SULTANA ACTRESS WINNIE BWIRE ON BEING DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE 4 BREAST CANCER

Sultana actress Winnie Bwire Ndubi popularly known as Dida has opened up on being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. 

The actress told Buzz Central that she did not have the usual cancer symptoms, “I did not have any symptoms until it was too late. I’m currently in the process of registering a foundation called Breast Cancer Warriors Foundation, because I realised that there is a deficit of information. I noticed that the things we have been taught to look out for where breast cancer is concerned. They don’t always show the same way,  I did not have the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and I didn’t think it was cancer.

I started having swelling during my period under my armpit and after my period, the pain and the swelling would disappear, the next time I had my period it came back so I went to the doctor’s and she examined me for breast cancer and she was like you don’t have anything to be worried about.

The third month I got my period the pain was nonstop pain, the periods went and the pain was still there. I went to the same doctor. She was like you have nothing to worry about. But my mom suggested we see a gynaecologist who sent me to a sonographer, I did an ultrasound. He said there was nothing to worry about, they just found cysts but he suggested I do a CT scan. Which came out clean but just to rule out it was cancer they advised me to do a biopsy and that’s when they found out I had cancer.“

Bwire was told the breast cancer was at stage 4, “I was told its stage four. I know it is ridiculous because most people who are on stage four are told to go home. There’s nothing more we can do for you but that’s not me.“

She disclosed the first time she received the information she laughed about it, “I laughed. When I’m presented with pain. My instinct is usually not to feel pain. So it reacts the opposite way. You could tell me someone has passed away and I could laugh. Instead of crying. I know automatically some people would cry, but I didn’t go there but I was still trying to convince my mind that no, it can’t be. I’ve done eight rounds of chemo and now I’m on something called target therapy. It’s sort of chemo but I’m basically taking pills that target the cells and stop them from reproducing.”

Winnie also said cancer patients should start with seeing a therapist first before going for chemo, “I’ve made it look like a walk in the park but it’s not, I just had a meltdown this morning, I realised I have been too strong along the way that I didn’t even discover some of the things I was going through and I was overwhelmed and I bawled my eyes out like crazy. It is very important to have a support system; this is not something that you can go through alone. I know that most patients when they find out they withdraw from the world. 

This disease is like any other. It starts with conditioning in the mind. When you decide that you are going to live and not die, then nobody can take your life unless God authorises it. When you are diagnosed with cancer I suggest you first see a therapist. Because you have to work on the brain before you work on the physical. It really goes a long way.”