WHEN 25-year-old Linda Godwin, a primary school teacher residing
at 11, Odofin Street, Olodi Apapa in Lagos, discovered a tiny lump
(seed) in her right breast sometime in January 2012, she had no
premonition she was on the threshold of a long and tortuous journey
into the agonizing world of cancer.
Today Linda, who hails from Isi Umuozu, Nwangele LGA of Imo
State, and is mother of a two and a half-year-old boy, is fighting the
battle of her life against late-stage breast cancer.
In the hope to win the battle and survive, she is currently undergoing
expensive chemotherapy at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital,
LUTH, Idi Araba, Lagos.
Linda who described her ordeal as the worst imaginable, is passionately
appealing to all well meaning Nigerians for financial assistance to
complete the therapy and to go abroad for further treatment.
Writhing and groaning in pains, she told a moving tale of anguish,
regret and lamentation of the genesis of her ordeal.
“I discovered the lump in my breast by accident and called my
husband’s attention to it. Together, we went to a diagnostic centre in
Pako, Ajegunle area of Lagos State where a scan was prescribed. The
result indicated that the lump was benign. We were told it was actually
a cyst and not a malignant tumour as we initially feared.”
Linda said was prescribed Augmentin tablets and some other
antibiotics and the couple was made to believe that the drugs would
melt off the lump. She didn’t know it then, but the decision to follow the
prescribed treatment turned out to be her undoing.
“To my surprise, the seed started growing even faster. The growth was
so fast it covered almost half of the breast in no time. I became
alarmed and on advice of concerned persons, decided to try out
herbal medicine which I took orally and applied superficially on the
breast. But there was no improvement.”
Linda has since been running from pillar to post in her quest for a cure.
Her search for relief took her to various native doctors, traditional
healers and Churches within and outside Lagos. But it was to no avail.
“I came back to Lagos hopeless. I went the NTA for help but
unfortunately, they did not attend to us. My condition went from bad
to worse. The lump became hard as stone and eventually covered my
entire breast.
“It was at this point in time I was referred to LUTH where a medical
consultant revealed that it was the antibiotics that triggered the
abnormal growth of the tumour and worsened my condition. He said I
ought to have removed the seed while it was still tender. He advised
that the best option was to cut off the breast, but fear gripped me
instantly at the thought of cutting off my breast at such a young age.
I told my husband about the doctor’s advice and he did not buy the
idea either.”
Linda went back home, but as time went by, the breast began
rottening and falling off bit by bit until it fell off entirely on its own.
“People thought I was going to die and I had no option than to go
back to the hospital. With the little money we could gather, we went to
LUTH again. The doctor chided me for not listening to his advice
earlier.”
A Medical report from LUTH indicated Linda is being managed for
invasive ductal carcinoma, SBR Grade III, synchronous bilateral
breast cancer.
“This is a late stage cancer,” noted Consultant Oncologist and Head of
the Department of Radiation/Oncology, LUTH, Professor A.T.
Ajekigbe, while confirming Linda was registered at the surgical
outpatient department of the health institution on April 26, 2013.
Ajekigbe recalled the patient had earlier reported at the Accident &
Emergency on 20th March, 2013 and was diagnosed with right
breast ulcer.
Lamenting that most cancer patients present late at the hospital,when
only palliative care can be provided, he urged that the earlier the
presentation, the better the mangement. “Let this be a warning to
others. Examine your body and if you find anything wrong, give a
shout and people will come to your assistance.
“When she got to the Accident & Emergency, her case was bad. She
had history of difficulty of moving the right hand. Also had some
oedema, then she was referred. When she was first seen it was at a late
stage. She had the disease at least 15 months earlier before presenting.
She had difficulty breathing for about one week before presenting,” he
observed.
Further, Ajekigbe said what Linda has on the right arm is known as
Lymphodema. “It is different from oedema. In lymphoedema, the
lymphatic system is involved as a result of which the swelling does not
easily go down. What we do is to manage it to reduce the
complications.
Further, the Consultant Oncologist explained: “The axilla is the armpit
and the breast they are related. I call them first cousins. what ever
happens to the breast most of the time will stretch to the armpit near it,
and what happens to the breast may come from the armpit, they are
so related. It is called the lymphatic drainage system. The upper part of
the breast drains into the system. if a doctor examines your breast for
whatever reason, the doctor must also look into the armpit to see if there
is anything there. he must check the lymph nodes.
“Occasionally when breast cancer spreads to the axilla, it blocks the
lymphatic drainage system. The fluid comes down quite right, but
cannot go back because of the blockage, hence the swollem arm. We
advise patients to alleviate that part as often as possible. “Often, we use
crepe bandage to push the fluid back. We may also apply fortified
cream through massage to push the fluid back. We can also use what
is known as Flowtron to push back the fluid to provide relief.”
At this point in time, the tumour has spread to Linda’s right arm and
hand. She has been placed on an eight-course chemotherapy at three-
week intervals. She has currently completed four courses and has four
to go. Each treatment course costs approximately N300,000, but
when drugs and other essentials are factored in, in addition to
requirement of care and support, rehabilitation, radiotherapy, plastic
surgery, etc., the cost runs even higher.