BOOB J.O.B.

Leah's spa business had just been launched a month ago, and the kind of customer base she has is over the moon. Life couldn’t be better, she has a boyfriend who loves her, and fat cash in her account. They had a small cocktail party with models serving the drinks. She studied Seth- her boyfriend and noticed he couldn’t get his eyes off the chest of the models. An idea flashed her mind and she couldn’t keep it to herself any longer. After the party, she told Seth she wanted a boob job- a breast reduction from her C- cup to A-cup. Seth tried to dissuade her, but she won’t back down. He told her to be sure she was doing it not just for him, but for herself, and that it made her happy.

            She placed a call to Dr. McNamara’s office to book an appointment. Monday came sooner than she expected- how time flies when you are hyper excited! The doctor prepped her on the pros and cons of a boob job; but it rather strengthened her resolve, because she wasn’t let anyone or anything get in her way. With this, the doctor did a breast examination, as the first physical step. In excitement, Leah asked when she could be booked for her surgery when the doctor gave her gruesome news that made her world stop right that moment. “I’m sorry you won’t be getting any boob job anytime till we know what we are dealing with. Leah, you have a lump in your left breast which we have to remove soon and do further histological tests so that we can determine the best approach.”

            She kept replaying the message in her mind as she left the doctor’s office. The doctor’s effort to placate her or encourage her just fell on deaf ears, as all she could hear was cancer- because that’s all she knew- once you have a lump in your breast, its cancer. Leah was numb for God-knows-how-long. She could feel the ground giving way beneath her. With support from family and her boyfriend, she went for the surgery, and further results showed the lump was removed at the right time, and none of the major surrounding organs were affected. Now, Leah has continued with her life despite her initial fears.

            Keke (not her real name) is another lady with a similar story. She discovered she had a lump in her breast, but she made a different choice. Rather than seek medical help, she settled for herbal remedies. I am not against traditional medicine, but this is potential cancerous lump we are talking about!!! The traditional healer connected the lump to a spiritual attack from her neighbor. He gave her a balm to rub on the affected breast. The lump burst and invaded surrounding organs. In no time, Keke died. I am a spiritual person, but that doesn’t mean I should rule out scientific facts, especially about breast lumps. Maybe by a chance of 2% Keke could still be alive today had she sought medical opinion. She was unmarried, with no major achievement; she had no offspring, and was survived by a well-aged mother and siblings. Keke was a friend of my family and she died two months ago.

            Breast cancer is real. This is my submission as a part of breast cancer awareness: go for regular breast examination and do so with an open mind. It’s been made easy these days that you can do it yourself in the comfort of your home. If you find anything strange, seek medical attention and do it with an open mind. Peradventure you discover you have a lump, see a doctor immediately to know which course to follow.

            Ladies, information is power!

            Happy breast cancer awareness month!