Barbara is from Soweto and is a loving wife and caring mother of two boys. In 2016 June she felt a lump in her left breast and was not too worried, hoping it would disappear. After a month of it not reducing at all in size, she had the lump examined at her local clinic. She was then counselled and navigated by the Breast Health Foundation team who helped me enter the healthcare system for diagnostic testing and treatment at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital as she tested positive for breast cancer.
Her treatment included a lumpectomy and chemotherapy. Side effects that she experienced was terrible joint pain, hot flushes, excessive sweating, but post-chemo all those side effects went away. Thereafter she completed six weeks of radiation which also caused some side-effects.
She attends her regular follow-and-check-ups. Barbara now lives a healthy life.
“I too have now joined the Breast Health Foundation team to give back to my community. I educate and create awareness to the public and support patients at the Helen Joseph Breast Care Clinic” says Barbara.