When last were you screened for Breast Cancer?
October is “Breast
Cancer Awareness Month,” an annual campaign to increase awareness of
this dreaded and devastating disease. It provides
an opportunity for us
all to focus on this dreaded disease and its impact. Breast cancer is
becoming more and more prevalent in Nigeria. According to the World
Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, “over 100,000 Nigerians are
diagnosed with cancer every year; about 80,000 die from the disease.
Nigeria’s cancer death ratio of 4 in
5 affected persons is one
of the worst in the world.”
Sadly, in spite of the increased awareness, many women still neglect
to actually take the necessary steps to try to detect breast cancer in
its early stages, when there is a far greater chance of survival. In our
society, it is seen as a taboo to even consider the possibility that
one could become really ill let alone the fact that one could die; it is
often seen as tempting fate.
Here is what happened to the Johnsons. In July 2017,
The Johnson’s were celebrating their first son’s graduation. Deji
graduated with a 2nd Class Upper degree and was proceeding for his NYSC.
Their daughter Ella had just completed her A Level examinations with a
string of A Grades. She gained admission into an excellent private
university. Their youngest Tolu, recently won a 50% scholarship to an
outstanding school.
A year ago, Lydia Johnson walked out of a well-paying job in anger as
she had missed an “expected” promotion. She had a side fashion business
and decided to focus on it full-time. This wasn't ideal for the family
as it was very useful having at least one steady income whilst her
husband built his architecture practice.
Gboyega Johnson’s business had gone through a really bad patch and
was just beginning to come out of it. Things were beginning to look up,
but their rent and school fees expenses put a huge strain on an already
stretched family budget.
Lydia was quite meticulous about checking her breast for any changes
so her heart sank when during a routine check in September, she felt
something wasn't quite right; there was definitely a lump that wasn't
there before. She visited their family doctor the same day and he
referred them to the Teaching Hospital. A biopsy confirmed that Lydia
had an aggressive Stage 3 breast cancer.
Lydia had surgery to remove the lump at a cost of N200,000, and she
is now receiving treatment including chemotherapy which is costing the
family 260,000 each month. She will need six sessions in the first
instance. She will require a second operation in due course, followed by
radiotherapy for which a down-payment of N250,000 is required. The
treatment costs run into millions of Naira.
Beyond this, she was told that she will require treatment for at
least five years for ultrasound scans, blood tests, kidney and liver
function tests, chest x-rays, and so on; some of these will have to be
repeated. She and Gboyega have also been told that a mastectomy cannot
be ruled out, but she is very reluctant about losing her breast.
The Johnsons had kept putting off plans for family insurance so there
was nothing to fall back on. Members of the extended family rallied
round as best they could but the exorbitant costs kept mounting and
after a time, the sums they were able to give dwindled significantly.
Gboyega had to put the land they had purchased to build their first home
up for sale to release badly needed funds to try to save her life. With
rent due and no funds left, the family moved in with Lydia’s parents so
that they could at least save money to help with the medical bills.
How healthy are you? If you or anyone in your family were to ever
become gravely ill, could you cope financially? Could you afford the
best medical treatment available? Do you have health insurance in place?
Health insurance covers some of the cost of treating the insured
person’s illnesses or injuries. You pay the premiums to purchase
coverage and the insurer is obliged to pay some or all of your
healthcare costs, based on the terms of your contract. Some policies pay
for preventive care, such as annual checkups and diagnostic tests.
At some point in time, you might need to call upon some form of
insurance. Whilst insurance will not eliminate the risk of loss or
damage to property, injury, illness or death, it does relieve the
insured of at least some of financial losses these risks bring. The cost
of coverage of all these scenarios is far lower than if you were to
have to service them if they do indeed arise.
Critical illness cover is a relatively recent
addition to the life insurance industry. It was never intended to
replace health, life or disability insurance. Instead, its purpose is to
fill the gap in existing medical insurance coverage to pay for illness
and specific kinds of treatment not ordinarily covered by traditional
insurance. Generally, critical illness insurance pays a lump sum on
diagnosis of a serious illness. It may cover hospital charges, an
Intensive Care Unit stay, organ transplants, ambulance fees, or
transportation and lodging.
Ideally a policy should cover doctor appointments, mammograms,
chemotherapy, mastectomy, and breast reconstructive procedures. A
comprehensive health insurance policy will give you a higher chance of
overcoming breast cancer with early detection through regular mammograms
and clinical breast exams.
Far too many people are like the Johnsons; they totally ignore the
need for insurance until a major mishap or setback occurs; it is only then
that the impact of inadequate insurance coverage is glaring. No matter
how meticulous you are with your finances, failure to purchase adequate
insurance can impair your financial future and put you or your loved
ones in a desperate situation in an instant. A cancer diagnosis can be
devastating, but equally so is not having the means to pay for it. The
truth is one nasty illness such as breast cancer can decimate a lifetime
of savings and investing.
We all pray for good health. No one wants to prepare to get sick, but
it is important to be realistic and proactive. Whilst you can’t plan
for cancer, you can be prepared for some of the unexpected costs of a
serious illness. If you don’t have the necessary insurance cover, do
make this one of your financial priorities before the end of this year.
Since breast cancer is a disease that affects thousands of women, all
women and the men that care about them, should make sure that they have
regular screening to improve their chances of early detection.
Take the
necessary precautions, protect yourself and encourage the women in your
life, to do the same.
OPUNIMI AKINKUGBE
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