CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Chemo too much to bear

The Standard Laconic - 10/11/2017

SNOW HILL-As the owner of Jamaica Cuisine Café, a new restaurant Snow Hill, Viviene Ball often advocates the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

She is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in 2006, while residing in her native country, Jamaica.

Ball had friends and family, who were also diagnosed with breast cancer, but never thought she, too, would be diagnosed.

"I was giving myself an examination. I was looking for lumps. Every woman should when they are taking a shower," Ball said.

She felt a lump under her nipple.

After finding a lump, she was still somewhat in denial, despite growing fears.

"It was a scary moment," Ball said.

Ball's fears reached their peak in the following weeks when her niece asked her what happened to her appetite. At that moment she decided to come to terms with her fear.

"My niece asked me, ?Why are you so skinny?' I turned to her and I said, ?Because I have cancer,'" Ball said.

Ball finally decided to see a doctor to confirm what she knew to be true.

After a preliminary test, doctors found the lump, but were not entirely sure if it was cancerous.

More tests had to be done and Ball would have to wait for the results.

"I had to wait six weeks. When they called me back, I was at work. They called and said my results came in, and I needed to come by the office the next day," Ball said.

"For me, to have to go in and meet them that meant it wasn't good news."

Her fears were confirmed the next day, when doctors told her she had breast cancer.

Ball underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy.

"I thought the worst part of cancer was (the mastectomy), where you would lose a piece of you, but no, the chemo was worse," Ball said.

"That part was rough. It's so rough on you. The first (session) of chemo, I said, ?This isn't what people made it out to be.' It was OK, but ? there was this one (session) it felt like 10 million ants were biting me at the same time. It was really rough."

The chemotherapy wreaked havoc on her body, so much so that she opted to stop the treatments before fully completed.

"The chemo was so rough. To be honest, I couldn't go through all of it," Ball said.

She turned to her faith to carry her through the battle.

"Through it all, I got closer to God. My faith got stronger.

"He was the only person that was going to see me through," she said.

Having a support system is critical to a successful recovery, according to Ball.

"You need support, but you have to be your biggest motivator. You have to want to live. You have to fight the fight"

In 2012, prior to her marriage, Ball saw her cancer doctor.

"I went to have all of my tests done. (The results) said, ?You don't have any trace of cancer in your body.' There is no trace of cancer. Thanks be to God," Ball said.

Ball encourages women to have annual mammograms and to be aware of their bodies.

Nationwide News