Actress Bwire Ndubi opens up on emotional journey battling Cancer

Actress Winnie Bwire Ndubi, better known as ‘Dida’ in the popular Citizen TV series ‘Sultana’, has opened up on her emotional two-year journey battling breast cancer.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s 'Shajara na Lulu' show flanked by her mother on Friday, Bwire narrated that she was diagnosed with cancer following a bout of pain on the armpit, which would occasionally occur during her menstrual periods.

She first consulted a doctor who dismissed any detection of cancerous cells. However, the pain persisted, hence she opted to visit a gynaecologist, who detected cancerous cells after conducting a biopsy.

Bwire revealed that upon being diagnosed with cancer, she was fearful of the possibility of losing her role as ‘Dida’ in the Sultana TV series because of the “misconception” of chemotherapy being a traumatic process.

She went ahead to note that the TV show was her “saving grace” as it kept her occupied and gave her “a sense of hope.”

"I thought I was going to be fired. I did not think I could shoot Sultana and still receive medication because of the brainwashing concept on chemotherapy and cancer," she stated, in a virtual appearance on the show from Turkey where she is presently seeking treatment.

Bwire noted that the stigma associated with cancer discourages the patient because people mostly think that they will not survive the disease.

"That stigma puts us down and people do not see you for anything more than cancer," added the actress.

She said that the cancer journey was slightly bearable at the onset, but got worse after she finished filming the ‘Sultana’ TV series.

Consequently, she sought medical attention, whereby the doctor discovered that the cancerous cells had spread to other organs including the brain, bones, and breast after getting a PET scan.

Upon advice from the doctor, she began radiotherapy on the brain and put the breast one on a pause, as the cancerous cells in the brain interfere with balance and coordination, which could cause dire consequences. 

"After wrapping up Sultana, the cancer got worse. The doctor conducted a PET scan. After the test results came out, the cancer had spread to other organs," she said.

"My doctor suggested that we should first deal with the one in the brain because it interferes with the quality of life." 

Bwire recalled that she had symptoms of brain metastases like constant headaches, vomiting, and cognitive impairment which triggered memory loss.

“Prior to realizing that the cancerous cells had spread, I had certain symptoms like my brain did not coordinate very well, I had constant headaches, and vomiting a lot. The symptoms aligned with the PET scan," recalled Bwire.

She noted that radiotherapy took a toll on her due to feeling exhausted and experiencing hormonal imbalance, although she drew her strength from receiving encouragement from her family and fans.

Additionally, Bwire shed light on the fear that surrounds cancer screening, noting that people should do it often because the chances of survival are higher. She referred to her mother who is a cancer survivor, noting that the disease is curable if detected in its early stages.

"A lot of people have the fear to get screened for cancer even if they have side effects. I think it is because of the stigma that surrounds cancer. When people hear it, they think of death," the actress said.

Bwire further revealed that she decided to seek treatment from a hospital in Turkey because she felt that her case was mismanaged.

"My treatment was slightly mishandled, so the family opted to get outside help and consultations," she stated.

"By the time they started taking the illness seriously, the disease was too far gone, that was when we decided to get treatment outside. We were referred to Acibadem Hospital in Turkey."

Bwire said that she began her treatment on Monday and has noted significant improvement. She remains hopeful that she will survive the disease, maintaining that she has a lot to live for.

"When I began the healing journey I decided that cancer was not going to kill me. I have so much to live for. I'm still young,” affirmed the actress.

Her mother described her as a hardworking and multitalented woman who will survive the disease because she “is obedient, hardworking and multitalented...I just know she will make it because she is a fighter. She has the zeal to live."

Bwire expressed that cancer can take a toll on the patient’s mental health, noting that it could even lead to depression and stress.

"Cancer is seriously an emotional journey. It's more about the mental state than the physical pain. You get treatment for the pain but the depression and stress makes the situation worse," stated Bwire.

The actress appealed to well-wishers for financial medical help, emphasizing that the treatment is very costly and that the family has used all the available resources to pay her medical bills.