EVERY week, hundreds of patients walk through the doors of cancer care in Gqeberha, all with a story of their own.
Most of the time, it is a feeling of fear because cancer is, after all, one of the most feared diseases on the planet.
A few years ago, Mariana Lourens was one of those fearful patients, not knowing what to expect from her cancer diagnosis.
But today, this compassionate oncology social worker is a breast cancer survivor, celebrating twenty years of being cancer-free and nineteen years of working in cancer care.
December 3, 2004, is a date Lourens will never forget. It was the day her whole world was turned upside down when the doctor delivered the words, “You have oestrogen-positive breast cancer,” over the phone.
Receiving devastating news like this over the phone is not ideal, but Lourens admits her impatience led her to call the doctor. At just 42 years old, which is considered young to be diagnosed with breast cancer, the diagnosis left her shocked, overwhelmed, and uncertain.
As a mother with three children aged 10, 14, and 16 at the time, Lourens wanted to know, “Will I live, will I see my children grow up, and will I survive?”
A cancer diagnosis deeply impacts the whole family, and Lourens recalled the tough times when she, her husband, and their three children sat on the couch together, crying until they understood the treatment and the journey that lay ahead.
Luckily for Lourens, the cancer was detected early, and doctors informed her that her cancer was a curable form of cancer.
Lourens had surgery, a mastectomy, 25 radiation sessions, and received hormone treatment for five years.
Due to the cancer being too close to the sternum, they decided to give her radiation to prevent local recurrence in the rib cage. And since it was an oestrogen-positive cancer, the hormone therapy blocked the cancer cells ability to absorb oestrogen.
It doesn’t block all the oestrogen in your body; it just blocks the ability of the cancer cell. So, in the application, the cancer cell dies of hunger because it does not get the necessary stimulus to develop.
Technology has improved so much in the last two decades that breast cancer patients only receive 15 radiation sessions nowadays, limiting the side effects.
Since starting to work as an oncology social worker, Lourens expressed, “Cancer became a part of my world; it changed from being scared to walk through these doors because people are dying of cancer, to… it is a disease some people heal from and others not. It is a disease that can be treated; it is not always a death sentence. Some people don’t survive it, and some do.”
Being a cancer care patient, Lourens said that her experience has deepened her empathy for patients who become anxious and irritated while waiting for results. Reflecting on her own moments of fear and frustration during those long waits, she understands just how challenging it can be to wait.
“But now I also understand the processes behind it all and why everything can’t happen right away. I can explain that there are certain chemical processes that need to take place to get results, and it takes time.
“But I can also relate with the patient and say… I know it is bad. It is not easy. We don’t serve you a soft drink; we are giving you chemo,” Lourens added.
No matter your age, make sure that you check your breasts once a month, preferably after menstruation, around the same time each month to notice any changes, Lourens explained.
“And if you notice any changes, see a doctor; don’t wait thinking that it is going to go away. If nothing is wrong, then great, but if there is something wrong, then there is help. The earlier it gets detected, the better your chances are of surviving,” Lourens said.
“In general, we are seeing younger patients with breast cancer. We can’t yet really figure out if it is because of the advanced technology that can detect cancer better and quicker, or the fact that people are more aware of cancer now than in the past.
“And there are different theories that explain the influence of our lifestyle choices. But the principle stays the same whether you are young or old, go for your check-ups and check your breasts regularly,” Lourens added.
October is dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer and a time to remember those we lost, to support the fighters, and to admire the survivors.
