Living with cancer: We are down but not out

…survivors narrate experiences
A diagnosis of cancer is bad, but a diagnosis of cancer in Nigeria is often described as end of the road. Ask any of the thousands of cancer survivors and several millions of persons living with cancer and they will tell you about the many faces of cancer. None of these faces are pretty.
They depict fear, sadness and helplessness. They tell the story of a disease that is not in any way complimentary or attractive to livelihood.
Experiences of the personalities behind these faces reveal the challenges they face on daily basis as they struggle to cope with the dreaded disease. They narrate how they spend their life savings, and how even their loved ones suffer in their effort to support their cause and ensure that they raise the needed funds required for diagnosis, treatment and management of the killer disease.
Take the case of 32-year-old Josephine, who was one of the several cancer patients that gathered this week at the monthly support meeting of breast cancer survivors’ forum, put together in Lagos by the Care Organisation Public Enlightenment, COPE.
Josephine’s entrance caused a sensation. Hers was the typical face of cancer.   The disease manifested itself severally on her. Writhing in pains, with a swollen right hand and air of sickness that hung around her, none present at the venue needed a soothsayer to explain that the real face of cancer had arrived.
Accompanied by her relative, Josephine was restless even when the Executive Director of COPE handed her a cheque worth a sizeable amount as part of the organisation’s support for her treatment. Josephine was at pains to collect the cheque or sign for it. The clock was ticking for Josephine. Her case is one of the many faces of cancer.
Others present at the event could be said to be luckier as they coped rather better despite the odds.     Many of the over 30 survivors at the monthly support group has a unique story of hope, encouragement, determination and zeal to beat cancer.
From one survivor to the other, their heart-rending stories could not but draw tears even from a stony heart. For these happy survivors, it was time to share love, care and hope for Nigerians facing threat of cancer.
Grace, a two year survivor, described cancer as always bringing out the loneliness in a person even when surrounded by loved ones. For her, it’s a lonely road. “I practically lived in my world all through the period, although my family members stood by me, none of them really understood what I was going through, but everyone got tired of me because we were all ignorant of cancer symptoms.”
Although, Grace survived cancer, she was not too lucky as she presented late to the hospital. Due to the delay, Grace lost her two breasts to cancer.
For her, ignorance and fear about the disease delayed her surgery which she later paid dearly. Her thought before she joined COPE group was that she has little time to live.
“I felt very depressed for a long while. Then I started reading about breast cancer and treatment processes in Nigeria. It was during the process I met COPE and I joined the support group.”
She said the courage to undergo mastectomy in the two breasts came from the organisation.  “I am happy today because I may be down for cancer but not out in anyway.”   But her fighting spirit told her victory. “It’s two years now since I did the surgery and I have as well finished my chemotherapy session. By God’s grace I am free from cancer,” she said.
For another survivor, Charity Ikem, her courage to live was part of the reasons she was not consumed by breast cancer. According to her, one thing anybody suffering from one form of cancer or the other will do to survive cancer is to show strength and shame the disease.
“It all started as a small lump in my right breast early last year. It was never an issue for me to check my breasts at any available opportunity, but this faithful day, I got the shock of my life when I found a lump on my right breast. At that point, I wasn’t sure if it was actually a cancerous lump, so I approached a colleague who took me to an examination centre at Redemption camp, Lagos.”
Upon examination, it turned out to be a lump needing serious attention and she was asked to do further tests to Know if it was benign or cancerous.
“When they tested further, it was confirmed that it was cancerous. That was how my life as a frequent hospital guest began,” she added.
Like the saying, “It might be you tomorrow”, Charity during her Youth Service Corp days, prior to being diagnosed with breast cancer was involved in an enlightenment project for women as part of her primary assignment on self breast examination and early cancer screening. Little did she know that few years after, she would become a cancer patient after all.
With the diagnosis, Charity was taken aback. Just like other Nigerians, Charity could not visit the hospital immediately, rather she took a step of faith to pray and ask God for guidance.
As a good Christian, Charity embarked on months of fasting and praying. Unfortunately, the cancer continued to grow. Sadly, the lump then spread to the lymph nodes in her armpit.
“I waited for about six more months. But November last year, I found out my right breast was getting much bigger than the other one. Most times, I had to put something on the left breast to make them look even,” she noted.
And then, the verdict came from the doctor when she eventually went back. It was time to cut off the breast, as it was already beyond mere removal of the lump.
The cancer had grown worse and was aggressive. I was told if I do not remove the breast that it would be the least of my worries, as the cancer would in no time spread beyond the armpit, as well as move to my second breast.
At this point, Charity was faced with the psychological trauma of having to live with only one breast. “I cried till my eyes almost went off. Fear was an unwelcome but persistent guest at this point for me. I couldn’t hide it any more or live in denial. It was time to tell my family members, except for my parents who were already old,” she said.
“I was told there was no more time to waste, so the doctor who was attending to me in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, asked me go to a private clinic since government doctors were on strike. I ended up paying N250, 000 and the operation was done successfully,” she explained.
With the successful surgery, Charity who expressed hope said she has conquered cancer not only because she had a good immune system against diseases but also because she took the hard part and went in for the surgery, as well as her resolve not to delay any longer, as that was the major reason most cancer patients end up dying.
On other factors that led her on to shame cancer, she said COPE played a vital role in her treatment. “When I was psychologically down, the organisation gave me hope, which also in turn, made me to go for the surgery without thinking about the treatment which for me then was a further death sentence.”
Corroborating their views during a special monthly support group meeting organised by COPE recently in Lagos, where cheques were handed over to some of the survivors for their continued treatment, the Chief Executive Officer of COPE, Mrs. Ebunola Anozie, who noted that millions of Nigerian women are suffering from breast cancer advocated for the establishment of a Comprehensive Cancer Care Centres across the country to address the epidemic of the disease.
Anozie who explained that to her, the poor and costly state of Nigeria’s cancer treatment and diagnosis units in most hospitals in the country were nothing to write home about. “We need these treatment centres in Lagos State, so that people do not have to fly abroad anymore for treatment. Not everyone can afford treatment or even diagnosis abroad and many people have died because they do not have money for treatment,” she said.
Anozie who also lit up different colourful candles as a way of lifting up their spirit after demise of one the survivors said public spirited individuals, the government and various corporate organisations should reach out to cancer patients in the country and provide needed care, as this may be the hope for the patients to carry on with life.
“Cancer treatment is expensive, especially in Nigeria and when we write to people for funds sometimes, some wonderful people donate but many others simply ignore. Anyone could be diagnosed with cancer and the treatment is so expensive that some people go bankrupt from it. Every form of help from the society would help a lot,” Anozie said.
The high point of the meeting was the distribution of cheques and other gift items to the survivors as part of efforts to support them through the course of their treatments.