-Haimwati Hariprasad talks about her diagnosis, treatment and fight to survive

BATTLING cancer is an exhausting journey. Your life, along with the lives of those you hold close, changes in an instant, and it can feel as though no one understands.

Haimwati Vedya Hariprasad is an exceptionally strong woman. The mother of two boys ages 20 and seven was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2023.

In sharing her story, the 41-year-old housewife recalled that in 2016 she noticed that her neck was swollen. After visiting a doctor, she was informed that she had a goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland, and although she was treated with medication, her condition did not improve.

Last July, while having surgery to remove the goiter, doctors noticed something unusual and asked her eldest son who was waiting at the hospital, for his permission to conduct a biopsy. He agreed and days later, Haimwati received a call informing her that the results were ready.

“I was very nervous, and I asked if she [the caller] can tell me. She said no, that was not her place. I have to discuss it with my doctor. So, myself and my husband, we went to see my doctor,” she recalled.

Haimwati described the moment that she learned she had thyroid cancer as devastating and shocking. The next step was to remove her entire thyroid gland and subsequently undergo radiation treatments. However, she noted that radiation for thyroid cancer is not available in Guyana. This meant she had to travel to Trinidad, the United States, the United Kingdom, or Cuba to receive this treatment.

“That doctor that I was seeing, it was at the private doctor. He also works at Georgetown [Hospital], and he was trying to get me over at Georgetown to do my second surgery. But the waiting there was very long. It was long before I could get an appointment to see the doctor. They had told me maybe till November; this was in July. It was cancer we were talking about, and I didn’t want to take any more chances,” she said.

Haimwati waited approximately one month for her surgery to remove her thyroid glands, and on August 22, 2023, her surgery was successful.

“That was when I had a total removal of my thyroid along with all my lymph nodes and whatever they found,” she added.

LIFE AFTER SURGERY

“Life after thyroid surgery is completely different. It is an emotional breakdown. It’s a roller coaster because your thyroid controls your body, your emotions, everything. Too many times after I had this second surgery done, I was in depression because of it,” she explained.

She stated that the entire experience has been very painful. “Some days, you’re struggling, you cannot get up. I live on tablets. If I don’t live on them, I surely can’t. The one major side effect that I am dealing with is cramps.”

Haimwati is currently in the process of applying for a medical visa to travel to the United States for radiation treatment.
At home, Haimwati has a strong support system. Her mother lives with her and is there to support her family during this difficult time.

Additionally, her older son provides immense support.

She is also involved with the Guyana Cancer Foundation, which is led by Bibi Hassan, and she expressed appreciation for the overwhelming support she has received from the organisation.

“There’s always help for someone. Even if you’re not in the foundation, you go there and you ask for assistance…any cancer that you’re battling, there’s always help,” Haimwati said.