Cancer ordeal: Mwanyangapo’s life-changing moment

At a cancer awareness event on Saturday, cancer survivor Lamech Mwanyangapo posed a rhetorical question to the crowd, at first leaving many silent, before they responded.“If you wake up and you are told you have cancer, what will you do or how will you react?" Mwanyangapo asked at the Ongwediva Medipark's 12th cancer awareness walk and run campaign on breast, cervical and prostate cancer. The event is held annually to commemorate Breast Cancer Month in October.He added: “None of us is immune to any type of cancer. You can be diagnosed with it, whether breast, cervical or prostate cancer.”Answers ranged from likely feeling “shocked", "scared", "confused", "in denial”, while others admitted they would cry. The cancer diagnosisIn April 2023, Mwanyangapo received what he termed a dire message: he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer.This form of cancer is called multiple myeloma, as the cancer often affects several areas of the body, such as the spine, skull, pelvis and ribs.Mwanyangapo recalled that, as if the diagnosis were not enough, the doctor also told him: “You are lucky if you survive for the next seven weeks. You can’t imagine what was going through my head."He added: "Everyone experiences fear. But we shouldn’t be consumed by it. Despite the threatening death sentence, the long, painful medical treatment and the fear of never getting back to a ‘normal’ life, surviving this disease was the most gratifying combat I have ever had to face. And I learned critical lessons from it."Mwanyangapo said, at the time, the cancer was spreading towards his brain, his bones were deteriorating and every movement he made posed a life-threatening risk.On 2 May 2023, he travelled to the Windhoek Oncology Centre, just a few days before the seven-week deadline the doctors had given him to live.Treatment journey “However, God is glorious, and when it is not your time, you will not die. The doctors then drew up a treatment plan. I was first put on a 30-day radiation programme, which was followed by chemotherapy treatment. This was to stop the spread of the cancer to the brain and other parts of the body. It was also to stop it from further destroying the bones and, lastly, to destroy the tumour,” he said.Mwanyangapo believes what saved him was his will to fight and following his doctor's instructions.He said one “good day”, after six weeks of treatment, the doctors informed him they had achieved their target in a short period.The tumour was completely destroyed and his bones were recovering; however, the cancer remained in the bone marrow.At this point he was referred for further treatment in neighbouring South Africa, where he received a bone marrow and stem cell transplant at the Constantiaberg Haematology Hospital in Cape Town.He left Windhoek for Cape Town on 10 October 2023 as a cancer patient and returned on 28 January 2024 as a cancer survivor, having spent the entire time in the hospital.Costly exerciseA week later, the nation lost its third president, Hage Geingob, who also succumbed to cancer. Mwanyangapo said the president’s death has prompted many people to call for improvements in the fight against cancer. Mwanyangapo said his pursuit to fight cancer was further ignited in honour of the late president.“This life-changing event promoted me to re-evaluate my life. God said I must stay on in life. What did God want me to do? In order to serve him and honour my second chance at life, I declared war against cancer and formed the Lamech Mwanyangapo Cancer Foundation,” he said.Mwanyangapo underlined that his time in Cape Town was not only emotionally draining for him and his family but also financially painful. The transplant cost no less than N$3 million, and his medical aid only covered around 70% of the costs, leaving him responsible for the remainder.He added that the months he spent in Cape Town, his family, who supported him, had to rent a place to offer him support and care.Help at handMwanyangapo said the foundation he has launched will help him play a leading role in supporting and empowering those battling cancer. It is dedicated to giving those diagnosed with cancer a shoulder to lean on and helping them overcome the disease.He said he is also planning to establish an oncology centre in northern Namibia to bring services closer to the people. Additionally, he said cancer is a costly exercise and the foundation will raise money to help financially struggling patients. He encouraged everyone to go for regular check-ups to ensure early detection. Mwanyangapo also criticised some doctors, noting that while they preach the importance of early detection in saving lives, many take a long time to refer patients while enjoying the benefits of medical aid. He said he believes his diagnosis could have been made earlier, as he started looking for help in 2022, but said that entire year he was treated based on “wrong diagnoses".Increase awareness Ongwediva mayor Taarah Shalyefu, who revealed that he lost his mother to cancer, applauded Medipark for working tirelessly to create awareness about the disease and to support affected families.Shalyefu said the cancer journey can be isolating for patients, but with support, one's chances of survival can be boosted. "Go for regular check-ups and engage in regular exercise. Let us increase awareness by talking about cancer to reduce health, do away with stigma for those suffering, and give mental and physical support as well," he said.Dr Shaaban KaiKai, a specialist surgeon at Ongwediva Medipark, said they are detecting cases earlier and saving more lives by encouraging people to undergo regular screenings. This year, the campaign was held under the theme "Close the Care Gap: Everyone Deserves Access to Cancer Care."

Cancer ordeal: Mwanyangapo’s life-changing moment

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-22

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Cancer ordeal: Mwanyangapo’s life-changing moment

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-22

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