Duduza cancer survivor shares inspiring journey and recovery

Duduza – Queen Sogidashe (52), a nurse, is a cancer survivor who was diagnosed with the disease in October 2015.

She described her journey as lengthy, full of emotions and self-pity, saying her situation made her cry each day she looked in the mirror.

She said she was healthy when diagnosed but experienced pain when bending over to pick up things.

“I had no pain when standing or sitting, but the minute I had to bend, I felt excruciating pain in my left breast. The sharp pain felt as if someone was pulling my breast.

“I then decided to consult our family doctor, who gave me painkillers and instructed me to return to the consultation room should I not feel any better after seven days,” she said.

Sogidashe said a week passed, and she felt no better, so she returned to her doctor, who referred her to a surgeon.

“The surgeon ran a few blood tests. While sceptically waiting for my results, I could not feel a lump in my breast, but the pain worsened daily.

“When the results came back, I was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, and all I could do was sob out of fear,” Sogidashe added.

“The doctor called my family to tell them of his diagnosis and explained the processes I would have to undergo. I had to undergo my first chemotherapy session at Life The Glynnwood Hospital. At first, I was unafraid to undergo this form of treatment; I thought it would be a drip like any other drip.

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“But it lasted longer than expected. My family and friends were with me throughout the first eight hours of chemo,” remarked Sogidashe.

She said the side effects were unbearable and difficult to overcome, but she was grateful for her friend, Joyce Dlulisa, who supported her through every obstacle.

She said things became more difficult after her third cycle of chemotherapy when she started losing her hair.

“I had blood tests weekly, and after six cycles, the doctors discovered that the cancer had developed to the right side of my breast. I had to stop chemo for two months for the doctors to re-run tests,” Sogidashe said.

Once her results had returned, Sogidashe had to visit the hospital every two weeks – all while her medical bill continued to increase.

“I exhausted my medical aid and was required to pay R30 000 every time I attended treatment. I got medication in different ways, through the drip and injections in various parts of my body due to not affording chemo,” she added.

She said she was unable to pay her hospital expenses and could not restart her chemo sessions, so her doctor then offered to find sponsors from overseas who would sponsor her treatment.

“By the grace of God, I found a sponsor who gracefully paid for three years of my treatment sessions.

“I then returned to chemotherapy and received injections. They did a mastectomy of the right breast in 2017, followed by 36 days of radiation.

“The side effects affected my sight and bones, and I developed deep vein thrombosis. I could not walk on my own and was constantly in and out of hospital,” Sogidashe said.

She said her journey was stressful, but because of the support that surrounded her, she remained hopeful that she would overcome the disease.

“The journey was not easy to overcome. At some point, my health started deteriorating, but through God’s grace, I overcame the disease.

“Because of the support I received, I regained my self-confidence. Going through counselling was necessary because it helped me accept my situation to live a happy life,” she said.

Sogidashe has been cancer-free for seven years. She continues to take oral medication daily and has learnt to motivate others fighting the same battle she once fought. She also has check-ups twice a year.

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