At 19, while studying abroad, I got the courage to tell my sister… I do not think something is right with my breasts. I could sense something was wrong, that internal voice however I ignore it for a while until it caught up with me. Running away from fear is not the right way, it always finds a way to catch up with you. From there, we went to see our GP and a breast surgeon.
The amount of fear consumed us all, words were hard, emotions were felt and the job was done. The energy we all gave off- our nervous systems helped us regulate.
After a couple of biopsies, we discovered they were papillomas. I will not bore you with the scientific explanation of it all. But it is basically lumps within the milk ducts. From then on, I would have a few removed, that were calcified and some that were looking funny, some were done surgically and some vacuumed.
After a few years of monitoring, I chose to get married at a young age and have my kids in my late 20s. Do I regret it? Would I change it for the world, no? I fought all odds, managed to have my kids, and breastfeed them. Something no one thought would happen. I am very grateful I chose to trust my intuition.
When I was diagnosed with cancer, my sons were 4 and 7 at the time. When I got the biopsy results, the first people I told were them. Both had very different opinions and ways to conquer it. One was hyper and one was hypo but they completed each other and made me feel better for one.
I ended up having DCIS which was low grade. I caught it early due to constant monitoring. I had my lumpectomy in Kenya then I went overseas for my double mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction. I am glad it did that because when they did the mastectomy, not nipple sparing, they found more cancer in one breast that had gone to the intermediate stage during this period, COVID was around and it threw everyone in the unknown.
Through all this, I was actually doing my certification in Synergetic Play Therapy, I am a play therapist, and I managed to regulate my children and be their support as I had my colleagues show up and support me.
I know this is a vague start to my story, but there is more to come, stay tuned. But why do I choose to share this? I truly believe early detection can save lives, especially for Breast Cancer. Constant monitoring, and belief in myself made me have my kids, and breastfeed them knowing I had lumps, and helped me beat cancer. I personally found I was not living a congruent life and it was sadly the universe’s way of saying wake up and snap out of it. I got a second chance at life and it’s something I want to teach my children, things happen for a reason, live and value today. It is priceless and tomorrow it will be history. We cannot predict the future, we cannot undo the past, and we can only choose to be there for today.
Article written by:
Ekta Bid
+254734974957
email: ekta@africansojourn.co.ke
http://www.africansojourn.co.ke/playversitybeing
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I admire you for your strength and courage thank you for sharing your story
I too am a Breast Cancer survivor