As the world commemorates World Cancer Day on February 4 under the theme ‘United by Unique’, a 63-year-old cancer survivor who wished to remain anonymous, shared with the Springs Advertiser how her life changed over the years.

The Largo resident said she was diagnosed with stage-one breast cancer in 2013. She was shocked because she had been living a healthy lifestyle and would regularly go for a mammogram.

She went to her doctor, who referred her to a hospital in Johannesburg, where she underwent tests and was later called to receive the results. She felt a sense of fear because she knew the results might change her life forever.

“The lady from the hospital called me while I was on holiday with my husband. She asked who I was with, and I realised she was about to give me the bad news that I had cancer.”

“After getting the results, I did several tests to check if the cancer had spread, and luckily, it did not. I was told that I was fortunate the doctors caught it early because it was a type of cancer that spreads quickly to other parts of the body,” she said.

She could undergo a reconstruction of the breast where the cancer was located, and she started with chemotherapy.

She expressed that chemotherapy was one of the most horrible experiences she went through. She had times when she would spend days in bed because she felt nauseous.

“I am a positive person. Although it made me sick, I still got up and dressed so I could feel better about myself and also look good,” she said.

The mother of three sons highlighted the importance of having family as part of the support system during the treatment journey. She added that she was lucky to have met people who also received chemotherapy and could create friendships among the group.

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“Talking to them and encouraging each other helped. My family and friends would send messages every day asking about my well-being, and that helped.

“If one does not have the support of loved ones and does not have people to share how they are feeling and what they are going through, then it might get depressing,” said the survivor.

She wished she had known about cancer before being diagnosed. She added that awareness in the community is limited because people ignore the signs their bodies give them and seek medical help when it is too late. Surviving cancer, she has learned to appreciate life and to make life more meaningful.

“The cancer changes you to be more sympathetic to people and to become aware of people around you when they are not feeling well. I am grateful that I could keep myself healthy and survive. That part of my life is over, because the treatment is dreadful,” she said.

She concluded with a message of encouragement to people with cancer: Keep positive and never give up.

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