‘Cancer doesn’t kill people, ignorance does’ – More
Breast cancer is an illness which tears families apart.
Breast cancer is an illness which tears a family apart and leaves children orphaned while claiming the lives of their loved ones. Many breast cancer sufferers can be spared this harsh reality because if it is detected early, many lives can be saved.
Dobsonville based cancer survivor, Faith More was advised by a medical doctor that she should undergo breast cancer examination and discovered that she had breast cancer in December last year.
More said, “At the time my mother, who is deceased now, was suffering from full-blown stage 4 cancer. I regularly took her for medical treatment at a nearby hospital,” said More.
The severity of the disease and the advanced stage meant that the cancer spread and More’s mother died of cancer in July last year. During her mother’s treatment for the disease, More was encouraged to undergo a cancer examination and she listened to the doctor’s advice.
She said that during the examination, doctors discovered that she had stage 1 breast cancer.
“I went for counselling with my family and this helped a lot to prepare us for any eventualities. My mother’s death prepared us well and we knew what we were up against. I started chemotherapy treatment from January to August this year,” said More.
During the chemotherapy treatment, More lost her hair and her skin colour changed. She added that in some instances she suffered memory loss and severe fatigue which caused her to sleep a lot.
“I lost my appetite for food and it was a struggle during the eight months I was undergoing chemotherapy. I survived chemotherapy because I followed a strict diet. Prayers also kept me alive during that difficult period and my family was always by my side, supporting me all the way,” said More.
According to More, most cancer patients die because they refuse to talk about their illness and added that speaking publicly about her illness to her friends and family played a vital role in the healing process. She underwent a final operation in August this year and believes that the cancer is in remission.
“Cancer didn’t only claim my mother’s life, but opened a new career path for me as I’m always booked for public speaking to talk about this dreadful illness,” said More.
She said people should consult a medical professional once a year at their local clinics as they provided this free service to help combat the disease. For women, undergoing tests for breast and cervical cancer is extremely important to ensure that the disease is detected early.
In recent times, men have to take note as the silent killer as cancer has become known, affects men as well.
“This will help to detect cancer at an early stage. Cancer doesn’t kill people, but we are being killed by our ignorance and procrastination,” said More.
The African National Congress (ANC) Parliamentary Constituency Office in Dobsonville will be hosting a Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop at the Umthombo Wolwazi Community Hall on October 26. According to the Dobsonville ANC PCO administrator Phumlile Shange, the objective of this workshop is to enlighten residents about cancer.
“October is a Breast Cancer Awareness Month, cancer survivors will be talking to the audience on the day about this illness and giving them tips on how to stay alive,” said Shange.
People interested in attending the workshop should contact Phumzile Shange on 084 277 3739.
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