Munira Premji’s Story: Re-defining relationship with food (World Cancer Day – Feb 4)

Five years ago today, my world was shattered. Within a two-week period, I was diagnosed with two advanced blood cancers: stage 3 multiple myeloma and stage 4 non-hodgkin lymphoma. I had enjoyed good health until receiving my diagnoses, so it was a very difficult time for me and my family.

As my body went through chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments to combat the cancers, I experienced many side effects: from painful mouth sores to extreme fatigue; from constipation to diarrhoea; from not being able to eat food for days to eating a whole tub of ice cream in one sitting. My weight fluctuated — I lost and gained anywhere from 15 to 20 pounds, depending on where I was in my treatment cycle.

When I first started to lose weight, I was elated! I looked better, I shopped for clothes that were two sizes smaller and I smiled every time the numbers on the scale dropped. But soon I realised that this came at a price. Not eating meant I was becoming progressively weaker and more fatigued.

I was forced to re-define my relationship with food — to start seeing it as a source of energy that would help my body fight the illnesses I was going through.

Read more at the source: From yucky to yummy – eating during cancer | The Ismaili

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