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Yvonne Ncube, Features Reporter
MRS Faresi Takawira, a breast cancer survivor, ascertains that early detection can save lives as she has been in remission for 12 years.

“It was in February 2008 when I discovered a lump in my breast and on my underarm so I decided to consult my doctor because I had read about breast cancer and knew that this was one of the symptoms.

The doctor examined the two lumps and after a few days the results came saying that I have Stage Three breast cancer.

Surprisingly, all this time I never had or felt any symptoms of the cancer for it to get to Stage Three without me realizing it.

Or maybe I wasn’t aware of the symptoms because I didn’t know the reasons for examining my breasts each month. I was ignorant and sometimes as women you can feel a difference in your breasts and just think maybe it’s that time of the month when you have your menstrual cycle.

“It was after the diagnosis that I started recalling particular pains on my breasts then I realised that I actually had symptoms.

When the doctor relayed the news that I had breast cancer, I was so devastated but thank God I have a very supportive husband.

When I went into the doctor’s office, he was sitting at the reception so they called him in and we were advised to go for counselling. Counselling, I can say that was the most important thing that helped me during that time. We went to the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe where we received counselling as a couple and I also received counselling as an individual.

When I received the news, it was like a death sentence and when you tell people they start consoling you such that you end up feeling like you are going to die tomorrow. I just told myself that maybe my time has come since everyone has his/her own day,” narrated Mrs Takawira.

She said she had to go through a mastectomy (a surgery to remove a breast, sometimes other tissues near the breast) immediately after the diagnosis.

“Breaking the news to my children was difficult because I received my results on Wednesday then I was told that they have to book me in for the operation on Friday.

But the advantage is that they don’t push, they tell you to take your time so I had to postpone to Monday so that I have time during the weekend to tell the family and children when they’re not at school.  I don’t know how my children took the news, they had a million reactions.

I didn’t know whether they knew what breast cancer is, or they were shocked despite the fact that they showed signs of wanting to be there for me.

The operation was more devastating because it concerned me losing a part of my womanhood so I just went there and said well, it has to be done. I had a lot of questions about how I was going to move around with one breast since mine are big. Obviously, it was going to be noticeable but those things were never explained to me, the suspense lived within throughout the operation.

“The operation went well; I was just admitted in hospital for three days and after that I was discharged to go and face the world with one breast.

I was clueless on what I was going to do with the other side. My mind was all over. I was asking myself a lot of questions and one of them was, how is society going to view me? But as time went on, I got to learn what to do and how to do it,” said Mrs Takawira.

Cancer associations, she said, play a pivotal role in terms of counselling and teaching people on how to handle the condition because the doctors do not tell you much on that front.

“The Cancer Association is the one that helped by telling me how to do my exercises because my operation was major; it stretched from the breast to my back. I learnt how to handle the arm because I did not only lose my breast but my left arm as well, I no longer use it the same way I used to, I have to be extra careful,” she said.

Mrs Takawira said the side effects of chemotherapy (a drug taken after mastectomy to destroy cancer cells in the body) were not sympathetic.

She said she would vomit, catch infections, feel sick and lose appetite but managed to pull through because of the strong support she got from her community, church and family.

Mrs Takawira said coming from a Christian background, she would constantly get advice to go to the pastor.

“Counselling and faith really played a pivotal role in my recovery.

My friends encouraged me to go with them to a particular man of God for prayers and deliverance but I decided to give the doctors a go since they are the ones who discovered the cancer in the first place. And also, cancer can spread fast so I had to weigh my options wisely but that doesn’t mean I stopped praying,” said Mrs Takawira.

She said she considers herself a survivor because she has lived for 12 years after her diagnosis.

“I’m able to do things around the house. Now I do voluntary work at the Breast Cancer Association of Zimbabwe to counsel other cancer patients and of course other organisations also call me for awareness campaigns,” said Mrs Takawira.

She called for the decentralisation of cancer treatment in every town including rural areas.

Another survivor, Mrs Reginai Gutsa (54) was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. She went through the recommended treatment regime and today she is celebrating 16 years in remission.

Mrs Gutsa is growing strong as a mother, a wife and inspiration to other cancer patients.
She is able to carry out her daily duties and even manages a garden.

