised myself to embrace hair loss as a part of my growth journey. I gave my cut hair to make wigs for cancer patients.
Losing the hair on my head was painful, but what followed was an unimaginable void. Every morning when I’d wash my face, I felt the twigs of my eyelashes and eyebrows come off in my hand.
No doubt it was hard to bear all this, but I convinced myself that God has bigger things in the plan. These falling hair seemed like the shedding of tree leaves before a beautiful spring blossom. It was a constant reminder to lead a more intentional and purposeful life.
I stood in front of the mirror and told myself – I am not my CANCER, I am not my HAIR. I am Harsha, a woman who is brave, kind, graceful, caring, and empathetic, a woman who knows her worth!
After much physical and mental pressure, I now call myself a proud breast cancer survivor. Through my ‘win breast cancer India hub,’ I have dedicated my life to helping breast cancer warriors via targeted exercise, nutrition, and a positive mindset to heal faster and better!
Harsha’s journey as a breast cancer survivor is one of utmost grit and optimism. She decided to outshine stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis and believed this obstacle would help her become a better version of herself. Wasn’t her story truly inspiring? Comment below what you think!
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The story is truly inspiring. Salute to your courage and optimism to have compiled it all and put it out there for everyone to get motivated. Keep going girl!