It often happens that a cancer patient requires physical and/or financial rehabilitation.

We run a Breast Cancer Support Group and also offer voice rehabilitation support to laryngectomy patients.

A Mastectomy Club started with a mastectomy patient going to Mumbai (at a distance of approximately 600 km. from Indore) in order to get breast prosthesis. Motivated by a strong desire to help others, she underwent training in this field. Subsequently, she offered emotional support and breast prosthesis guidance to the other patients, her positive and matter of fact approach to her disease, a morale booster to the new patients.

	Members of the Breast Cancer Support Group being shown around the radiotherapy facility at our institute.
	During the interactive session with Dr. Vandana Jain, Radiotherapist at our institute.

In October 2002 , it was decided to expand the support services offered to breast cancer patients with the inauguration of the Breast Cancer Support Group. The idea was to demystify cancer, to try and remove the fear attached to the word, to create awareness about breast cancer and the advantages of early detection. The message that we try to communicate is that it should not be feared and the early signs should not be ignored. We encourage breast self-examination. The attempt is to facilitate the path back to normal life. For this it is necessary that the lady be able to view breast cancer as something that happened to her and that has been dealt with as best as is possible (given the state at which it was detected). Breast cancer is not her defining identity, losing a breast should not be seen as a loss of her femininity. The group facilitates the coming together of women with a similar experience, who could empower each other and enrich lives. Talking to others who have gone through the same experience helps; the sharing very often creates a bond and facilitates a degree of openness, which is in itself a healing process; in addition to the learning that ensues from the information shared. We have consciously decided not to confine the membership to any particular group of breast cancer patients, because ‘cured and living a normal life 20 years post-op' to ‘a person with a galloping cancer' are 2 sides of the same coin, the reality of living with cancer.

The Breast Cancer Support Group, started in October 2002, met regularly over the last 7 years. A talk, by a specialist (oncologist or a physiotherapist or a nutritionist or even a yoga expert) or one of the members, is the main feature. This is normally followed by a question and answer session. A heartening feature has been that the Breast Cancer Support Group is living up to its name and one finds the newer members, especially if they are still undergoing treatment, being talked to by the older members.

Recently, we also started the practice of inviting the family of the members to join us for some of the meetings.

The activities of the Breast Cancer Support Group were carried out from the bungalow that has been provided by the Narayan & Vatsala Bhouraskar Public Charitable Trust. This trust was the brain child of late Dr. Shalini Bhouraskar, a Professor at the Indore University, who herself had cancer.

It has now been decided to change the format of BCSG and henceforth meetings will not be organized at fixed intervals, in short it will have a free flowing format and periodicity.

	Mr. Narayan Singh Sankhla, a laryngectomee patient, talking to Smt. Vasundhara Raje at the rehabilitation centre inauguration programme.

A laryngectomy Club was also established in February 1998 for the rehabilitation and voice restoration of patients with cancer of the voice box (larynx), who lose their voice after extirpative surgery. Loss of speech is a traumatic experience, however, it is possible to rehabilitate such patients. Apart from other methods, an Electrolarynx can help them get trained in recovering their voices. The club has successfully generated high motivation for speech recovery with the help of electro-larynxes gifted by Mrs. Joyce Mitchell on behalf of the Seattle Laryngectomy Club.

Very often a cancer patient may also require support for financial rehabilitation. The cost of treatment, the need to do less demanding or no work during treatment and/or thereafter, at times the treatment causes a physical debilitation (like voice box removal) that impinges on the person's ability to work, are some of the factors that place a strain on the patient's financial resources.

	Smt. Vasundhara Raje, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, inaugurated our IDBI Rehabilitation Centre.

Appreciating this problem, the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), under its community development project gave a grant for the construction of the necessary building. The grant, however, did not cover the purchase of the required equipment and the recurring cost of running the centre. Today, the construction is complete. Small donations, in the form of sewing and knitting machines have been received. The Institute's computer is also used for training. In addition, we counsel patients and/or families and help them identify government-aided institutes that offer free or subsidized vocational training.

Honorable Union Minister of State, Mrs. Vasundhara Raje, inaugurated this phase of our rehabilitation center in April 2002.

We are now working on evolving an employment cell. This cell will comprise of volunteers. The patients and/or families who require support in finding employment will be interviewed and the volunteers will try and contact potential employers. We have to create a database of companies who are sympathetic to the plight of cancer patients and are willing recruit such candidates.

Gradually, finances permitting, we will expand our rehabilitation work.

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