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Melissa Chekwa
Thinking cervical cancer had come and gone and probably assuming the worst was over, Attalio Mususa, based in Domboshava secretly hoped that nothing would disturb the bond she shared with her baby.
However, in 2009 she was diagnosed with breast cancer forcing her to refrain from breastfeeding.
Breast cancer is treated in several ways. It depends on the kind of breast cancer and how far it has spread. Treatment options include surgery, where doctors cut out cancer tissue, chemotherapy, which uses special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer cells, hormonal therapy can be used to block cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow, biological therapy will work with your body’s immune system to help it fight cancer cells and radiation therapy using high-energy rays to kill the cancer cells.
Mususa underwent severe chemotherapy, which can see patients experiencing hair loss, weight loss, skin and nail changes, mouth and dental problems, weakness and fatigue among many others. These physical changes can also affect patients emotionally. While her main focus was on her health and reclaiming her life back, she had to also deal with how people perceived her changing physical appearance.
According to Cancer Treatment Centres of America, changes in self-image can ultimately cause anxiety and depression that can shake a patient’s resolve in maintaining a positive attitude in the fight against cancer. It is difficult for some patients to deal with all that cancer throws at them, including the physical changes and others’ reactions to it.
Mususa was not exempted from the stares from people, but that did not pull her down at any point. Explaining how she personally dealt with the new body change, Mususa justified that all she ever did was for her femininity and not what anybody else had to say about her body.
“During the time, I would always cover my head with a doek,” Mususa said.
“It was a very painful experience. It was hard. I had no option but to soldier on. I had to fight. People would always look at me as if I was death itself. I received disgusted stares from most people I would come in contact with.
“But I ignored everything and told myself that I don’t live for people and their misguided perceptions of me,” she added.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and efforts are being made worldwide to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of breast cancer through education on symptoms and treatment. The pink ribbon is worn as a symbol of giving moral support to cancer victims as they go through breast cancer treatment and try and deal with sudden changes they wouldn’t have anticipated. Efforts should also be made to help patients deal with the stigma around their body image on their road to restoring health following diagnosis.
After having mastectomy, probably thinking her world had flashed before her, another survivor Rosina Rosemary Ncube, was having none of the stigma affect her will to reclaim her life back.
At first Ncube cried herself through the situation but that made her stronger and gave her the courage to face the world. She also highlighted the importance of moral support of families and friends in reducing the stigma around cancer. This led to body image issues becoming the least of her worries.
“I had to move on, go to work, do my household chores, go to church and meet relatives,” she said.
“Body change was not a problem to me. The main focus was getting treated from cancer and not worrying about beauty.
“What I know is that I am a survivor and to this point, life is moving smoothly.
“Finding out you have cancer is scary. So you need to stay close to a family that will love and support you every step of the way,” added Ncube.
A local naturopathic doctor Shadreck Gwinha, said their advice to people living with the condition is that as hard as it might seem to ignore the physical changes that come with breast cancer treatment the most important thing was for them to follow a correct diet and not to succumb to stress.
“As much as we offer medicine and diet schemes, we strongly give counsel to the patients not to stress up and take on the whole treatment without submitting to societal misconceptions because that can affect progress,” he said.
More so, Pink Aware Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign leader and breast cancer survivor, Politeness Ndlovu, assured those willing to listen that life is not always about living for the world and maintaining a cosmetic standard.
“What matters is your life. Don’t run away from treatment because you fear you will remain with one breast thus challenging your sexuality.
There are medical procedures that can always be done like getting breast implants,” Ndlovu said.
Rosemary Ncube encouraged women to go for breast cancer screening and also perform self-checks regularly.
“I want to encourage every woman to be alert. Every month, women should examine their breasts especially after three days of menstruation and be ‘pink’ all the way.”
Women are advised to be familiar with how their breasts look and this can help them notice symptoms such as lumps, pain, or changes in size that may be of concern. Doctors and health care providers can also perform breast cancer screening through a mammogram (X-ray of the breast), clinical breast examination (CBE) and breast self-examination (BSE).
It is advised to have the breasts checked from time to time, as early detection can save lives.
Online Reporter