“I found out that I had cancer when I saw my shirt stained with blood at work. I went to check and I saw fresh blood coming out of my breast.

I panicked and alerted my boss who gave me the day off to consult my doctor. I didn’t go to the doctor but went straight home and told my father and aunt.

They referred me to a doctor who after examining my breast told me he couldn’t help me but he referred me to a surgeon. When I got to the surgeon, he told me that he had to do a biopsy (the removal of tissue from any part of the body to examine it for disease) because he suspected that it might be cancer.

“I was alone, so I panicked and went back home and asked questions from my daughter who was training to be a nurse at the time. She told me to agree to do the biopsy and I did after so much thinking.

I underwent the biopsy and was told that the results would come after two weeks. Within that period, I was going to work but I wasn’t myself, I was afraid. When the time for results collection came, again I was alone. I went to the doctor’s office, he told me I had Stage One breast cancer.

I wailed. I started hitting the doctor, I threw my bags at him. I didn’t know what to do, and I felt like he had just told me that I was going to die. He didn’t do anything, he just let me cry myself out until I finally calmed down,” said Mrs Gutsa.

She said the surgeon referred her to the cancer center for counselling.

“I went there alone. When I got to the reception, I started crying. Again, they let me cry. After that they took me to a room where they asked me what was wrong.

They told me not to worry because there are people who have been in similar situations and they have survived

. To me, all that didn’t make sense so l left and went back home and told my husband and my father but my father was against it because of religion. We are members of the Johane Masowe church so he didn’t understand why I had to lose a breast yet the church was there to pray for me to heal.

“I asked them to come with me to the doctor and he explained to them about my condition. After so much convincing my father finally agreed but he took me for prayers before the operation.

I was diagnosed in November and the operation was in January. Within that period, it was prayer after prayer. The expenses were too much for me but fortunately the doctor understood so he suggested that I organise money for the hospital expenses and we agreed I would pay in instalments,” said Mrs Gutsa.

Her operation was done in January of 2007. Although she had been through counseling, she was still battling to accept her condition.

“I thought I was going to die. Again, I wailed.  When they took me to the theatre I asked to pray first and after that I woke up with bandages all over my chest.

It registered that a part of me was removed. My mind started running all over, I asked myself what kind of a woman I would be with one breast. How will people look at me? If I wear my clothes, would it be visible?” she said.

Mrs Gutsa said she received post-operative counselling by trained volunteers from Reach for Recovery organisation and the Cancer Center who are also breast cancer survivors.

“Representatives from Reach for Recovery organisation visited me, they counselled me and one of the women showed me what she uses as a substitute for her removed breast. After that I was relieved, I had hope. People from the Cancer Center also visited me for counselling before I went home.

When I went home, I never did the exercises that were prescribed and my wound started forming water inside. I had to go back to the doctor and I was told to come three times a week for draining. I was given antibiotics and since then I have been doing my exercises as required.

“I had to go for tests again and the results indicated that my cancer had not spread to other parts of the body so I was spared from chemotherapy and radiotherapy but was put on Tamoxifen for five years.

I experienced side effects of constant headaches within those five years and my husband was getting tired but going for counselling together pulled us through. After the five years I had to go for checkups every three months for chest x-rays, liver function and checks for any cancer cells.

Later I was changed to six months and then one year,” she said.
Mrs Gutsa said she avoided gatherings during her recovery because she was afraid to face society with one breast.

“I remember there was a funeral and my husband went there.

I stayed behind. When he came back, he told me people were asking him about my breast that was removed and I imagined if it was me who was being asked. After two years, I went for voluntary training at Reach for Recovery so that I could also help other people going through the traumatic experience. My eldest daughter understood my situation because she is in a medical field but my 14-year-old one could not understand why I spent two terms without visiting her at school. She was asking a lot of questions and it was clear she didn’t understand,” she said.

Mrs Gutsa encouraged women and men to go for screening every three months highlighting that when detected early, cancer can be treated.

She explained the importance of exercises for those diagnosed with breast cancer.
She also called for families to support cancer victims so that they do not feel lonely and neglected. —  @SeehYvonne