Stage 3 breast cancer has been a tough opponent for Ananda Lewis, who used to be an MTV veejay in the 1990s and is now a TV host and a loving mother. Through this tough fight, she has shown strength, refused to give in to fear, and been determined to take charge of her health again. Lewis, who is 47 years old, chose to tell her story to the world in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She thinks that talking about what happened to her is important for both her own healing and for making more people aware of this common disease.
No matter what, Lewis has never been afraid. She is sure that fear can be crippling, stopping people in their tracks and keeping them from doing what they need to do. She didn’t let her fear take over; instead, she faced her news head-on. “I’ve always thought that fear makes people weak. “It stops you from moving, and I’ve never seen it as helpful,” Lewis said. “I was able to take things into my own hands and start working against these problems with cells.”
During a self-exam in January 2019, she found a lump in her breast. This was the start of her journey. She had never had a mammogram before this, in part because she was afraid of the radiation because her mother had many of them over the course of her life. But the diagnosis completely changed how she saw things. Lewis now pushes for early mammograms and tells women to put their health first.
At first, Lewis didn’t tell anyone about her illness because she didn’t want her family and friends to go through the emotional pain it could cause. She also knew that they might not like her choice to look into alternative therapies instead of standard treatment. She said, “I just thought, ‘What’s the point of scaring them silly when they can’t do anything about it?’ I’m not going to follow something that will make them feel safe.'” Her love for her family was stronger than her desire to make them afraid for no reason.
But as the pandemic got worse and her tumor got bigger, forcing her treatment sites to close, Lewis changed her mind. Along with her alternative methods, she started to look into integrative therapies. It didn’t change that she was always positive and strong. “I thought, “Okay, that means I need to do more.” I need to figure something else out. “That means I need to get bigger weapons for the battle,” Lewis said.
Immunotherapy showed a lot of promise. The body’s immune system is used in this new method to fight cancer cells. Lewis started immunotherapy after a friend who had been cancer-free for eight years told her to do so. She made the firm choice to skip chemotherapy and take charge of her cancer journey. This let her use alternative therapies while working with a group of medical professionals.
Lewis learned a lot about self-advocacy and how important it is to listen to one’s body during this difficult time. She stressed how important it is to speak up for yourself, especially women whose feelings are often ignored. “You need to speak up for yourself because no one else will care about you.” You think about yourself. “It’s your body and your life,” Lewis said. Determined because she wants to be there for her 9-year-old son, which is what drives her to keep looking for answers and healing.
A fearless fighter against breast cancer, Ananda Lewis is an inspiration to those going through similar problems and a lesson of how important it is to be strong and speak up for yourself. Her unshakable resolve to enjoy every moment of life continues to shine through.