Kammoh_S

[Kammoh_S @Kammoh_s]

#ShaveToRemember

[Musikana_weMaHeels @adriannaruee]

@TendayiGwata I went through every stage of this with my mum and its not easy at all. I am glad you have the strength to talk about it and share your experience its quite helpful. It will be well with you in every stage.

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

Please ladies and gentlemen (yes men can too get breast cancer) check yourselves and get checked.

If you are already on this journey I wish you peace and the strength, both mentally and physically to get through this.

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

And let's not forget the living in Zimbabwe angle to add to the complexity where power cuts could impact storage of drugs (they can become ineffective), the sheer expense (medical aids like all businesses are struggling with this currency insanity) and availability is a challenge

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

Then let's not forget the other possible side effects due to the nature of the chemo drugs that I have been prescribed (so far hasn't happened to me and I pray it doesn't) that include:

Congestive heart failure
Leukaemia
Loss of fertility
And the list goes on.

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

That's just the beginning. With each session of chemo, my body has revealed a new weird and wonderful side effect.

Like bone pain, guys I have been through child birth and yeah bone pain is a whole new level of pain I didn't believe was possible.

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

You know after a crazy night when you have been out and a mix of beer, wine, spirits?

When you hurt all over, can't really walk, eat or drink anything? When the light is too bright and every sound is like a sledgehammer to the head? And the nausea!!

Non stop for a full 5 days

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

The chemo is brutal and definitely not a one day affair.

They do blood tests before each one to check your blood count and liver function

Then it's the chemo through an IV that takes a good 4 hours to administer

Followed by the aftermath that for me lasts about 5 days

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

My treatment plan is:

- 4 cycles of chemotherapy every two weeks
- Another 4 cycles of chemo every 3 weeks
- Then Surgery (good bye to my glorious boobies and yes I have fabulous ones)
- 5 weeks of radiation
- 12 months of an injection every 3 weeks

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

All these tests don't happen in one day, so this meant a few weeks of no real answers, not knowing and days of trying to be calm

I felt unanchored and honestly lost my mind a little

It was only once I had a treatment plan, did it become easier to deal with the whole situation

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

Before my final diagnosis, I went through a series of tests which included an Ultrasound Scan, Mammogram, Heart Echo, ECG, CT scan and I would say the most traumatic was definitely the Biopsy where they take tissue samples, using a thin hollow needle. It hurt sooo much after

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

Some days are good and filled with hope. The support and encouragement from my humans has been incredible

Some days I sit there in sheer disbelief that here I am fighting for my life and it could go either way.

Yup this is what they mean when they say facing your mortality

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

Regular self and clinical examination are so so important.

I was lax, had the "I'll get to it" but something always comes up attitude and now look at me.

This could have been caught earlier when the survival rate is 100% instead I'm now working with a 75% chance.

[Tendayi Gwata @TendayiGwata]

I have Stage 3 Breast Cancer and about to do my 5th chemo cycle this week

In honour of all who have gone before me and most importantly all who have so far escaped, here is a thread of my journey so far

Because its Breast Cancer Month

Please RT for awareness

[Kammoh_S @Kammoh_s]

Do you remember when you joined Twitter? I do! #MyTwitterAnniversary

[Ulrich Janse van Vuuren @UlrichJvV]

Can Uncle Tito Mboweni and Christo Thurston just invite all of us over when they do their Twitter Cook On Challenge. We just want to see something asomblief. 🤔😋🍲

[Kammoh_S @Kammoh_s]

@CheriFlavour Yebo.

[Kammoh_S @Kammoh_s]

#ShaveToRemember

[Kammoh_S @Kammoh_s]

Done #ShaveToRemember

[Kammoh_S @Kammoh_s]

#ShaveToRemember