“My life was totally normal, except for a pesky stain that appeared on her blouse daily. A healthy appetite, no sudden weight gain/ loss, no lumps felt…only those mysterious stains.” Onika Thompson shares.
Her story was first featured on CCRI - Caribbean Cancer Research Initiative and she noted the need for more cancer clinics in Tobago given capacity issues. Tobagonians have the added pressure of shuttling between Tobago and Trinidad for their treatment. She also highlighted the need for more accessible cancer awareness programmes and stressed the importance of regular cancer screening since early detection means earlier treatment.
Her story
While dressing for work in July 2017, Onika’s son entered her room and pointed out the blood on her hands. She looked down and saw blood dripping from her left breast. Confused and afraid, she googled. Ruling out cancer completely, she believed it was a clogged milk duct. She monitored the area herself and didn’t tell anyone. Weeks elapsed with inconsistent bleeding but she could no longer ignore it.
More than a pesky stain
In August, Onika told her husband, and visited the hospital. To determine the cause, she needed further tests which were scheduled for November. Prompted by family, Onika decided to pursue testing privately. Two weeks following an open biopsy, Onika was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was distraught and thought it was a death sentence. Her diagnosis was unexpected with no family history of cancer.
Onika fought through her emotions and garnered the strength to fight for herself and her loved ones, especially her three young boys. A whirlwind of trips between Tobago and Trinidad followed, with tests and surgeries done. In the first surgery, she had one breast removed. She remembered being very lucid after surgery and not feeling pain. The magnitude of the operation didn’t hit her until the night when she felt the tubes and missing tissue where her breast once was. Her nurse recommended that she get counselling.
The road to recovery
Onika struggled with the transition and couldn’t bear the sight of her breast. She didn’t want anyone to see her and was concerned with how her sons and husband would perceive her. She tried to distance herself from others. Luckily Onika’s strong support system rallied behind her and shrouded her with love and encouragement. She spoke to a minister and a fellow survivor who helped her process the changes.
Two weeks after her first surgery, she needed another. The doctors discovered that her breast cancer was invasive and therefore lymph nodes in her arm were removed. Her surgery was successful and Onika is thriving.
Onika stressed the importance of regular cancer screening because with early detection you can treat it as soon as possible. If it weren’t for that one symptom that prompted her to go to the hospital, doctors told her that it would have been too late.
CCRI is a registered not-for-profit organisation with a mission to increase cancer research capacity and offer evidence-based solutions for cancer prevention and management in the Caribbean.
Through CCRI’s Telehealth service, patients can access convenient, high-quality virtual oncological consultations at subsidised cost. First consultation is free. Service is currently targeted to cancer patients in the Caribbean.
For more information, visit www.ccrinitiative.com