OCT/NOV 2022 COVER STORY: TWO-TIME BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR PHUNGI BALOYI INSPIRES

Fifteen years ago, Phungi Baloyi’s life turned upside down. She looks different from how she used to and bears the scars of her journey. The mother, wife and two-time breast-cancer survivor is more determined than ever to live every day to the fullest, and save as many lives as possible.

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A woman of action
Phungi Baloyi is a cancer activist, accountant, and the wife of retired legendary goalkeeper Brian Baloyi. The couple has been married for 21 years. ‘I have been married for so long, I can’t even remember a time when I wasn’t married,’ she laughs.

Born and raised in Mahikeng, North West, the 45-year- old mother of two boys (aged 17 and 7) recently stepped down from her role as chairperson of the Brian Baloyi Family Foundation. Instead, she is now focusing on her work at the Pink Warrior Foundation, which will officially launch in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

‘The organisation’s main focus is on breast cancer. We do bimonthly visits to different parts of Alexandra, Johannesburg, doing breast exams,’ says Phungi. They plan to roll out the programme throughout the country as soon as they secure funding, as they are currently self-funded.

‘There has been a lot of talk and no action regarding breast cancer,’ she says. As a result, her foundation is all about action. ‘The mortality rate can be lower if more women went for screenings and started treatment sooner. The public healthcare system is already overwhelmed, and we are doing our bit to work alongside the government.’

Phungi is adamant that, if detected early, breast cancer can be treated, and she’s living proof that one can survive.



The journey
She vividly recalls one Saturday morning in November 2007 visiting a doctor for the first time after she noticed a dark mark on her breast and felt a lump. ‘The doctor examined me and dismissed it. So I went home, but my instincts told me something was wrong, and I needed to see a another doctor,’ she recalls.

While seeking a second opinion from a different doctor, her life was turned upside down. She was sent to a radiologist for a mammogram and sonar and then had a biopsy. ‘At the back of my mind, I knew it was not going to be good news; the poking and prodding that I experienced were a taste of what was to come.’ Her doctor asked if there was

a history of cancer in her family before dropping the bomb. ‘I was then told I have an aggressive breast cancer. My life has never been the same since.’

Phungi says she couldn’t have made it without the support of her family and friends. ‘My husband held my hand and walked the journey with me. Even though his career was taking him all over the country at that time, I never felt alone.’

On 19 December 2007, she started chemotherapy. The six-month treatment also required her to change her diet. ‘The chemo didn’t allow me to eat just anything and everything. At that point, I was listening to what my body needed.’ Phungi recalls her hair failing out two weeks into chemo treatment.

‘It is something else when you plan to cut or shave your hair but to see it fall out and you have no control over it was difficult to accept,’ she shares.

With praye and support from other surviviors introduced to her by her doctor, Professor Carol-Anne Benn, she had a glimmer of hope. However, in June 2016, the cancer returned, and she had to undergo chemo treatment again. The lump shrunk, and she was ready for a partial mastectomy (only half of her breast would be removed) followed by immediate reconstruction).

‘I can say I am lucky because I have quite small breasts, so the recommended procedure was ideal for me and would not have necessarily worked for someone with fuller or bigger breasts. The reconstruction involved taking a muscle from my back and using it to fill the part of the breast that had been removed; it’s called a dorsi flap in medical terms,’ Phungi explains.

‘I’m blessed with a partner who worries more about my health and wellbeing than how my body looks. We spoke about it, and we were comfortable with the procedure,’ she recalls.

She takes her hormone treatment daily and every three months, she visits an oncologist for an injection and goes for scans annually to keep the cancer at bay.



Her message to other women
She encourages women to do self-breast examinations at least once a month, preferably seven to 10 days after their period, as breasts tend to get lumpy when you are having your period.

‘Stand in front of the mirror, and look for anything unusual like changes in breast size or colour, or if the nipples are inverted. Then, feel around the breast in circular motions using your three middle fingers. Check under the armpit and all the way to the top of your spine,’ Phungi advises. If you pick up any unusual changes, she suggests you visit a doctor as soon as possible.

Phungi might be soft on the outside, but she is the strongest on the inside. ‘The battle is first won in the mind, and then the rest will follow. So it’s important to stay positive,’ she says. ‘It can sometimes get overwhelming. Some days are better than others. Have a support system that you can lean on when you need to.

The past two years have shown us that tomorrow is not guaranteed, so choose joy and peace even amid pain or trouble.’