October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when an annual campaign raises awareness about the impact of breast cancer. Bloemfontein Courant spoke to a few survivors and those who are still battling cancer.
They shared their journeys:
Arnelle Leeuw:
Arnelle Leeuw says she was diagnosed with breast cancer just a month before her 28th birthday. “I was still breastfeeding my daughter so I didn’t see the danger signs, my breast was heavy and sore and had a big lump in it but I confused it with milk or milk glands because she didn’t want to drink from the right breast anymore. In August, she accidentally hurt me and it was the first time I looked at my chest and truly looked at it, there was a deep dimple,” she says. “I went to the doctor and he immediately referred me for a mammogram. The doctor who helped me said it looked like cancer and it looks aggressive,” she adds. Leeuw ended up getting a mastectomy as the tumours in her breast grew fast. “So here I am now, mom of three, 28 years old, starting with chemo on 12 October. I will also have radiation and for a year-long take Herceptin.
Jacqueline Masalla:
Jacqueline Masalla says she was diagnosed with very aggressive breast cancer in May 2016. “As a result I had a mastectomy on my left breast. In May 2018, my right breast was also removed to prevent the cancer from coming back. I was on chemotherapy and radiation therapy after surgery. I am in remission for six years now!” she says. She adds that early detection saves lives. “It is very important to do self-examination on your body, especially the breasts.”
Edith Kock:
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time in 2009, and in 2013 the cancer returned and I had to have a double mastectomy,” says Edith Kock. She adds that she had to go through chemo and radiation again. “I have been in remission for 9 years now. I am very grateful for a second chance in life. There is always hope. I live my life to the fullest. Cancer is not a death sentence.
Vanessa Pijoos:
“ ‘Ma’am you have cancer!’ These are the words I had to hear in March 2016,” says Vanessa Pijoos. She was diagnosed with Her2+ breast cancer. “The shock, disbelief, anger, loneliness, and sadness were unbearable and I don’t wish it on anyone. I thank God that today, seven years later, I’m still in remission. All glory belongs to God! “I want to encourage anyone diagnosed with cancer to never lose heart, faith or positivity. The battle is not yours, but God’s. Go for the check-ups, and try to do regular self-examination of your breasts. Never ignore any abnormal feeling or signs. Early detection is easier to treat,” says Pijoos
Justine Fortuin
