‘Ondo First Lady, Betty Akeredolu tells how she survived breast cancer 20 years ago

Founder
of Breast Cancer Symposium of the Breast Cancer Association of
Nigeria, BRECAN and First Lady of Ondo State, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu,
in an interview with Vanguard, narrated how she survived breast cancer
20 years ago.

Here’s her story;

‘I survived breast cancer about 20 years ago. It all started in
1997 when I was diagnosed. Before then, I didn’t know anyone who had
that experience and the little information I got was from the
international media. On that fateful morning when I felt something in my
breast, of course, my mind raced to breast cancer because it was where
such a disease was located. I was scared and didn’t know what to do; it
happened when I was resting at home during my annual leave. It got me
thinking that if this happened to be breast cancer, what was I going to
do at that age? I was 42 or 43 and I had little children. What would
become of those children? I kept the discovery to myself for almost one
week’.

She continued to say, ‘my baby was just four years’ old or
thereabouts. So, I just tuned to television that morning and what I
heard was that ‘this programme could save your life’. Immediately I
heard that, I raised my head from the pillow, sat and began to wonder,
what could this be? And it happened to be about breast cancer survival
journey. That coincidence saved my life. There was this woman and it was
her journey through breast cancer diagnosis, and she happened to be the
mother of a popular Hollywood actor. She went through the treatment
and, as a survivor, was sharing her experience. She used her journey to
lift the spirit of those undergoing such experience and I benefitted
from it. That was how I summoned the courage to go to hospital, and said
that ‘whatever this woman did, I am going to be like her’.

‘After the examination, the doctor confirmed there was a lump, but he didn’t know what it was.
When I told my husband, he was scared but he didn’t know I had been
fortified by that television programme I had watched. He must have
wondered where I got the strength because I was on my feet and prepared
that whatever that woman did, I was going to do and overcome. Then my
treatment commenced. The first treatment was mastectomy. At the said
time (1997), the level of breast health care was at the rudimentary
level. Radical mastectomy meant ‘just remove everything (breasts)’ and I
said ‘remove the damn thing if that is what will make me live’. My
experience was one of shattering loneliness, unavailability of
information and group support, coupled with the tight- lip syndrome and
indifference surrounding the disease’ she said.