When Anna Desai was diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer at 33, she was navigating the uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis at the same time the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life. Six years into remission, she says the most important lesson she’s learned, is for women to advocate for their health.
Desai, 40, works for a financial services firm specializing in corporate philanthropy. She was diagnosed with Stage 0, or non-invasive, ductal carcinoma when she was just 33 years old.
She had her annual OB-GYN appointment scheduled in March 2020, the same month the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and the United States declared a national emergency in response to the worldwide health crisis.
Desai, who had recently found a lump, was able to keep her appointment. It was found she had calcifications and she ended up getting lumpectomy surgery following her diagnosis.
Ductal carcinoma is a type of breast cancer which starts in the lining of the milk ducts of the breast, where abnormal cells form but have not broken through the duct walls into surrounding breast tissue.
“When I was first diagnosed, I felt fear, confusion and a general bewilderment,” Desai said. “In my family lineage, there had been no immediate history of breast cancer.”
The first people Desai turned to for support were her mother, Barbara, who had been a registered nurse for 50 years, as well as her husband, Anoop.
Desai added it was difficult to sift through the news in those first few weeks after she found out, and told the Bronx Times it was hard to focus on the next steps toward a treatment plan. She said her mother helped her get balanced.
During the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said her mother even took trips up to New York from her home in Alabama to support her daughter every step of the way throughout the process, from surgery to treatment.
In addition, Desai’s husband Anoop would sit in and take notes with her during virtual visits with her oncologist, Dr. Alyssa Gillego, who shared a prior bond with her mother before the diagnosis.
Desai also recalled her in-laws from North Carolina having been very supportive of her situation when Anna and Anoop were in town for radiation therapy during the precarious six-month period.
“We stayed with them and they really stepped up,” Desai said. “They were really instrumental.”
Desai added the boost from family, friends and co-workers was immense. Loved ones would send notes, letters, gifts and care packages to show emotional support and provide comfort.
Desai also told the Bronx Times she would keep a journal to document her thoughts during that time frame.
She was eventually connected with The Breasties, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of survivors, previvors, stage 4 thrivers and caregivers impacted by breast and gynecologic cancers, according to the organization.
The Breasties provides a dedicated and free app which serves as a global virtual community platform and virtual weekly meetups, among other services.
She also got connected and involved with the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer movement and its signature walks, which take place throughout the five boroughs and nationwide every October.
Always an advocate for physical health Desai said the experience reinforced the importance of self-preservation.
“I’m constantly reminding people to get routine screenings and to speak up if something doesn’t feel right — because nobody knows your body better than you do,” Desai said.
Desai, who is now six years in remission, hopes others can learn from her story and is passionate about supporting others who are forced to navigate a similar diagnosis.
“Not everyone is — but I am open and happy to share my experience and provide awareness to others,” she said. “People aren’t able to support you if they don’t know what you are going through.”
