Stage four breast cancer!
This was the medical statement that Stella received in May last year after two months of misdiagnosis. “I was treated for mastitis, an inflammation of breast tissue, but the pain on my left breast was growing every day,” Stella remembers.
But when the burning sensations increased whenever she touched her left breast, she knew it was time to see a breast specialist. She was even more concerned that her breast had changed shape and she couldn’t even lift her handbag due to pain in her left armpit.
Household chores became a strenuous task.
She couldn’t sleep well.
When she finally darkened the doctor’s door, she got the correct diagnosis but the pronouncement took her aback. She had breast cancer stage four that had spread to the lymph nodes, the liver and the bones.
As the news sank in, she wore her heart on her sleeve and decided to be brave for all those who knew that she was an assertive lady. She did it for;
Her husband
Her children
Her siblings
Her marketing colleagues
Her praying circle at church.
Stella took a few days to draw inner strength and talk to her family and social circle. She took them through the treatment plan and told them that there would be blue days and dark nights ahead. Then it was time to sit their children down and let them know why Mummy had been sad and withdrawn for about a week. Linet, 14, Abigael, 10, and Wayne, 9, were informed that Mummy had breast cancer but she was going to fight it with all her strength. She asked them to pray for her.
“When we told them, they declared that God’s favour was with them. They prayed and encouraged me that God was with me always. They encouraged me that all would be well,” Stella says.
Her husband Ndwiga, never left her side and he has been the constant source of strength, she says. “He has walked with me right from the beginning when we had a battery of tests on our table. And when the diagnosis came, he said we shall bear it together,” she says.
Then she lit a candle and made a personal vow to allow the light to shine throughout her treatment. Her next stop was at the doctors’ where she assured them she was ready to fight the cancer that was slowly taking over her body. I told the doctor that we were a team!!! “The doctor took a photo of my ailing breast and discussed it with colleagues to draw an appropriate treatment plan,” she says.
From the oncology nurses, to the surgeons and other health specialists, Stella charmed them with her faith and positive outlook as she began treatment in May last year. Due to the extensive spread of her breast cancer, she was placed on four cycles of chemotherapy as the first line of treatment, six chemotherapy sessions for the second line of treatments and currently she is on the fifth session of the third line of treatment out of the scheduled 12.
And as she does the third line of chemotherapy, Stella chooses to wear her smile. Because the cancer that had spread to her bones, liver and lymph nodes is no longer there.
Zilch!! None of it!!
Stella is confident that being optimistic and having a great medical team, spiritual and family support have encouraged her to fight the breast cancer. “The check-ups on the liver have shown no signs of cancer. The chest x-rays are normal as well, this is nothing short than God’s miracle,” she said.
Some of the side effects she has experienced include muscle pull, numb and sensitive feet especially after a chemotherapy session. But she has learnt coping mechanisms like keeping warm and listening to her body’s cues.
“When I am tired, I sit back and relax
What is breast cancer?
Prof Ronald Wasike, a breast surgeon at Aga Khan University Hospital Hospital defines breast cancer as the development of abnormal cells in the breast. Prof Wasike notes that they usually present as lumps but they can later spread to other surrounding tissues if not treated early enough. It is the commonest form of cancer in women in Kenya.
Some women are more likely to develop breast cancer than others because of the presence of risk factors. The major factors include:
- A family history of breast cancer.
- Previous radiation therapy to the chest/neck area
- No known cause
In his book, ‘Breast Cancer: What we all need to know,’ Prof Wasike lists some of the changes that could be an indication of breast cancer;
- A lump or skin thickening of the breast.
- Skin dimpling or puckering.
- A nipple that is inverted and has not always been
- Dark or bloody discharge from the nipple that comes out by itself,
- Change in shape, texture, color of skin.
Even as Prof Wasike calls for screening to check for lumps in the breasts, he warns that not all lumps are cancerous hence they need to be investigated further even after they’ve been found. Investigating breast cancer involves the following tests.
- Mammogram- an x-ray of the breast
- Breast ultrasound- uses sound waves to look at the inside of your breasts
- Breast biopsy- tissue taken to lab for examination under the microscope for cancer cells by a pathologist.
- Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy- a thin needle is inserted into an area of abnormal-appearing tissue or body fluid
- Core biopsy- a large needle is used to remove tissue
After diagnosis, Prof Wasike calls for about a fortnight to seek a second, even a third opinion before the treatment plan is set. “With most breast cancers you can wait for a few weeks like two weeks make a decision to undergo counseling and/or seek a second opinion which will help you come out from denial and accept your condition so that you are psychologically ready for treatment, ‘ Prof Wasike says sin his book.
Prof Wasike also shares gems of some of the questions that you could ask the doctor after a breast cancer diagnosis;
- What training has the doctor had in treating women with breast cancer?
- How long has he/she has been treating women with breast cancer?
- What percentage (or how many) of the patients seen in his/her hospital have breast cancer?
- What therapies is she/he excited about?
- What medical conferences related to breast cancer has she/he has attended in the past two years?
The days and weeks after a breast cancer diagnosis can be anxious hence it’s important to attend the consultation meetings with a trusted person to walk the journey with. A notebook and pen will also come in handy to note the treatment options and also the proposed medicines to be given during this time. This would also be a chance to note down concerns that you can always raise with the doctor during consultation.
Stella says that after a diagnosis of breast cancer has been given, these are confusing and anxious times. She has some words of encouragement; “The first thing is to surrender the battle to God. He has promised that he will deal with all our diseases,” says Ndwiga as she quotes one of her favourite Bible verses in Psalms 103. “Once your faith is in check, start treatment immediately and eat healthy diets which include leafy vegetables and home-made juices,” she added.
She also cites the importance of health insurance. “NHIF has taken care of my first four chemotherapy sessions at Sh 25,000 per session. On the second-line of chemotherapy, NHIF catered for all my costs,” says Stella adding that in the third line of chemo, NHIF has paid for four sessions and she is optimistic that she will find a way to pay for the remaining eight sessions,
According to Prof Wasike, a treatment plan is drawn based on various factors like your age, the stage of the disease, the results of the hormone receptor test, whether you are pregnant among other factors.
The treatment options for breast cancer are;
- Surgery- removal of the cancerous tissue
- Radiation therapy
- Hormonal therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy.
Even as the treatment journey goes on, Stella has some reassuring words for anyone diagnosed with a chronic illness. ‘Follow the doctors’ advice during treatment, then do your part. God will heal you, just like he performed a miracle in my life,” says Stella.
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