Even though there is cancer awareness campaigns, the cancer patients are still experiencing been stigmatized in our communities. I am living proof of that and stand up in my talks about this horrific treatment, by educating people and communities. Like my story & invite me to your next awareness / wellness day.
HERE IS MY STORY:
BOOK NOW!
What started out as a small sore on the right side of my face, again turned into a fight for not only my life but against personal stigmatization. I was very busy at the time and to be honest i didn't really think that a small sore on my face was anything other than an insect bite.
As the sore started to get bigger i consulted a few Doctors and skin specialists and they all said the same thing. "That it was a flesh-eating disease" I was given some very serious medicated creams with a mix of antibiotics and cortisone. needless to say this didn't work at all, but cost me a fair amount of money in the process.
As the sore got bigger and bigger so did the various disgusted reactions from the people i came across. You could see the peoples visible reactions of first horrified, shock and then total disgust.You meet people for the first time and their eyes immediately go to the right side of your face, as the open wound is dripping some horrible brown liquid, down the side of your face. They then proceed to wipe their hands off on their pants blatantly in front of you. Then you see them moving backwards as not to get too close, as they might catch whatever is happening on your face. CANCER CAN NOT SPREAD THIS WAY!! I was treated like someone with leprosy. Needless to say my social outings was brought to a crashing full stop. (this was before covid 19)i thought long a hard about buying full face mask. The one mask that got my attention and i thought was a very good option was the mask from the phantom in the phantom of the opera.( as i felt like a monster) It would have been perfect to cover up the right side of my face.
Needless to say that my confidence hit rock bottom and if i did go out, which was very rare. i used a tope or bandanna to cover my right left temple sores. It also started on my right ear.
In February 2020 i embarked on a journey to get my face sorted out. I walked into Helen Joseph Hospital and immediately found so much favor. I was treated quickly and by experts that knew what they were talking about. I was seen to by a Dr. Botha from the plastic surgery dept. She was fantastic and explained every step in detail to me so that i could understand the process. I was amendment from the beginning that i wasn't going to have radiation treatment on my face. I was diagnosed with a very aggressive Basal Cell Carcinoma skin cancer. ( she said that she had never seen it appear so aggressive before) I had the tumors removed from my right and left temples and had half my right ear cut away.
I grossly under estimated this operation. I had skin taken from my left thigh and used on my face. I really battled with this and my recovery was slow. These ops were done in July 2020. I have now been given the green light by the doctor to begin phase 2 of my ops. The reconstruction of my right ear, Going back to the Hospital in December.
I am very blessed to have had a very good support structure in my family, friends and very good prayer partners. They were with me through my pain and dark times as i began to realize that this op wasn't nothing. It's very important for any cancer patient to have very good and active caregivers, as they help a person through the pain and those very dark days.
Please be very careful by your reactions to people that look different as it causes so much hurt and pain. Be respectful of other peoples feelings.
We always hear about what cancer can do, BUT never what cancer can not do. It can rob you of your body parts, as i have experienced that. Here is what CANCER CANNOT DO:
!) steal your joy
2) steal your peace
3) steal your hope
4) It can never steal your eternal life.
Thank you to all my caregivers, prayer partners, friends and family. Thank you to my Jesus for bringing me thus far.
Below are pics of my journey before the surgery and after:
Before my operations:
