A victim of a fake herbalist cries out after being diagnosed with breast cancer, writes Woman Editor, Temitope David-Adegboye
Unless help comes, and quickly too, the life of Adetutu Bukola, a tailor by profession, is currently endangered by cancer of the breast.
Regretful option
Adetutu
Not only has her ordeal as a breast cancer patient brought her excruciating pain, even her relatives are now groaning for lack of funds to keep up with the treatment option that she needs regularly.
Before visiting the hospital, they had wasted so much money on fake traditional practitioners, who fleeced her of huge sums of money, with the promise of finding solution to her nagging pain. After experiencing a recurring ache under her armpit, she confided in her friend who tried to douse her fears by recommending a herbalist who lives in Epe.
The journey to and from Epe alone is hell. Added to that is the huge sum of money expended in the travel.
How it started
Bukola said: “The ailment started in 2012. I discovered an aching under my armpit, close to my breast, but I did not take it seriously because I did not know that anything like cancer existed. I was not enlightened about cancer. So one day, I told one of my customers and she told me not to worry that it has happened to one of her friends.
“Had it been I went to a hospital, it might not have gotten this worse; but she decided to take me to a local doctor in Epe and I was charged N150,000. I was asked to come to Epe every week from Mushin. All she gave me was a local concoction and a local soap.”
According to Bukola, the ‘doctor’ claimed that she had been sent ofa (a spiritual spell), and that using the soap and other concoctions on the side where she had pains would do the magic.
Milking continues
After coughing out N150,000 for the treatment, the herbalist was relentless in her demands for more money. The worst part, according to Bukola, was that people asked her not to go to hospital because orthodox medicine practitioners would cut off her breasts and she would die in the process.
“She just keeps extorting me, telling me to go for different rituals that required a lot of money. Then I was working, so I made a lot of money. But then I discovered that instead of getting better, it was getting worse,” she said.
But her situation deteriorated.
Orthodox treatment
“I noticed later that instead of getting relief, it was worse. I could not work again. I could not sleep. My body was getting dry. I could not walk. So I ended up in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
“Before then, I had been taken to a private hospital in Mushin, but they refused to take me and even insulted me. They referred me to either Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) or LUTH, so I chose LUTH. The first test I ran revealed that it had eaten up my liver. I could not sit straight. My back was aching; and my sides too.
“After the test, I was directed to radiotherapy and was told I required chemo(therapy). That chemo made me require blood after they discovered I had a LBC (Low Blood Count). I was admitted in August 2013 and I spent a month. They were giving me blood because my blood was too small.”
Late in the day
Her doctor, an oncologist, who does not want his name in print, confirmed that Bukola came in at an advanced stage of the cancer, a situation the doctor says they are used to, as most patients do not report early for treatment and they cannot turn back the patients no matter how bad the case may be.
“Actually, she came in late, but this is not peculiar only to her. Most of our patients do not report for treatment early. And no matter how difficult the case may seem, we are not in the habit of turning them back. We still give it our best shot. It was on that basis that we took up her case and she has been receiving treatment ever since.
“Although she had improved tremendously, lack of funds to go for the chemo regularly is taking its toll on her as she has been missing her treatment.
“Chemotherapy session is supposed to be once every three weeks, and six times. She is on the second line. But because of her financial situation, she has been missing her sessions.
“So, right now, she will need between N400,000 and N500,000 estimate of a third line chemo. We are hoping that she will be able to raise money to attend the chemo session regularly, so that everything can be cleared up or at least control it as much as possible,” the oncologist added.
Time for urgent help
Now, Bukola, who has taken 27 pints of blood so far, needs urgent help. When she visited TheNiche corporate headquarters in Ikeja, she looked everything but healthy.
The illness has taken its toll on her and the family finances.
Her husband, an official of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), has been going from one church to another to raise money for her treatment.
“I used to be the breadwinner; so it is really hard,” she said.
Now, Adetutu desparately needs help. She urges kind-hearted people to send whatever they can to her Ecobank account no. 294 202 0772, with the name ADETUTU BUKOLA. She cal also be reache by phone on 0802 433 4460.
