Marisa 'eM' Louw

It is my second December as a cancer patient. I am not in remission; I am still on active treatment after being diagnosed with Stage 2 Grade 3 HER2+ and Hormone+ Pleomorphic Lobular Carcinoma (PLC) of the breast in August 2019.  The year that was Christmas and New Year's Eve of 2019 is a blur; I was too weak from chemotherapy to remember much of it. I know that my husband and I travelled from our home in Parys (Free State) to Stilbaai in the Western Cape for a privately commissioned production of the opera 'La Traviata'. Yet, I do not have any memories of the trip and the show; I rely on Facebook to remind me of what happened between Christmas and New Year's Eve last year. I started 2020 with continued chemotherapy, and my only goal was to make it through the current day. The COVID-19 Level 5 lockdown commenced two weeks after my last chemotherapy session in March 2020. My husband and I continued travelling between the Free State and Gauteng for my ongoing Herceptin inj...

On Monday, 30 November 2020, my surgeon admitted me to the hospital for my sixth surgery in just over a year. When a routine mammogram found a suspicious mass in July last year, I underwent a lumpectomy to remove the tumour for testing.  Following a Stage 2 cancer diagnosis - lobular pleomorphic carcinoma of the breast that is positive for HER2 and hormone receptors - I underwent a double mastectomy and direct-to-implant reconstruction in September 2019. A few weeks later, I was back in the hospital for debridement of the wounds on my right breast. I struggled with wound healing, and due to necrosis and infection, my surgeon once again admitted me to the hospital to remove the right implant in November 2019.  Upon completion of my chemotherapy regime, I had to wait two more months before my next surgery: insertion of a tissue expander in May 2020 to gently stretch the skin in preparation for the final reconstruction.  Finally, last month, my surgeon inserted the permanent...

  Soos gepubliseer in die Parys Gazette op 12 November 2020 Novembermaand staan ook bekend as Movember omdat mans aangemoedig word om ‘n snor te groei ter bewusmaking van gesondheidsprobleme wat mans beïnvloed, soos byvoorbeeld prostaatkanker. Dr Rudolph van Wyk, ‘n gesondheidspraktisyn in Parys beskryf die prostaat as “'n klier wat net onder die blaas sit en waarvaan die funksie is om voedingstowwe aan sperms te verskaf wat deel uitmaak van die semen.” Volgens Dr Van Wyk is prostaatkanker ‘n stadig-groeiende kanker en daarom is dit belangrik om jaarliks te toets daarvoor as jy oor 40 is. Die toets vir prostaatkanker is ‘n bloedtoets wat die vlakke van prostaat spesifieke antigeen (PSA) toets. Die prostaat is die enigste klier in die liggaam wat PSA afskei en daarom het vrouens geen PSA nie. Alhoewel ‘n rektale ondesoek dikwels saam met die bloedtoets gedoen word, is dit slegs ‘n absolute noodskaaklikheid waar daar ‘n probleem is met die urienvloei. Wat is die simptome van pro...

  When a loved one has a terminal illness, saying goodbye and letting go is never easy. During my 47 summers in this life on earth, I have had to say goodbye to so many of my furry, feathered, and scaled children that I lost count. Some got their angel wings due to fatal accidents, others because of illness, and some of old-age. One would think that it becomes easier with time, but it never does. It is a blessing that I have not yet experienced the heartache of watching a human soul mate or family member close to me fading away with a terminal illness. But I have endured it with my animal children, and the pain and sadness are just as real because the love I have for them is no different than the love I have for my human significant other, family, and friends. Lady Jane was a Toypom puppy who slipped off the basin when I washed her bum, and her tiny body was limp and lifeless. My boyfriend at the time worked as a volunteer firefighter, and my first reaction was to call the first re...

  First published in Parys Gazette on 29 October 2020 October is breast cancer awareness month, and in today's article, I will be writing about the different surgical options that are available to breast cancer patients to remove a tumour. Being diagnosed with breast cancer does not automatically mean you will require a mastectomy. A mastectomy is the total removal of the breast organ on one side, and a bilateral mastectomy is when the surgeon removes both the breast organs. "There are certain times when one has to perform a mastectomy," explains Dr Charles Serrurier, a specialist cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgeon in Rosebank, Johannesburg. "If it is a large tumour or when cancer appears over large areas of the breast, a mastectomy is the best option." Figure 1 When the cancer is severe, like my own diagnoses, specialist surgeons almost always perform a mastectomy followed by immediate reconstruction. The oncology surgeon then removes the breast ...

  #WednesdayThoughts The events of the past week, where there were several spiteful attempts to have me blocked from our local Facebook community group, got me thinking. It proves that there are cruel and hateful people in the world. As we near the end of a tough year, my thoughts wander to New Year's resolutions. I hardly ever make a list of things I want to change when the clock strikes midnight on the 31st of December, but a few years ago I decided to change one thing. I chose to be kind.  The dictionary defines kindness as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Friendly is acting kind and pleasant. Generosity means showing a readiness to give more of something than is strictly necessary or expected, and consideration is the act of being careful not to inconvenience or harm others. It is a tall order to fill, especially during the past year while I was fighting a battle with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer that affects less than 5% of breast c...

  First published in Parys Gazette on 22 October 2020. October is breast cancer awareness month, and although it is more common among women, men can get breast cancer too. According to a report issued by the Mayo Clinic in America, one in eight women and about 2,500 men get diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Carel-Piet van Eeden from Johannesburg is a male breast cancer survivor. I met him when I joined a private breast cancer support group on Facebook just over a year ago. His friendship and support since my diagnoses in August last year has been priceless. Carel-Piet was diagnosed with pre-malignant breast cancer for the first time in 2011 and again in 2019. "With the first diagnosis, I felt a lump in my chest under the right nipple," he says. "I underwent a thermogram, and the doctor was not happy with the results, so he ordered a biopsy." When his results came back positive for breast cancer, his doctor decided to remove the lump. Carel-Piet says that it wa...

This article first appeared in Parys Gazette on 15 October 2020 October is breast cancer awareness month, and I am thankful to the Gazette for allowing me to use their platform to create awareness around the importance of early detection and getting the right treatment. The previous two articles were factual and highlighted the importance of self-examination and routine mammograms. But what if you get the results and you have a suspicious mass? What are the next steps? What are your options? There are so many questions that go through one's mind, and it gets overwhelming. I still vividly remember the chaos following my breast cancer diagnosis in August 2019. Below are a few things you need to know about a breast cancer diagnosis. Do not rush to conclusions. Doctor Google is your worst enemy! The trick is to remain calm and let your general practitioner (house doctor) guide you through the initial phase of your treatment. Depending on the results of the diagnostics that confir...

This article first appeared in Parys Gazette on 8 October 2020 October is breast cancer awareness month. Some of the tests and procedures used to diagnose breast cancer include a clinical breast examination by your doctor, a mammogram, a breast ultrasound, a biopsy (removing a sample of breast cells for testing), and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).   The mammogram is one of the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the mammogram can often detect breast cancer up to three years before a lump appears in the breast.   What is a mammogram?   A mammogram is an x-ray image of the breasts that is examined by a qualified radiologist. When you go for a mammogram, your breasts will be compressed between two surfaces to disperse the breast tissue. Most women find this procedure uncomfortable, and some reported that it was even painful. From experience, I can say it was awkward but I...