The co-founder of Safe Haven Cancer Support System Ghana, Janet Brakohiapa, has revealed that by the time doctors finally diagnosed her with breast cancer, the disease had already developed to stage two.
According to her, self-examination for breast cancer is a practice she takes seriously. That is why she made a quick decision to visit the hospital, immediately she feels a lump in her breast.
She recounted how even though she visited the doctor twice, they were unable to find any trace of cancer in her body.
Speaking to Asieduwaa Akumia on Prime Morning Tuesday, she explained that her fear that the lump in her breast could generate more health complications finally pushed her to opt for a biopsy procedure. The results revealed she had stage 2 breast cancer, which was quickly developing into stage 3 if instant treatment was not provided.
“The first doctor told me he didn’t see anything. I pray a lot, so when I kept feeling uneasy, I told my family doctor. He told me to see a surgeon for a second opinion. The surgeon also said he didn’t see anything. I finally decided to get a biopsy done, and it came back that I had stage 2 cancer, and it was aggressive, and it was slowly growing to stage 3,” she explained.
Janet recounted how she dedicated a year and a half of her life to fully treating breast cancer so as to stop the disease from spreading to other parts of her body. With constant prayer and serious dedication to chemotherapy, mastectomy, and other treatments, she was able to successfully eradicate the disease, making her a healthy cancer survivor.
Research has proven that diseases that are thought to be contagious, fatal, degenerative, and visible and can lead to death are stigmatized more. Unfortunately, many black people tend to equate cancer with death, which has reduced people’s desire to discuss the disease and even seek treatment. Many people suffering from breast cancer and other forms of cancer in general shy away from talking about it.
Janet, after realizing that both cancer survivors and people actively suffering from the disease barely have a place to interact and share more insight about the disease and how to curb it, was empowered to start a non-profit organization in Ghana.
The main aim of the organization is to support people going through breast cancer and create awareness, as well as educate people about the disease and ways to fight it.
“I realized that black people didn’t talk about cancer at all. So I started asking around and realized that it’s taboo to talk about cancer. People even see you in a different light. I started sharing my experience, and soon, many people started talking to me about their journey. This moved me to start a non-profit in Ghana in 2013,” she stated.
She further recounted how her husband lost his life after seriously suffering from colon cancer.
According to her, more awareness should be created about breast cancer as well as all forms of cancer, in order to save more lives.
She also encouraged people to actively go for breast screening and not wait until October so that doctors can detect and diagnose the disease early.
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