This article was first published in Buddies for Life 2015 winter issue. Written by Elsje Smit.
Early detection is key. The biggest thing with my generation is not that we donât know things, it is more that we are very ignorant. One dismisses things until it happens to you. Be aware of your body! Anything can happen at any time and itâs important to take care of yourself!
Roughly 10 months ago, Velisa Sishuba, a 17-year-old matriculant at South Downs College in northern Gauteng was living a normal high school life. The only thing she didnât know wasnât normal, was a lump in her left breast. The teenager shares her journey with us.
Velisa was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, a rare type of breast sarcoma, in September 2014, spending the next year going through surgeries and radiation to fight the cancer.
Three months after her doctor failed to spot that she had cancer, this bubbly teenager was forced to undergo a mastectomy. âMine was an exceptionally rare case, but the more knowledge that you have, the more you can prepare for things to happen in the future,â said Velisa.
An angiosarcoma in the breast is usually at least 4cm in size, and the skin over it may turn a bluish colour. These cancers are more common in women in their 30s and 40s who have not yet undergone menopause.
âWhen the results from the second biopsy finally became available, it indicated something was hiding behind my breast. Doctors confirmed it is a very rare type of tumour, which needed to be removed immediately to avoid further complications.â
After consulting three different doctors, Velisa found âa really great team of womenâ physicians at the Milpark Breast Care Centre who developed a suitable treatment plan. âI didnât even know about this place, but knew I was in very good hands from the very beginning and couldnât have asked for anything better.â
Recalling how she felt when she first received her diagnosis, Velisa said, âI was terrified for my life. Everything was just so surrealâŚwhen you go through something like this and medical professionals explain it to you, itâs understandable, but then when reality hits itâs a whole different story.â
Undergoing a week of treatments, which included a CAT scan and lung tests, this bright-eyed teen was exhausted. âI had to undergo CAT scans – I hate that machine, it is very scary – I came out with scars and all bruised, it was just gross! I also had to undergo a lung test to determine how much anaesthesia will be necessary during my surgery. There were so many tests and I had to drink plenty of water. I never drank that much water in my life before. I know it was just scans and tests, but it was really hard and I was extremely emotional at the time.â
On her fatherâs birthday, December 12, this youngster had to undergo her first surgery. âIt totally sucked to miss my dadâs birthday,â said Velisa. âBut this surgery was taking out the lump.â
A few days after surgery, Velisa met with her medical team for a consultation, only to discover that she needs a second operation. âI was then informed that they needed to remove 2cm more of my good tissue, because it still could linger some of the bad stuff. So, they took my latissimus dorsi muscle (on the trunk, posterior to the arm) and moved it to the front, and then put an expander in. That was the biggest procedure I had so far – it took about 3 – 4 hours. This happened only four days after my first operation. The operation did take away the cancer and I guess thatâs whatâs important.â
Being a very independently-minded person, Velisa said it was hard to be vulnerable by force. âAfter my second operation, my mom had to do everything for me – wash me, brush my teeth, help me to get up. I couldnât pick up a plate or even read my book. It was awful to be vulnerable by force.â
With a heavy heart, yet brave glance, Velisa remembers when reality hit home. âBeing able to take a bath for the first time after my second procedure was amazing! The tub was running and my mom was making it so divine with some bubble bath etc. At that moment, I had time to look at myself in the mirror and that was when it hit meâŚmy one breast was normal and the other not – I was thinking this is what Iâm going to look like for the rest of my life.â
During Velisaâs April 2015 school holiday, she underwent a third surgery. âI basically have had my left breast reconstructed. They just lowered my breast and put the nipple in, to make it look exactly like my right breast. My doctors also did a breast reduction surgery on my right breast to make my breasts look as natural as possible.â
Handling the pressures of high school can be tough on any teen, however, Velisa had to face other challenges. âIt was very hard at school, because word slowly spread that I had to undergo breast surgery and it wasnât like I was made fun of, but people brushed it off. They would only ask because they were curious, or feel obligated to, not really because they cared. I wasnât trying to milk compliments, but it was just one of those things. Above all, what hurt the most was the misconception that people thought it was a âboob jobâ. That was annoying, because thereâs a big difference between what I had and a âboob jobâ.â
For Velisaâs parents, Siya and Beaulah, their courageous little girlâs journey was an excruciating time. âTo see your child in such an amount of pain is awful,â said Beaulah. âBut she was just incredible, she didnât really complain, she was so strong! As her mom, I just wanted to take Velisaâs pain away, I felt I would rather trade places. My husband and I did go through that question asking phase – what could we as parents have done differently, is it because I didnât breast feed, etc. But we had to be strong for our child.â
According to Velisa, she was quite concerned for her family during this intense time. âI worried more about my parents and my brother, Anda (14) because you could see they were strong for me. Above everything our family is very spiritual and God definitely helped us through this journey.â
Velisa encourages young women to educate themselves about cancer and recognise that breast cancer doesnât just affect older women. âEarly detection is key. The biggest thing with my generation is not that we donât know things, it is more that we are very ignorant. One dismisses things until it happens to you. Be aware of your body! Anything can happen at any time and itâs important to take care of yourself!â
After everything this youngster has been through, Velisaâs advise to the youth of today is: âDonât let anyone tell you that what youâre going through is nothing, donât let anyone tell you to get over it and move on, because they donât know what it takes to go through this or what it takes to be you. Allow yourself to digest whatâs going on. Allow yourself to feel every emotion and know you are strong and an amazing individual. Surround yourself with people who have nothing but support and love for you. Pray a lot, because God is phenomenal. And young women especially, love and embrace your body!
Velisa is expected to undergo a fourth surgery around October 2015.