Interview with cancer patient and gynecologist: Ekaterina Gonchar

The #ЖитьПоддержимДругДруга (Live Support Each Other) project is a collection of stories about people and for people.

"What does "hold on" mean? I'm near. I'm with you"

We unite people who are ready to help, support and say: "I am with you."

Our project is a collection of stories of patients, doctors working with serious diseases, as well as doctors who themselves became patients and fought against these diseases.

Doctors, like all people, are not immune from cancer and go through the same difficult way to recovery through incomprehension, denial, pain and fear, learn to accept help, which can also be quite difficult sometimes, and look at their patients in a new way.

Ekaterina Ivanovna Gonchar

is a gynecologist, who was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer in 2018. Her first thoughts were: "Life goes on, and you are watching a dream and as if, it is not about you." Then chemotherapy, looking for a doctor for surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, surgery without breast preservation, radiation therapy, targeted therapy followed.

As a cancer patient, she learned from personal experience how charitable foundations can help, how to get advice from an onco psychologist and other support. Now Ekaterina Ivanovna is working again and sharing psychological and informational support with her patients who were also diagnosed with cancer.

The next day after the interview Ekaterina Ivanovna went to the hospital for a reconstructive operation to take the final step on the way to a new beloved life.

Looking ahead: Six months later, we met with Ekaterina Ivanovna again, but more on that later ...

Interview with Ekaterina Gonchar

Timeline of the interview: