Anigala Ifeyinwa, a Nigerian cancer survivor, has taken to her Facebook page to share her story.
Ifeyinwa, recounted how during Chemotherapy, she had been told by her doctors she may never conceive again, but unknown to her and the doctors, she was five months pregnant.
My name is IFEYINWA..
Mama Adawenah….
I am happy that I am a year older today.
My name carries a lot of weight. And do you want to know why? Please read on….
My life is a story & I’m ready to tell it to the world…… I’m not telling my story to impress anyone or for anyone to have a kind of sympathy for me…..Not at all. My story is to give GOD all the Glory and to encouraged those suffering and dying in silent,
come out let’s fight together, I won the battle,you too can win
PART ONE
Dec… 2012 is a month I will never ever forget. I may have been compelled to face danger which I doubt, but I defeated the danger itself.
That fateful day in December, as I was taking my shower in the morning to set out for my business, I noticed something big in between my right breast & my armpit. I didn’t understand what it was. In fact, it was a big lump & how the lump appeared suddenly, I didn’t know.
I agitated a little. I was a bit scared that I had to call my friend ‘Chinyere Ogu’ who asked me to act fast immediately.
I rushed to our family doctor who admitted me immediately. He sent me for mammogram & the result showed that the lump was benign and I was very happy that it wasn’t cancerous. He went further and carried a surgery on me to remove the lump. It was later that I realized that he never had much experience on this case. I say so because of what transpired later. Besides, he gave me an unimaginable big cut on my breast .
What would I have done either because I equally had no experience? I’m not a medical doctor nor a medical student. That period was when I knew one should beware of false knowledge, it is more dangerous than ignorance.
The Doctor admitted me in his clinic for five days after the lump removal before I was finally discharged. I was strong, happy & good to go. Since the mammogram showed I was free, I was even happier. But the Doctor told me that he was sending the specimen removed from my breast to the lab to be diagnosed which was normal.
My Doctor never contacted me afterwards. I ignorantly relaxed thinking I was in safe hands as I was not summoned by him again. Who would be in my shoes and wouldn’t do the same? When you panic about anything & you are not called back for any negative report…….you’ll definitely pray it remains that way. That means, nothing was wrong with you. But, I never knew that my doctor actually sent the specimen to the lab but he never went back to pick up the result of the biopsy. So so pathetic.
April, 2013, the month I was to be celebrating my birthday, I noticed another lump in my breast. This time, it was a bigger lump. I panicked. I called back my doctor & that was when he remembered that he had not collected the result of the specimen he sent to the lab four months ago. What a shame! So unprofessional!
Few days later when he picked up my result, he sent for me. When I got to his clinic, he broke the news to me.
I was informed that; “I, Ify, was diagnosed of breast cancer”.
Ooh nooo. This news sounded like a death sentence to me. In fact, it is a bit difficult right now for me to put into words exactly what I went through emotionally the very moment the doctor announced my result. The news that you’ve got cancer kills faster than the disease itself.
He took me to another private hospital for the new doctor to examine the new lump I dictated in my breast. The new doctor saw the initial result of the mammogram which showed benign & the biopsy which showed malignant & he told me it was complicated. He arranged for the removal of the second lump immediately to clear his doubts. After the removal of the second lump by the second doctor, I was discharged that same day.
Exactly two weeks later, I was summoned to come for the result of the second biopsy. And I was equally told it was cancerous.
I was devastated. I wept like I’ve never wept before.
It didn’t end there. In less than two weeks after the second surgery, another huge lump surfaced again (the third lump)
I was then referred to University Of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) where I would have been directed initially for proper management. I was then told by Doctors in UPTH that I would undergo a major surgery (mastectomy). That means the removal of my entire right breast……..
After being told this; two thoughts came to me as I cried out loud over the report… ….”What am I going to look like without one breast? Am I going to be less a woman?”
At first, that word mastectomy scared me. Later I had to tell myself the bitter truth; “Ify, this was the time for you to fight”. And as I fought each day after my mastectomy, during my chemotherapy, radiotherapy, I just knew that cancer was losing and I was winning.
Friends, never stop believing in HOPE because MIRACLES happen everyday….. You will realise that I am a miraculous child by the time you know all my stories. And don’t mind that I have one breast removed which my sweetheart, my better half isn’t even complaining; but …..I, IFY IS A CANCER WARRIOR.
I appreciate God for I am wonderfully & specially made. God assigned me with that mountain, for me to tell others that any strong mountain can truly be moved….I came to realise that it is not just one person that gets this cancer the moment it is announced to the victim. Your whole family, your very close relations, friends, your loved ones are tortured directly or indirectly. They suffer with you emotionally, spiritually, physically, although you that is the victim suffer the most……One is not exposed to danger by her own making or wish. But there is even great danger if people you cherish don’t fight with you & thank God that people I cherish have my back.
But when it is your own cross, you will have to say how you will carry your Cross to suit you & everyone around you.
Cancer didn’t bring me down one bit, it brought me up to be strong & brave & I never knew I could be this brave, this open & this happier until now.
God can never give me anything I cannot handle. My faith became so strong.
I was even told that I would never conceive considering all the medications & treatment I went through during my radiotherapy, chemotherapy, etc. But friends, here I am with my Danielle, my miracle baby, a child that came and turned my situation around for good. She made me defeat cancer.
I laugh at cancer today because I never gave in & I never gave up. My faith dared me to go beyond where the eyes can reach. My eyes reached God immediately & HE performed a miracle on me, and I was made whole again. I defeated cancer. That will be a story for another day.
Meanwhile, the conception of this my miracle baby Daniella rearranged every defect in my system/organs. God sent this child to me. Thank God HE used this baby to set me free. Medical science was proven wrong. Humans were proved wrong. The only report I stand to believe is God’s report & we can move mountains with our faith.
You can imagine!
Due to the chemotherapy & radiotherapy which affected my menstrual circle. Which doctors also told me that I might not be able to conceive again. I never knew I was pregnant until I was almost five months gone…..Unbelievable!
Friends, this is just Part One of my story. I’ll continue with Part Two next time.
Hey cancer, you chose the wrong victim. I’m not going to spare you this time around. I’m going to mess you up publicly for messing up with the wrong person.
Cheers!
Meet you in Part 2.
