Ellen Naude: Video 1 (Diagnose en Behandeling / Diagnosis and Treatment)

English Translation:

What is endometrial cancer?

Endometrial cancer occurs when malignant growths form in the lining of the uterus. The endometrium is the lining of the uterus.

The diagnosis and treatment:

“I went to the gynaecologist as I do every year in January so I always go for a routine check-up. Before my routine check-up the gynaecologist sent me for a range of tests to make sure she had all the information about my health that she would require. When I saw her I told her about an incident that had occurred. She looked at all my information and test results which showed that everything was perfect but when I told her about the incident that I had experienced a few months prior to this she said could definitely see that it could be a problem. She then examined me and did a biopsy in her consultation room which she then had sent away. She also booked me in for a second biopsy a week or two later. After she sent the first biopsy away and received the results back a day or two later, she immediately requested that I go in to see her and that’s when she let me know that I had cancer of the uterus. She then immediately referred me to an oncologist which was on a Friday and the following Monday I saw the oncologist. He examined me and confirmed that it was indeed cancer, and then told me that he would be operating to remove my uterus as well as my lymph nodes to ensure that nothing stayed behind.”

Reaction to the diagnosis:

“Because my sister passed away due to cancer, it came as a very big shock to me. What was quite bad was that I was immediately sent for a whole range of tests and scans, I sat in the consultation room alone and because it was such a big shock I felt I wanted to process it on my own first. What was also awful was that because one doesn’t expect to have cancer you generally aren’t covered for oncology so at that stage our medical aid did not cover it. While I was waiting in the consultation room I was told that the scans I needed to go for would amount to about R20 000 and that the medical aid would not cover it.

I was told that they were dealing with the medical aid to find out what was available in our savings account which turned out to be insufficient but they asked whether I would be willing to pay the outstanding amount to which I replied, “What must be done will have to be done, I don’t have a choice”. Sitting there and suddenly realising that you are being examined for cancer is a shock and then you’re told that you do have cancer, they’re just not sure how far it’s progressed and then also realising you need money that you haven’t made provision for to pay for these tests. I had spent the entire morning going through all of this, I had arrived at the doctor at about 7:30 in the morning and only got home at about 2:30 that afternoon and I was utterly exhausted. You try to control your emotions because you’re sitting in the consultation room with other people, and although the staff were very helpful it was very difficult.”