Police go pink for breast cancer awareness
SAPS staff from Fish Hoek, Muizenberg, and Simon’s Town swopped their blue uniforms for a morning in pink at a breakfast in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The event, held at a Fish Hoek restaurant on Friday October 25, was organised by the SAPS’s Women's Networking Group to raise awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection and regular check-ups, support those fighting the disease, and remember those who have lost the battle.
Retired Kuils River police captain Ingrid Strydom told of her shock when she was diagnosed, in August 2019, with Stage 3 “aggressive breast cancer” despite having a mammogram annually.
"In June 2019, I had felt “something” in my breast and consulted my doctor immediately," she said.
The three weeks following a biopsy had felt like “the longest three weeks of my life”, she said, adding that her doctor had then called saying he wanted to see her.
“When he said, ‘You must now listen carefully now,’ I went blank and to this day, I can’t remember what he had said. I remember him saying the result of the biopsy was positive, and this means you have cancer.”
Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy followed.
In September of 2019, she underwent a seven-hour surgery to remove three lumps from her left breast and 15 glands from her left arm, seven of which were found to be cancerous.
This was followed by 17 chemotherapy sessions, including six rounds of what she called "the red devil".
"This is the chemo that makes you very sick, but it is also the one that heals you."
She had cut her hair short two days before her first chemotherapy session, and the day after the “red devil”, her hair had been on her pillow and she was bald, she said.
“Losing my hair was a very traumatic experience.”
Cancer had taken both a physical and mental toll on her and she had struggled with depression, she said, adding that she had also had to endure being isolated from her sisters during the Covid-19 pandemic. The experience had also been hard on her sons, she said.
After two weeks of antidepressants, she decided that she wanted to wean herself off the medication so she started walking.
“My motto has always been to get up and tell yourself you are alive and you should be grateful,” she said.
She started walking in her yard, down the street, and anywhere where she could be outside.
She said she had realised that she wanted daughter-in-laws and grandchildren and she would not let the cancer get the better of her.
After her chemotherapy, she received an additional 25 radiotherapy sessions. The chemotherapy had also weakened her heart and she had to have a heart exam every second week.
"My support system during this time was vital. My husband made sure that I was never alone and made sure I had a family member with me because your head plays tricks on you.“
She said she was now in remission, but she would remain on medication until 2030 and undergo a yearly mammogram and CT scan and a doctor’s visit every six months.
Francina Julies, of Reach for Recovery, a non-profit that helps those with breast cancer, spoke about breast reconstruction options.
