“I always say that my journey with breast cancer didn’t start with me. It actually started with my mother,” said breast cancer survivor, Candice King of uMhlanga.
She believes there is always a rainbow after the storm, and her rainbow came in the form of self-rediscovery and taking on the role of a life coach.
King works with women who are going through life-altering trauma and helps them to both rediscover and redefine who they are, following their experiences.
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“Just before my mom passed away in November 2014, I went to the gynaecologist for my regular check-up. I was 33 at the time. The doctor felt my breast and noticed that I had a lump, which I had never felt before.
“Although he said it was nothing to worry about, due to my age and wasn’t overly concerned, he left the decision up to me to have it checked. I knew I had to have tests done as my mother had been diagnosed with cancer that April in 2014,” said King.
She received the dreaded news two weeks later – on the day of her mother’s memorial. The diagnosis confirmed she had breast cancer.
“My world came crumbling down when I heard the words: you will have to see an oncologist. For the first time in my life, I had to make the difficult decision of choosing me, or opting to choose and grieve my mom. I chose me. It made me feel bad that I wasn’t giving my mom the opportunity to be mourned, I am glad that I made the decision. As much as cancer is physical, it’s also about the mind and you have to ensure that your mindset and emotions are in a solid place to fight it,” she said.
After King saw her oncologist, she felt a sense of relief as she knew what she was dealing with. She carefully jotted down questions on topics that were on her mind and went in guns blazing, with the support of her husband, daughters, family and friends. She felt ready to kick cancer.
“I was diagnosed with Stage 2b breast cancer. My cancer was hormone receptor positive, which means the cancer tested positive for oestrogen and progesterone,” said King.
The red devil chemotherapy she endured for three months did what it was meant to and shrank the tumours in King’s breast.
She had breast conserving surgery and 22 lymph nodes were removed from her arm. King felt fortunate she did not have to undergo a mastectomy.
“Those three months were mentally and physically challenging but, through my journey, I found the positive. My husband and daughters held a shower party for me when I could finally shower after radiation. When we shaved my hair off, we made that fun as well.
“I have had a person tell me that I have a beautifully shaped head and even strangers prayed for me and gave me messages of hope. My family and friends were so supportive and they saw me through some of my darkest days. There were numerous lessons that came out of my ordeal,” said King.
Her advice to everyone, men and women, is to not ignore the signs when their body’s check engine light comes on. King encouraged young girls and women to conduct self-breast examinations.
“If you are on the same journey of fighting a terminal illness, keep your mind in check, celebrate the small wins and surround yourself with positive people. Having cancer does not define who you are. A big part of my journey was also discovering who I am. I changed through my experience and paved the way to me becoming a life coach,” she said.
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