SEEK EARLY MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR CANCER ... (Page 17)

Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi

THE fear of a 42-year-old woman in seeking medical treatment at a hospital for breast cancer which had just started developing in her right breast nearly cost her her life, especially when she, instead went in for a herbal treatment at Ankaase near Bekwai.
After using the herbs to treat the seemingly painless boil on her breast without any positive results, resulting in the widespread of the cancer at an alarming rate, family members had to rush her to Peace and Love Hospital at Kentinkrono in Kumasi where she is now responding to treatment.
The woman, a trader who lives at Ahwiaa in Kumasi, said, “I developed the disease almost a year ago when a small boil appeared in my right breast, and thinking that it was just an ordinary boil, I applied some ointments, hoping that it would disappear, but it worsened, compelling me to seek herbal treatment.”
The woman (name withheld), told the Daily Graphic in Kumasi that her fear of refusing to seek medical treatment at the hospital at the initial stages of the disease was that her mother had a similar problem about seven years ago and was operated upon when she sought for medical treatment at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
She said even though, “My mother survived the operation, I developed a certain fear, from which I am yet to recover, so when I was diagnosed as suffering from breast cancer, I remembered my mother’s predicament and, therefore, decided never to seek any treatment from the hospital. I, therefore, went to Ankaase near Bekwai for herbs, and that eventually worsened the situation,” she explained.
She explained that at the village where she sought herbal treatment, hot water was used to clean the wound that had developed on her breast before the herbs were applied; and after using the drug for some time, she found out that the disease was getting worse everyday and the pains were becoming unbearable.
The woman said she saw that her continuous presence at the herbal centre could cost her her life, but she was also afraid to go to the hospital. Eventually, her daughter had to intervene, and was given the assurance that her mother would not be operated upon.
“I was virtually carried to this hospital, because I could not walk at the time, and the pains were very intense, but as you can see now, I walked here myself today and the sore that developed in my breast is also healing very fast. I thank God for that,” she said.
She said she was recovering very fast and appealed to women who might encounter similar problems to seek early treatment at hospitals instead of seeking herbal treatment, because they risked losing their lives.
She pointed out that waiting for the cancer to reach an advanced stage before seeking medical treatment was also very costly.
“As soon as you notice any boil, seek medical treatment to reduce cost of treatment and to enhance early recovery, because anything short of that could affect the treatment in terms of cost and early recovery,” she cautioned