Despite being told that she stood no chance of surviving, cancer survivor Precious George of Reiger Park beat the odds and has been in remission for nearly three decades now.
The 57-year-old was diagnosed with cervical cancer at 28 when her painful heavy menstrual periods marked the beginning of her cancer nightmare.
“After the diagnosis, I was sent for a pap smear before I was referred to a gynaecologist who sent me for further tests. They then confirmed that I had cervical cancer.
“The doctor broke my heart when he told me I was going to die and there was nothing he could do to prevent that,” she said.
“However, I was eventually put on medication and underwent a hysterectomy.
“I struggled with a lot of pain, felt weak, exhausted, suffered memory loss and lost a lot of weight, which was a very scary part of my life. I also lost my hair when I began chemotherapy after the hysterectomy procedure and was in and out of the hospital, subjected to the most heinous chemo sessions known as ‘red devil’.
“This made me nauseous for days and I lost my appetite, which was accompanied by a terrible shortness of breath,” George explained.
“Throughout my journey, I wanted to be alone because some people were spreading malicious and unjustified rumours about me. Some were even saying I was HIV positive. These allegations exacerbated my health condition.”
Recovery
George said she believed she would not conquer her cancer if she did not put faith in Christ and trust in His plans for her life.
“I was fortunate to only have two chemo sessions during the second year of diagnosis. Just before my 30th birthday, I was given the all-clear, which was exciting news,” she said.
When George was 32, she rang a bell in the chemo ward to signify her full recovery. She only had lingering effects of the chemo.
She said her greatest challenge during her cancer journey was to overcome the fear of dying and leaving her children behind.
“Throughout my illness, my children proved they could do things on their own – with some assistance from my family.
“This greatly aided me because I was able to confront my fear and knew they would be well taken care of, whatever happened.
“This helped me to strengthen my faith in Christ and to trust in His plans for my life,” she said.
George said she wished she had known more about cancer before being diagnosed.
“If you don’t know much about cancer, you won’t know much about your condition because you’ll only be given medication and no information.
“My advice for best supporting a loved one going through this would be to provide more support, care and understanding.
“Families should also help the patient join a cancer support group where they can receive additional guidance and support,” said George.
To find a cancer support group near you and for information on all cancer topics, go to the Cancer Association of South Africa website, www.cansa.org.za.
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