'I Love Life': Nafisa Ali Opens Up on Cancer, Acceptance and Hope
In a candid interview, Nafisa Ali speaks about her incredible zest for life, despite two cancer diagnoses.
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Veteran actor and politician Nafisa Ali Sodhi was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018. She had been in Goa at the time. The actor recalls that after a series of disappointing doctors' appointments ending in misdiagnosis, it was Madhu Trehan who, upon finding her holding her aching abdomen in pain at an event one day, asked her to get a 'proper check-up'.
She was diagnosed with stage 3 peritoneal cancer. The actor reveals that the delay in her diagnosis had caused the cancer to metastatise. Nevertheless, Ali overcame the cancer, only for it resurge. Earlier this month, Ali revealed on social media that she had been diagnosed with Stage 4 peritoneal cancer, requiring her to resume chemotherapy. The 68-year-old, however, remains full of life and optimism.
In a candid interview with Harinder Baweja for The Quint, Ali speaks intimately about her fight with cancer, the relapse, the pain of chemotherapy and the perils of misdiagnosis and medical negligence when it comes to women's health. She also speaks about how she maintains her zest for life, which in turn fuels her spirit of activism.
Read edited excerpts from the interview:
You've fought and defeated cancer in the past. Now, it has resurfaced with a vengeance. And yet, Nafisa, your smile remains not just infectious but inspiring. Tell me, how do you keep that smile on your face?
What to do? Otherwise I will be dead in two years! (laughs)
I smile through life, even through all the trauma, because I find that it opens doors instead of shutting them down. That's my mantra in life. It's important to keep the doors and windows open and believe in the universe.
What was it like to find out that you have Stage 4 cancer? Did your heart sink?
No, I couldn't believe it. Even the first time, when they told me, that I had a very aggressive form of peritoneal, ovarian cancer, which has spread because of misdiagnosis, I laughed it off. I said it would be okay. That was Stage 3. This time, I asked the doctor, what stage is it? Turned out to be 4. So I said, okay! It's just another step. Let's try and work it out.
The funny thing is, I was feeling absolutely fine, I was turbo-charged, before the diagnosis. I never fell sick.
And suddenly, I ate a lot of ice cream and chocolates in Australia. So I don't know if that has done me any harm. So I stopped it all. No more sugar!
I learnt about the resurgence of the cancer from a Facebook post in which you said that chemotherapy is said to begin again... It has quite severe side-effects. How do you cope with those spells?
So, three years ago, I had a relapse which was operated on. After that, I had to do my PET scan, and found out I have fourth stage cancer, that it had spread to the abdomen and other parts. It's not operable. So chemo is the only way forward.
Chemo is a very toxic process. I dislike it immensely. But when I take it, I tell my body to enjoy the journey and allow the cancer to be attacked and depleted. That's what chemo is. It's not a joy in anybody's life.
After the chemo, they give you an injection to stimulate your body cells. That also knocks you down with pain in your joints, it gives you fever. It just makes you feel BAD. So, I felt bad for a while, yesterday I was feeling better. By tomorrow, I will feel good. I even went for a walk, five rounds around the park. So that's how I know that I am getting better. I listen to my body.
I am trying to attack the cancer through the knowledge of the doctors. I can only pray for the inner strength that my body can fight, now that it knows that it has to fight.
A cancer diagnosis can be very difficult for the family to absord. Some families are afraid to even spell out the word cancer. Some refer to it as the ’c‘ word. What do you think of that?
I always say, 'Don't hide your cancer'. Why is it something to hide? It's just a part of life. Cancer exists in everbody's body. It is only our immunity that attacks it and suppresses it. I had a lot of stress levels. Perhaps that is why I had this aggressive relapse. But you have to keep your mind at peace, that's important.
In your Facebook post, you write, 'Believe me, I love life'. Can you elaborate?
I love life. And I'm totally mother-oriented, house-homed, helping people, always there for anyone who needs me. I just love life. I don't turn my back on situations where I know I can reach out and help. Which also brings out the activism in me. It also gives me the human nature or spirit. Which today we just seem to walk past, or ignore. And that really troubles me. Because there is so much grief around in the world. And it's always the leadership that is manipulating. And that makes me really troubled.
Because I believe in karma. I think only the devil is proliferating today. And I feel the avenues for people to find out the truth or speak it are shut down. Even the media is so suppressed or oppressed. Sorry, I am talking about this but that's my nature, it's who I am.
You're a swimming champion. Has that taught you to swim against the tide?
Against the tide, yes. It has also taught me what Swamji (I am a believer of Swami Chinamayananda) taught me. He says, in life, just get on to the boat. Don't drown. If it tosses and turns you, it's fine but stay on the boat and it will find it's way back. That's what I try to do; play with life. Because life is actually a game. There is a plan that you don't know of.
But you have scripted your life yourself... Any regrets?
I really wish I could have done more. If there's one thing I regret most, I regret not being in Parliament, where I could fight for my country with the strength and conviction that I believe India needs. India is not an island, we are not by ourselves, we are not one religion. We are multicultural, and we have a future with the earth, together. The faster these so-called big-wigs realise the importance of that the better. We are destroying our youth, and our future.
Watch the full interview for more.