feasible hence it was a struggle to do basic
things. When things were at their worst
she could only go as far as her washroom
in the bedroom and was not able even
to climb down the stairs let alone up
the stairs so for some period she was
marooned in the house unless someone
carried her down. Even simple chores like
making the bed became impossible but it
was through the support of her husband
and children that she was able to get by.
She still struggles to write but can type as
it does not require her to use her thumbs
and that is what pains when she attempts
to write with a pen or pencil. She can’t sit,
stand or walk for long periods but she sees
every day as a step in her path to recovery.
She was a breath of fresh air as I was also
at the same time caught in the story of a
friend who was quite ill but believes they
were bewitched.
I thought I’d do the story from the
patient’s perspective so that I don’t drop
too much jargon. Breast cancer like any
other cancer is when certain cells in the
body start growing uncontrollably. All
cells are programmed to die at a certain
time and in cancer this switch is turned
off hence the uncontrollable growth.
Moral of the story is that yes cancer is a
big one and no one wants to be told they
have cancer. Regardless of the cancer,
outcomes are very good if caught early.
28 MAL30/19 ISSUE
To do a self-breast exam, start by undress-
ing and looking at the breasts in the mir-
ror to see if you notice any skin changes in
terms of color and texture and compare the
breasts for symmetry. Once done with that
with left hand examine the right breast by
exerting pressure on the tissue with all the
fingers laying flat on the breast to feel for
any unusual lumps or bumps. Squeeze the
nipple to see if there is any abnormal dis-
charge. Finish off by examining your arm-
pits to see if there are any palpable lymph
nodes.
In her case due to the regular self-breast
examination she was able to pick up early
the first sign of breast cancer: Painless
Lump in the breast. By the time the lump
is having a lot of pain it probably is at a
very advanced stage of cancer.
Other signs that you may have breast
cancer is skin texture changes. The skin
can look like an orange peel -“Peux
d’orange” as it is known in medical circles
and can involve darkening or red areas
on the breast. Very advanced cancer can
lead to an ulcer on the breast with foul
smelling discharge, with or without
swelling of the hand.
Unlike cervical cancer which can be
prevented through vaccination and
regular screening for precancerous lesions,
breast cancer can only be treated early. I
have a patient who completed treatment
for breast cancer and has even gone on to
conceive and is now a mum following the
success of her treatment.
I would also like to recommend that along
with self-breast examinations, you at least
see your doctor once a year and have him
or her do a breast exam for you.
A self-breast exam is not difficult. At least
once a month make a habit of checking