My Mother’s Battle with Breast Cancer: A story of pains, tears, and advocacy
This headline captures the emotional and personal aspect of the story while also highlighting the advocacy aspect of the article, which aims to raise awareness about breast cancer and promote early detection and treatment.
I saw my mother go through the pains of Breast cancer. I was young, too young to understand when it all began. My siblings and I only noticed it when her left breast got swollen. That was the first time I heard the word “Breast Cancer”. My late father walked the journey of the pains with her. He carried her from one hospital to another, used herbal treatment which of course failed and cried to God for divine help and healing, our church Pastors and elders will always come around to pray.
My mother spent more time at the hospital than she would at home. She would be hospitalised for months. My younger brother then was about six months old, he had to stop breast feeding when he was three months. We learnt to start taking care of ourselves, prepare ourselves for school, make our meals (it was never like our mother’s), look after one another. My father suffered too. He was always driving from Ugbokolo to Makurdi to see our mother. At a point, he had to carry her to Lagos. Now that I recount these memories, I can see how much he suffered.
Recounting the horrible pains of my mother’s journey with Breast cancer brings tears, the tears flow freely. I write this piece with uncontrolled tears. The lost of a mother alters a lot of things in the life of a child. From making wrong decisions to becoming vulnerable and growing without that tender love and care a mother gives.
I am my mother’s exact resemblance, though taller than me. So you can imagine what she looked like in her final days with the dreaded disease when I say she lost so much weight and became a shadow of her former self. Her teeth became black from too much drugs, her skin was getting darker, and her hair gradually falling off from chemotherapy. If after all these, all the treatments, all the pains, she survived, it would have been our consolation. How would someone suffer so much and still die?
My mother battled Breast cancer in the 1980s. There was little or no education about it. Neither my later father nor late mother, knew what it was until it was too late. The lump grew in her right breast. Despite surgery that made her lost her right breast, it was too late. The cancer had spread. I was home on mid-term break during her trials with the dreaded disease, when my father went to bring her home from hospital. She had gone for another session of chemotherapy. I was so happy she was coming home. It had been long I had seen her. My father drove in shortly after 7:pm (I can never forget), she was in the company of her mother, my late grandmother, who was her caregiver at the hospital. I rushed out, so excited to see her. What I saw was not my mother. My smiles faded, I was shocked. I asked myself what happened.
The words “mama welcome”, barely came out of my month. She replied but also barely audible. I immediately helped with her luggage, rushed to her bedroom and wept bitterly, I cried. I was devastated. It took like forever for my father to help to her room (it gave me enough time to cry). I didn’t want them to see me cry. The three days with my mother was the worst of my life. She couldn’t eat, she could barely move, she was in pains and always throwing up. I did the best I could and had to be back in school by Sunday. That was the last time I saw my mother alive. She died days later at the then General Hospital Makurdi.
My mother died over 35 years ago and it is sad that our health facilities still lack machines for early detection of breast cancer. It is sad that government cannot provide mammogram machine in all health facilities. My late sick mother then, did not only go through the pains of the disease but the pains of long distant travels for chemotherapy and tests. Over 35 years after, it is sad that Nigeria still has limited access to screening and diagnosis. Many women lack access to regular screening and diagnosis, leading to late-stage presentation, there is inadequate treatment facilities. Nigeria has limited radiotherapy centers and inadequate access to comprehensive Breast cancer care and need I say there is a need for increased awareness and education about breast cancer risks, symptoms, and the importance of early detection.
The data of Breast cancer in Nigeria is scary and calls for immediate attention. According to data, Breast cancer accounts for 22.7% of all new cancer cases in Nigeria, with 28,380 new cases recorded in 2020. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Nigeria, with 14,274 deaths in 2020, representing 18.1% of all cancer deaths. Late presentation (late detection), shows that About 70% of breast cancer cases in Nigeria are diagnosed at advanced stages, making treatment more challenging. The same late presentation that led to my mother’s untimely death. Survival rate, shows that the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer patients in Nigeria is low, with estimates ranging from 24% to 43.6% depending on the stage and treatment. More worrisome is that Breast cancer is now common among young women. Breast cancer is common among young pre-menopausal women in Nigeria, with a significant proportion of cases occurring in women under 40 years old. This calls foe urgent attention. Breast cancer is a significant health concern in Nigeria, with the country having one of the highest age-standardised mortality rates globally.
To combat breast cancer in Nigeria, it’s essential to prioritise prevention, early detection, and access to comprehensive care, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. October is Breast cancer awareness month worldwide. Nigerian join other countries worldwide to celebrate the month with pink ribbon and various activities. However, in Nigeria, it should go beyond celebrating the month, creating awareness and move to action by providing Breast cancer centers all over the country, making early detection and treatment close to every woman.
I share my mothers battle because I want everyone who reads this to help prevent the deadly disease. Every day, I wish for a Breast cancer vaccine. It is important to be conscious of our health as women and the heath of our wives, mothers, daughters, sisters and every woman. Understanding Breast cancer risk factors and taking steps to reduce them can help lower chances of developing the disease, especially if there is Family history like mine. Having a first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) with breast cancer increases risk, genetic mutations, inherited mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes significantly increase breast cancer risk. BRCA1 and BRCA2, are genes that produce proteins responsible for repairing damaged DNA. When these genes mutate, DNA damage can accumulate, increasing the risk of cancer. Breast cancer risk increases with age, with most cases diagnosed after age 50. Previous radiation therapy to the chest or breast area increases breast cancer risk, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) according to research, may also increase breast cancer risk. Other Breast risk are; Obesity. Being overweight or obese, especially after menopause, increases breast cancer risk, lack of physical activity like eedentary lifestyle may increase breast cancer risk and alcohol consumption, especially more than one drink per day, may increase breast cancer risk.
It is important as a woman to go for regular mammograms and clinical breast exams to help detect breast cancer early, maintaining a healthy weight and physical activity limiting alcohol intake to one drink per day or less or stopping alcohol, avoiding unnecessary radiation, limit medical imaging tests that involve radiation, such as CT scans, when possible, may help reduce breast cancer risk. It is also advised that women at high risk, avoid medications like tamoxifen or raloxifene. Breastfeeding may also lower breast cancer risk, especially for premenopausal women. By understanding risk factors and taking steps to reduce them, can lower chances of developing breast cancer. Help a woman beat Breast cancer.
