Scare the Scar: Sultana actress ‘Dida’ shares cancer journey, changing perspective through film

Bwire was diagnosed with Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a rare type of cancer that has the presence of abnormal cells inside a milk duct in the breast.

“I was diagnosed around March last year, there were definitely signs that we missed earlier on.  I struggled with lymphedema and it caused my arm to swell up, the general practitioner kept saying I was okay but I knew something was terribly wrong when I would get extreme pain in my armpits and would disappear as soon as the period end,” Bwire narrates her journey that began with a visit to her gynecologist. 

“The moment she just touched me, she just said we needed to do further tests immediately and the results came back positive for stage two cancer but now it is at stage four.”

Like many people who test positive for cancer, Bwire was shocked and had mixed emotions, fear. 

“I did not know if I was going to lose my job, I did not know what would happen to my life, it was just chaotic.  I thought I was going to be fired, but I had a group of people who were understanding and ensured I was comfortable at work and they supported me in every way. They gave me the authority to find my replacement should I feel the need, that strengthened and lit up a fire in me,” she says.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, the actress expressed gratitude in the support she has received from her family. 

Strangers also supported her in ways she had never experienced before.

“My family was extremely supportive, when we started the chemo my husband would take me for the sessions, my parents were there for the tough nights and the night trips to the hospital and I know deep down they were suffering because when people hear cancer, they think it a death sentenced but they held it together for me,” she says.

Bwire has been raising awareness since her diagnosis and plans to do a film on cancer. 

“We are calling it Scare the Scar, the plan is to approach cancer awareness from a different perspective. Cancer is more than a death sentence, the film is about awareness of our lifestyle, how we live, what we consume, it’s a lot more than just the diseases,” she says.

“I knew that my experience cannot be for nothing, that’s why I decided to use film to disseminate this information in a way that people will be able to watch and relate from and take it a bit more personal,” she adds, with an appeal to well-wishers to make her dream come true. 

Bwire has formed a community that engages people with questions or support online.

“I plan on registering a foundation, whose core mandate is to help demystify the disease and disseminate as much knowledge as we can. When I got sick, I had no reference at all, I wanted to be that reference. Cancer is not something that one can conquer alone, any help from our supporters will go a long way in fighting and raising awareness,” she affirms.