Breast cancer survivor instils hope through her journey

With Breast Cancer Awareness Month in full swing, the Northsider sat down with a local cancer survivor who shared her journey of recovery.

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases, but having it isn’t a death sentence, according to an Allen’s Nek healthy and fit survivor, Sandra Strydom.

A retired Sandra, who has been in remission for 15 years, detailed how beating cancer changed her world around.

“I never used to worry about my birthday, but made sure that my husband and children’s birthdays were celebrated. That was until I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2005. Since then I would celebrate my birthday because I realised every year it was a blessing to able to do so,” a grateful Sandra expressed.

Recollecting the build-up to her diagnosis, the humble and sweet elderly said she was baffled when she first felt the lump in her breast. “That was a very confusing and difficult period of my life, and once I was diagnosed, the first thing that came to my mind was, ‘Oh, so I’m going to die?’,” she recalled asking her doctor at the time.

She had enough reasons for negative thoughts because she was diagnosed with HER2, which is an aggressive type of breast cancer.

However, good medical support, doctors, family, her church and Reach for Recovery, an organisation she now chairs on the West Rand, are some of the pillars she said gave her strength.

“With all the support I had, I decided to adopt a positive attitude because I knew I was going to beat this,” an optimistic Sandra said.

“I went through surgery followed by chemotherapy for a year. My authorised treatment was Herceptin (a drug that treats reoccurrence of breast cancer). After chemo followed oral medication for five years, and lastly annual check-ups before I was cancer-free,” she explained.

Reflecting on her journey to recovery, Sandra said, “It’s been a long but good walk that I am grateful for”.

As living proof that this chronic disease can be defeated, Sandra uses her story as a testament to inspire others through Reach for Recovery, an international non-profit organisation that promotes breast cancer awareness. “The organisation started in America and made it to our shores in 1967 when its founder came to the country. We’ve been running our West Rand branch for 27 years now. Our function is to visit women in hospitals after they’ve had a mastectomy or any other operation related to breast cancer. We offer them emotional and practical support by equipping the patient with supplies to bring ease to their journey to recovery,” she explained.

Sandra concluded by encouraging anyone, including men, who are not sure about a lump in their breast to have it examined. “It’s a very scary thing to do. Sometimes it is just fat necrosis, a lump of dead or damaged breast tissue, but it’s always advisable to have it medically checked.”

To learn more about Reach for Recovery, email Sandra at sandrastrydom247@webmail.co.za or visit www.reachforrecovery.org.za.