Rose Jebet, cancer survivor wishes to be an oncologist

When a doctor told Rose Jebet that she had been diognised with post nasal tissue carcinoma after several tests at a lump in her kneck, she was dazed. It seemed she had been given a death sentence.

Her tribulation all started in October 2014 at around October when she noted a swelling on the left side of the neck and the pain that not even antibiotics and pain killers could allievate.

“I went into denial for seven months after I was told I had cancer,I started taking some herbal medicine hoping that I would get better on the contrary the situation was deterioting,” said Jebet.

Ms Jebet is among survivors of cancer a disease that is currently killing about three thousand people every day in the country.

According to statistics at Kenya Cancer association (KenCasa), cancer will by 2025 be the leading killer beating both malaria and Aids combined.

Ms Jebet a clinical officer currently employed by Eastern produce of kenya in Nandi Hills explained that at around November 2015 she decided to go back to Moi Teaching and Referral hopital (MTRH) due to the increased pain and increase of the swelling and she could not bears it any longer.

When she checked into the hospital, she was the lucky enough that she hands of senior oncologists who after several other tests and recomended that she starts chemotheraphy.

“Dr.Jesse Opakas a senior oncologists at MTRH in Eldoret really helped me through the chemoradiation process, it was a trying time but though patience and perseverance I did the first patch.

“I did three chemotherapy at MTRH then proceeded to Texas cancer centre Nairobi for chemoradiation for thirty three cycles,” she said.

Though, she survivied the from the jaws of cancer, she has been forced to raise funds to cater for the bill of sh1.2million that her medication cost.

“The treatment was damn expensive used around a lot of cash and were were forced to raise funds but i thank God I am well today,” said the 30 year old nurse .

Through her predicament with cancer, Ms Jebet now wants to passionately be an oncologists and help others go save lives like the doctors who saved her life.

“After the care I got from the doctor, i feel like I can only pay back to them by pursuing my education and one day also practise as an oncologist,” she explained.

Ms Jebet recently got an offer to study at RMIT university Melbourne from Feb 2018 she hopes that a miracle will happen to enable her pay for the upkeep. “The course is self funding and looking for about sh600,000 to cater for her first year in school,” she said.

She added, “ I am confident that God will me see through this pursuit, if he saved me from cancer, he must have had better plans for me,” said Ms Jebet.