Challenges of living with cancer
RANDPARK – Eve Mitchell speaks out on the important issues that come with beating cancer.
Eve Mitchell (62) explains how she dealt with beating cancer and how she still copes with it today.
Mitchell, a Randpark resident, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and was cleared of the disease last year.
For Mitchell, it has been an uphill journey as she now suffers from a fast-spreading bone cancer.
“I have received hormone blocking treatments. Hormones are the vehicle for the cancer to spread from your breast into your lymph nodes which aid in the cancer moving to the rest of your body,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell has retired, but still works on a contract basis due to her ongoing condition and treatments. When she receives both a form of chemotherapy (nicknamed red devil or red death) and hormone blockage treatments, it costs her close to R67 000.
Working in a male-driven office, Mitchell said, “When I shaved my hair off I used to get comments from the men saying ‘you look so cute with your hair shaved off’, which helped to keep me positive.”
According to her, it is all in your mind, the power and strength to beat cancer lies in your outlook on life.
In an extremely tearful explanation, Mitchell spoke about the dangers of having a living will – which her friend has and it stipulates that if her heart stops, she must not be resuscitated – while living with cancer.
“One of my young friends has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumour the size of a tennis ball, [and] it is breaking my heart because she has been given 20 days to live.
“She now needs to have an operation to remove the tumour but cannot have the operation due to the stipulation in her will. She wants to amend her will but the estate managers say she is not of fit mind to change the will. It hurts to see her suffering,” explained Mitchell.
“Cancer changes your view on life, not for the worst but to understand the value of life. So I urge everyone to be extremely careful when it comes to creating a living will while suffering from this disease. You are in quite an emotional state but it’s amazing what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it.”
