ONCOLOGIST SPEAKS: How delayed diagnosis of bone cancer robbed us of young girl

As humans we have subscribed to the life’s rule that once we are born, we will face death at some point.

Death is part of our destiny and time always stands between birth and death.

In human history, mortality has been a subject and many have tried to find a cure for this with the hope of living forever, but in vain.

As a doctor I was taught to accept that I will lose people before my very eyes, and that’s why I was taught to always strive to save life.

But I was never taught to believe that I will conquer death, such thoughts are left to super natural powers.

Before the year 2016 ended, I had the opportunity of meeting a little girl, 14years old, who appears brilliant and a source of joy to her parents.

But, like many patients that I treat, the angel of death was hanging over her, waiting to grab her for good.

This little angel, Mage* (I withhold her real name for good reasons) was suffering from a common childhood cancer called osteosarcoma.

This is a cancer of the bones, and affects mostly the end of the long bones that are fast growing. It’s a frequent tumor among children and young adults but almost anyone can get it and may occur at any bone site.

Mage’s cancer begun from her right foot and was initially treated as an infection of the bone termed as osteomyelitis.

For about two months, those who treated her initially believed she merely had an infection—and not cancer. The condition worsened during that time—the cancer grew.

One of the major setbacks we are facing in this country in cancer care is late diagnosis. In Mage’s case, the cancer reduced the chances for any form of survival.

Diagnostic tests revealed later that she had cancer. For a total work out, she had to be flown to Asia—and finally it was confirmed she had the cancer.

The news went from bad to worse when it was discovered that the cancer had involved the lungs and that there was no room for surgery or chemotherapy—it was too late.

I met her when she returned and from the start I knew my job will be to help her meet her death as comfortably as I would wish for myself.

Although I had witnessed many go through this situation, this one was special-mainly because she was young, the only child to her parents ad she had a bright future.

 My team and I painfully accepted this outcome first. Secondly we set out to comfort the parents in a family meeting that they were about to lose their precious one.

With difficulty but surely, we explained to them how they could help her face the fear of pain and possibly death that we doubted she comprehended fully.

As I stood beside her bed, she hardly could breathe due the monstrous cancer in her lungs.

Before I left the room, she asked for a dose to put her to sleep. I wondered what type of ‘sleep’ longed for.  She was in pain, she wanted morphine. I didn’t know that meant she was leaving us for good.

She passed away a few hours later, peacefully. She was baptized and it was two days after the birth of Jesus—Christmas. I believe she is at her better place and death ended her the pain that personally as an Oncologist, I could not have put to an end. Mage’s story has left a profound mark on my life and the profession, with lots of soul searching too.

For us who she left behind, our efforts to fight cancer should continue or else we stand to lose more and more.

In 2017, I remind my readers to eat well, exercise more, stop cigarette smoking and see your physician regularly for screening.

The rest, leave to God but do remember to remain positive because positive vibes will keep your immunity intact and hence fight cancer.

Let’s live to remember many Mages out there.

The author is an Oncologist at Muhimbili National Hospital. [email protected]