Keziah – A breast cancer survivor

“My beautiful long hair was completely gone after the second chemotherapy session. This was so heartbreaking,” recalls Keziah, a breast cancer survivor.
She resides in Nairobi with her family. Keziah tells us about her battle with breast cancer this October while she had come for a review.

“In December 2019, I felt a painless lump on my right breast as I was preparing for work. This really worried me. It was hard for me to concentrate that day.
Although I was not sure if it was breast cancer, I could feel the signs,” she looks back.

Keziah started visiting several hospitals in January 2020. A colleague of hers referred her to Kijabe Hospital. Having been seen at our outpatient department, she was booked to the breast cancer clinic. She later had a biopsy done. Two weeks later, the pathology report was out. The day is still fresh in her mind.
“The doctor smiled at me. I knew he had some positive news. This truly motivated me,” narrates Keziah. Dr. Barasa then counseled and prayed with her before breaking the news. “I know you will not be happy with the news I will give you but remember there is a God in heaven who heals. This should not scare you because it might not be what you expected.” She repeats the exact words she heard that day. The sad news was – she had stage two breast cancer.
This was so heartbreaking. The stories she heard about breast cancer were not uplifting.
Through prayers, Keziah felt brave to face her fears. Dr Barasa counseled her to accepting the sudden shocking reality before starting her on treatment. She believes that the healing process begins with accepting cancer as any other disease. She had a successful surgery, underwent 18 radiotherapy sessions and was referred to our Oncology Department for chemotherapy. The chemo lasted for a year. She did not miss even a single one! Despite the adverse side effects of chemo, she did not give up. “I would often feel very weak after a chemo session. Nausea, diarrhea, lack of appetite and ulcers in my mouth were some of the side effects I experienced. My hair started falling off after the second session. This made me really sad,” recounts Keziah.

She was not alone during these sessions. There was loveamong the community of cancer fighters she had met during her daily radiation treatments. “This month I will be wearing this pink ribbon. We are fighting breast cancer together again!” she says boldly. From her experience, she advocates for love and care to cancer patients. Go the extra mile. Ask them how they would like to be supported. Assurance that they will be there with them-where possible, all the way. She has a supportive family – financially and emotionally. Keziah’sfamily is her pillar. She also appreciates our doctors who did follow ups, prayed with and encouraged her throughout this journey.

“This illness reminds me of how significant the story of Paul and Silas is to my life. Cancer was like a prison to me. I believed that God would deliver me which He eventually did!” concludes Keziah.
She is a testimony to other women going through breast cancer. There are treatment options available. God heals!