Today, at 4pm, a fashion show will be held at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel in Rubaga to raise awareness of the different types of cancers. Under the KinAfro Fashions label, Naome Kenyegamo Kirunda, the owner, is hoping to highlight choriocarcinoma, a cancer of the uterus, of which she was once a victim.
In 2013, something unusual started happening to the fashion designer and film producer. She started bleeding uncontrollably.
“It was nothing like menstruation. This kind of bleeding was on and off, there were times the flow would go on for a month and then stop suddenly.”
In addition, she often felt dizzy and weak, forcing her to seek medical attention at Rubaga Hospital. After numerous tests, the medics failed to diagnose the problem. Instead, they gave her antibiotics to take from time to time.
After realising that her condition was worsening, she decided to visit a gynaecologist in January 2015 at Nsambya Hospital. In addition to other tests, she was screened for cervical cancer.
“The screening process took about 20 minutes and I did not feel pain,” says the 32-year-old, adding that, “The results showed that I did not have the cancer. The gynaecologist hinted that the bleeding was probably due to the hormonal imbalance in my body. I was given drugs to control the bleeding.
Unfortunately, it did not stop. Some of her friends suggested herbal medicine but she rubbished the idea. Instead, she searched for answers from different online websites, as well as, seeking opinions from other doctors. A gynaecologist from Mengo Hospital advised that she should have her uterus cleaned.
“Some kind of rod was pushed through my cervix and thereafter some tissue was collected. It was that substance that was used to perform further tests.”
She was advised to pick the results a week later. However, when the time came, she was hesitant.
“At the back of my mind, I knew it was cancer. I remember breaking down into tears knowing that this was what the gynecologist was going to tell me. I knew I was finished.”
The doctor informed her that cancer had not been detected. She went back home and shared the good news with her husband, a businessman.
The ordeal begins
This joy was, however, short-lived when the mother of four, resting on her bedroom floor, suddenly felt blood gushing out of her vagina the next day.
“I was not feeling any pain despite the amount of blood but I soon began to feel dizzy. I managed to reach for the phone and called my husband, who was at work.”
A few moments later, she lost consciousness and woke up later in a bed at Nsambya Hospital, on a drip.
Kirunda was subjected to numerous tests, which finally revealed that she was in the stage one of a cancer of the uterus known as choriocarcinoma.
“I broke down. What scared me the most was that a pregnancy test was conducted and the results were positive. I was certain I was not pregnant. A doctor later explained that this was a common occurrence with women with this sort of cancer since their pregnancy hormone levels were high.”
Over time, she began to worry that the cancer would stop her from accomplishing her dreams of becoming a reputable fashion designer. However, the care and prayers from family members gave her hope to fight on.
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