CANCER WARRIOR: I throttled throat cancer

Ezekiel Libamira does not refer to himself as a cancer survivor but a victor. He says he is glad he was diagnosed with throat cancer because his story can encourage someone else. The father of three shares his story with Nation.co.ke.

“I was born and raised in Nairobi. I am a sales and marketing professional and I worked in this field in different capacities from 1981 to the early nineties. I quit employment in 1994 and went into business. Currently, I am a motivational coach and speaker, a leadership consultant, a development trainer and a global cancer ambassador.

Growing up, I never had any health challenges, aside from the common cold once in a while and malaria . I started struggling with my speech in September 2008. People would ask me to repeat what I said. Many of my friends thought that I had a problem with my sinuses. As I said, I am a public speaker, so all this became really uncomfortable for me. I decided to see my family doctor after about six months of the persistent symptoms. She said that my nostrils were congested and gave me medicine, saying that it would clear up in two weeks.

GOT WORSE

I got worse within the two weeks. I started experiencing pain that would shift from different parts of my body. It was mainly concentrated on my left jaw, however, and I always put my hand there, making me look sad or devastated. My friends advised me to seek a second opinion, of which I did at the Ear, Nose and Throat Centre at the Nairobi Hospital.

I saw a doctor who after reviewing my symptoms, said that I might have a tumour. He said that I should have a Computed Tomography (CT) scan to be sure. He went ahead to tell me about the next steps in the case that the tumour was confirmed; which included a biopsy (cutting a section of the tumour for testing whether it is cancerous or not). The doctor also told me that 80 per cent of the patients never go back to the hospital with cancer reports.

True to his word, I had a big tumour. I went for the biopsy which was done under local anaesthesia; meaning that I was half awake through the process. It was a very  painful experience. I took the sample to the laboratory myself and was back for the results in a week as was told. I will never forget the date: March 7, 2009. Two of my friends accompanied me, but I went in to see the doctor alone.

As a trainer, I immediately knew that something was amiss from the doctor’s body language as he read the report. I can never forget his words: “I have some not so good and some bad news for you.” He said that indeed it was throat cancer, but it could be treated. Like most cancer patients, the first thing I saw was death. As he explained everything, I just went into prayer and asked God to spare me.

COULD NOT TALK

I gave the report to my friends who were waiting for me in the car. I could not talk as I was holding myself from breaking down. I thought about how I would break the news to my children.

Their mother had already walked out of the family and it was hard for them. I could only imagine how they would take this. My business partner, who normally does not talk much, looked at it and passed it on to the other friend, a woman who was my neighbour. She became hysterical.

SECOND OPINION

I consulted a couple of friends and one insisted that I seek another opinion; and even paid for it. I got the results on a Saturday, and the following Monday, we saw another doctor who was alarmist. He said that chemotherapy and radiation were out of question and that I needed surgery to remove the tumour. I had heard of how surgery may cause the spread of cancer cells so I decided to seek a third opinion.

I went to Kenyatta Hospital for that purpose and was lucky enough to bump into my family doctor. I talked to him about my issue. Within these few weeks, I had already lost 34 kg. My doctor barely recognised me.

With the consultation of two other doctors, they decided against surgery . They introduced me to an oncologist, Dr Catherine Nyongesa, who runs the Texas Cancer Centre.

RAISED FUNDS FOR TREATMENT

The oncologist recommended 33 radiotherapy sessions before the chemotherapy sessions. My friends came in handy and immediately formed a committee to raise funds for my treatment. I started the radiotherapy sessions.

Within three days of the radiotherapy treatment, I could not taste anything. I also lost my appetite and could barely keep anything in my body as I went through chemotherapy. I would vomit anything I tried to eat or drink. I became dehydrated to a point that my tongue was so dry that swallowing pills was a problem. I lost 50 kilograms during treatment. The radiotherapy further burned my face so people could not even recognise me.

I once looked at a picture of my children and decided that I would live for them. I listened to motivational talks from cancer survivors both nationally and internationally. I faced a lot of stigma as well: people labelled me as a dead man walking, while others even thought that I was suffering from HIV/AIDS.

In May 2010, after two months of treatment, I was declared cancer free.

I was introduced to alternative treatment, or natural therapy, by a nutritionist who I consulted as he was being treated which has helped me until today. This cleansing treatment from China required me to take 72 capsules of natural products aside from the painkillers I had from hospital.

I believe that God allowed me to go through this so as to share and motivate others going through the same thing. I am the one of the few men in the many cancer support groups that I belong to. Men are scared to share their stories. They are afraid that people would take their illness as a sign of weakness .I am grateful I went through this because otherwise, I would not be giving hope to others today.”

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The Cancer Warrior story series tells the stories of cancer survivors. To share your cancer story, email lifeandstyle@ke.nationmedia.com