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Lumbidzani Dima, Chronicle Reporter

THE fear of dying and leaving behind her two teenage children made Bulawayo woman Ms Miriam Muungani reluctant to undergo a life-changing cancer operation. 

However, Island Hospice and Healthcare convinced her to undergo the surgical operation.

The 45-year-old cancer survivor from Mpopoma suburb was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer in 2018.

Ms Muungani said it all started as a tiny tumour on one of her buttocks.

Initially she thought the swelling would vanish with time, but it kept on growing.

“I started seeing a tumour on my buttock in 2018.

It was very small and I thought it was just a pimple which would eventually go away.

It started growing and, in my mind, I kept telling myself that it’s just a boil not worth worrying about,” she said.

“It got worse and that is when I informed my relatives about it, they also concluded that it was a boil.”

In 2019, the tumour continued to grow until it started discharging blood and puss.

Her family was alarmed and suspected that it could be cancer.

Upon confirmation by doctors that it was indeed cancer, Ms Muungani accepted her fate.

However, when they told her she was supposed to be operated on, she refused because of the fear of the unknown.

“In 2020, the tumour developed into a wound, which subsequently multiplied.

I then went to see a doctor who told me that I needed to be operated on,” said Ms Muungani.

“When I heard the word operation, I was so scared because I had been told negative stories about the effects of surgical operations.

I told my close relatives about what the doctor had prescribed and they started telling me harrowing tales about my survival chances.”

The wounds continued to spread and covered the entire affected area.

She had difficulties in walking as she endured the pain.

Despite all that, Ms Muungani continued to be reluctant until a team from Island Hospice and Healthcare visited to convince her to undergo the operation.

“In October I was admitted at Mpilo Central Hospital, but I was still reluctant about the operation despite the pain. During those weeks, Island people visited the hospital and saw me,” she said.

“Information reached their ears that I was refusing to undergo a life changing operation.

They would constantly come and counsel me during which they also rendered comfort to me, which helped reduced the stress that I had.”

Ms Muungani was adamant when the team from Island Hospice and Healthcare asked her why she didn’t want to be operated on.

 “I remember them saying to me keeping that wound was tantamount to a death sentence.

Deep down, I told myself that health workers want to condemn me to death through a surgical operation,” she said.

“The thought of dying and leaving my children got the better of me.

Psychologists came and tried convincing me, but it didn’t work until Island people managed to convince me.”

Ms Muungani said they provided her with food, medication and counselling.

She had signed the consent form twice before but the fact that they did not show her the blood test results made her suspicious.

Before undergoing the operation, Ms Muungani required five pints of blood and the Department of Social Welfare and Island Hospice and Healthcare organised the blood for her.

“The operation was done on December 2, 2020 and it took almost five hours.

Upon waking up after the operation, the cancer was gone.

Those Island people were so happy as if I was their relative,” she said.

“After the operation they continued supporting me, until today.

I trust those people a lot, they know how to take care of patients.

Talking to them was the best thing I did.”

Ms Muungani urged people diagnosed with cancer or any form of illness not to be reluctant to seek medical assistance as it saved her life.

The Bulawayo branch coordinator of Island Hospice and Health Care, Dr Netsai Mujuru said due to their patience and perfect use of palliative care they managed to convince Ms Muungani to undergo the operation. 

She said the hospice came into existence 43 years ago when a lady from Harare lost her young teenage daughter to cervical cancer, and during her bereavement she took a holiday overseas where she found out about the hospice movement.

“She realised that during the course of her child’s illness no one had really talked to her about her child having a terminal illness that could lead to her death and supported her through the process of dying.

When she came back to the country, she set up the first hospice.

We currently have four branches in Harare, Mutare, Bulawayo and Marondera,” said Dr Mujuru.

 

She said they offer palliative care, an approach to supporting patients and their families who are facing life threatening illnesses by addressing the pain associated throughout the course of the journey.

“We address the physical, emotional, social and spiritual pain.

It goes beyond the illness of the patient to also bereavement support.

We support the families or loved ones of the person who has died.

If a patient has a recent diagnosis, we offer close management that can’t be offered by their oncologist.

All chronic illness patients can receive palliative care,” said Dr Mujuru.

She said the challenge they face is getting late referrals and they don’t get to build that relationship from the word go so that the journey becomes easier.

She said not all cancers mean the end of life.

“It depends on the type and stage of the cancer.

With early diagnosis some cancers have a good prognosis and someone can actually be cured.

Others you can’t but life can be made comfortable with palliative care in conjunction with cancer specific treatments, be it chemotherapy or radiotherapy,” said Dr Mujuru.

The hospice has been making a huge difference in society.

They survive on sponsorships and donations which they accept from anyone.

The aim is to help chronic illness patients with all their needs.

Zimpapers in partnership with lsland Hospice, have launched ‘Takkie Day’, to raise funds.

The launch also marked the 24th anniversary of Takkie Day, which has since been expanded to Takkie Week, and will run between May 23 to 29 annually.

“We have been running this mainly with schools but corporates and individuals have also come on board.

We are kindly asking for a US$1 donation, during the campaign we will be wearing takkies and some schools have requested their learners to wear a school uniform and takkies,” said Dr Mujuru.

She said they have the hope that Takkie day will also raise awareness about palliative care.