Busisiwe Moyo-Mawudzi

My journey began in the second half of 2016 when I developed some of the symptoms that are typical of cervical cancer. However, I did not suspect that I had the disease. In December I felt unwell and decided to seek medical attention. I had a biopsy and received my results in January 2017. The initial diagnosis indicated that I had CIN stage 3. The advice I got from my gynaecologist was to have a hysterectomy as a matter of urgency so as to avoid a transit from CIN stage 3 to cancer. I had the hysterectomy which was a success. At that stage, the hope was that the hysterectomy would suffice. Just when I thought that the health issue would be a closed case, the results of the histology took me back to the path that I thought I have evaded. The results indicated that I had Stage 1 cervical cancer and the initial diagnosis had been incorrect. The advice from my team of specialists was to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This was a big blow because I was no longer on any medical aid scheme. Unfortunately, I had withdrawn from my medical aid scheme in May 2016. Therefore, I had to mobilise funds to cater for all medical costs. I commenced treatment in June 2017.
I had chemotherapy at my oncologist’ s rooms and radiotherapy at the Radiotherapy Centre at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals. It was at this stage that I realized the challenges that cancer patients go through. This realisation, coupled with my observation that there were no support groups, made me decide to make a difference. I resolved not to keep quiet – but rather break the silence!