Chronicle Editor
Angela Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
A BULAWAYO woman who survived breast cancer has managed to live confidently after losing her right breast to cancer five years ago.
Mrs Pamhidzai Thaka (56), a widow and a mother of four, has been living with one breast since 2017 after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Breast cancer is defined as a malignant tumour found in the cells of the breast that originate in the lining of the milk glands or ducts of the breast (ductal epithelium).
It is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide.
In an interview, Mrs Thaka, the gender justice and social inclusion manager for the Ecumenical Church Leaders Forum (ECLF) in Zimbabwe said when she first found out that she had breast cancer, she struggled accepting it and had to rely on her children and immediate family members to go through it.
“I was diagnosed in 2017 and when I found out, I cried a lot thinking that I was going to die and leave my kids alone. I was already a widow, my husband passed away in 2001 and I wished that he was there to help me go through it all.
“On the day that I was told, I had been accompanied by my son to the hospital which really gave me courage, because when you are a single woman, the first challenge is feeling alone and not having a partner to share with. I told my son and I really didn’t know how he was going to react but he was supportive. I even told my boss at work and cried in front of him because it was really hard for me,” she said.
More fear came from the financial expenses she could not afford.
“The journey for funding for all the expenses really stressed me because my kids were going to school and I had Government funded medical aid which could not sustain the expenses, so I had to open up to my sisters and one of them started an initiative to fundraise money and get other people to help out.
“After going for check-ups, I was then told that the cancer was at a critical stage and I had to go through chemotherapy. I had been hearing scary stories about cancer medication with some saying it was a death sentence and I was really scared. A lot of people told me not to go for the treatment as this was going to affect my life,” said Mrs Thaka.
She said after she was introduced to another patient who had lost both breasts, she then had the courage to have her breast removed.
“The doctor who examined me, introduced me to another patient who had lost both of her breasts to cancer. I had a chat with her and this gave me the courage to go on and get treated.
“I then booked counselling sessions for myself and my kids. On the first day I was the one crying during the sessions and on the following day my kids also broke down but I had to stay upon my word and do what I had to do to overcome,” she said.
Family and church members offered both financial and emotional support.
“My sisters in the UK came to see me when they found out. One came before my operation and the other one came a day after,” she said.
During the first days after losing her breast, Mrs Thaka would go around with her one breast with confidence but later got a silicone artificial breast which she wears when going in public places and can remove when she is at home.
Mrs Thaka said people with breast cancer and any other cancers need support, especially emotionally for them to go through it.
“If one has cancer, they need all the support that they can get. People in our society shun breast cancer because they are afraid of financial expenses but I would like to encourage all women to normalise going for cancer screenings so that cancer can be detected at an early stage and be treated.
“People say a lot of scary things but there is really nothing to be scared about. I went for chemotherapy, many call it ukutshiswa (being burnt) but I didn’t see anything scary in it and it’s better than allowing cancer to be your end,” said Mrs Thaka.
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