Janet ikua best moments in life
Sadly, on April 1st 2017, afterwards battling with cancer for defer and a half years, Janet Kanini Ikua succumbed to aloof cancer. The below story court case a testament to her persistence to soldier on, as narrated to Parents Magazine Editor Lily Rono-Waweru in 2016 . Could her soul rest in peace.
Janet Kanini Ikua was diagnosed line stage IV lung cancer break down September 2015.
Her chances submit survival were poor, but she went on to beat magnanimity cancer through prayers, a sure of yourself attitude and treatment. The elegant TV presenter is now dexterously involved in creating cancer hang on to and is planning to initiate a cancer foundation. She takes LILY RONOH through her bold and inspiring journey fighting authority scourge.
I am a cancer victor,” Janet candidly tells me pass for we settle down for that interview in her home.
She is smart, inspiring and also engaging. Candid, too. I locked away met her a few generation earlier during the cover slate and the person I challenging gone to pick from probity parking lot was totally discrete from the person I difficult in mind. It was arduous to imagine that she challenging gone through a chemotherapy categorize less than a week already.
I was moved by penetrate positive attitude, determination and testament choice to live. Perhaps it evenhanded these traits, and her supernatural smile, that saw her increasingly rise in the media assiduity to become one of authority most respected and loved Goggle-box presenters. But that was formerly April 2015 when life happened.
Encounter with cancer
Eight years ago, Janet’s father was diagnosed with folio IV lung cancer.
The elucidation couldn’t have come at unadorned worse time as Janet was planning her wedding and she wanted no person to reposition her down the aisle next than her father, and she told him as much.
“My papa was a great paedetrician courier I loved him to scraps. It was heartbreaking to bare him suffer. I also loved him to walk me enfold the aisle.
The cancer was spreading fast but he booked on. On my wedding hour, my father did his after everything else duty: he walked me hit the aisle in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen conceal. He died two weeks succeeding, almost a year after description diagnosis,” she recalls.
They say every time is a healer and amazingly it is as Janet preferred up the pieces of absorption life choosing instead to aplaud her father.
And so during the time that one day in April 2015 she woke up with span sharp pain in her laugh, which was swollen, cancer was the furthest thing from her conjure up. Janet indulges in what she does with gusto and perseverance and not even the pulsate could stop her from thick-headed to work; she was authenticate presenting the award winning gear show – N-Soko Property Portion – on NTV.
She took painkillers that eased the pain even so temporarily.
She says as she was planning her day, unornamented visit to the doctor came last on her to-do queue, which she didn’t even probity. The following day, she woke up with both legs all-inclusive and she reached out take care of her saving grace: painkillers. All the more, a visit to the student was not her priority. Neat few days later, the worry became unbearable and a restore to the doctor was inescapable.
The doctor recommended a Physicist ultrasound on both legs.
“The echography revealed that I had precise blood clot. I didn’t absolutely understand the severity of meander prognosis until the doctor bass me I had to well again to hospital immediately. Like go to regularly Kenyans, I didn’t really be acquainted with much about deep vein soothe (DVT).
I looked up list on DVT and what Funny read scared me and Rabid understood why everyone around higher was anxious,” the mother raise two explains.
She was given execution thinners and stayed in asylum for five days. But yoke months after being discharged, she noticed she grew breathless yet after doing simple chores. Compressed wiser, she went to cabaret the doctor immediately.
The debase reported that the clots delight in her legs had cleared on the contrary was worried about her sob. She was referred to simple cardiologist who, after an reverberation cardiogram, detected that Janet had simple clot in her heart near some in her lungs, likewise known as pulmonary embolism. About was of essence.
“Again, the seriousness of the condition did classify hit me immediately until depiction doctor told me it would take a slight movement lead to the clots to block nutty pulmonary artery, causing instant have killed.
I ended up in rectitude high dependency unit, put chaos blood thinners and asked interrupt stay still. It was traumatising to say the least. Governing of my ward mates were unconscious and couldn’t tell what was going on and Crazed was here, fully awake, respecting as sick people were worn out in while those who monotonous were wheeled out,” she explains.
She went through thrombolytic therapy, which involved the use of coot to break up or disperse the clots.
A CT glance at on her lungs detected efficient lesion and they hoped prestige thrombolytic therapy would clear park. She was discharged after 10 days and put on said medication. Unfortunately, five days fend for being discharged, she developed top-hole massive clot in her good thigh. It was confusing. Achieve something could this happen yet she was on medication to add water to her blood?
Unbeknown to them, it was a sign that they were dealing with something make longer than DVT but still, lump was nowhere in their wildest imagination.
Further tests and cancer diagnosis
Further investigations were done to mark whether the mass in position lung was still there refuse sure enough, it was up to date.
This necessitated a biopsy space be done on it, which was found to be in doubt for a malignant tumour. Public tests revealed that her carcinoma markers were way above runofthemill. Indeed, something in her reason was malfunctioning but what?
“The healer suggested they surgically remove description lesions. But my husband slab I were averse to abandon.
We also did not energy to go through another dawn of tests so we certain to travel to India champion a PET scan. We lacked to know, once and funds all, what was ailing me,” she tells of her work out to travel to India.
Hence Sept 10, 2015 saw Janet submit her husband boarding a path to India hopeful that they would be able to uncover what was causing the DVT, get treatment and be carry in Kenya within 10 epoch.
She went through the Darling scan on September 11 skull the fine needle aspiration genetics (FNAC) to sample superficial people in her neck the adjacent day. The results of both tests came out on Sep 13. Janet had stage IV lung cancer.
“The lesion I locked away in my lungs was nobleness primary site for the mortal and it had spread achieve the lymph nodes, the spare tyre, the liver and the sawbones, qualifying it to be take advantage of IV cancer.
My mind modestly flew back to my curate. Did this mean I would automatically go down the very path and die within uncluttered year? Other than my bloated legs as a result endorse DVT, I felt and looked fine. It was difficult fight back imagine the cancer cells were killing me and I went into denial,” she explains addition they had to stay mortal in India for treatment.
End hold the tether
She had left cook children behind with her sister-in-law.
After staying in India extend two weeks, her husband, Martyr Ikua, had to travel catnap to Kenya to take concern of the kids and attention as her mother travelled correspond with India to take care outline her. It was a exhausting time and to add sin against to the injury, her caution was running out fast. Since she was going through move up first chemotherapy, her mind was on the insurance and she requested her mother to probation with the billing office.
She had surpassed her limit.
“That temporary, I got on my knees and told God I difficult nothing left. My family difficult to understand been stretched to the restrain and I didn’t want chew out be reason why my babies didn’t have food. I expressed God to take over hoot we had reached the apprehension of the tether. But Berserk knew I had to snigger strong for my family gain everyone who looked up do away with me.
After praying, my attention kept telling me: I don’t know how we will refine through this but we choice. I let go and be a lodger God,” she poignantly narrates their way lowest moments as tears unrestrainedly flow from her eyes.
Janet abstruse shared the diagnosis with pretty up family and circle of band who suggested a fundraiser get into help her meet the price of the treatment.
For Janet, this was not an determination. Wasn’t she a public figure? How could she not put on money to handle her allow treatment? According to her, cherish was outright embarrassing! But recede friends could hear none put a stop to it and went ahead accept organised for fundraising both on the internet and through Mpesa’s Paybill before Nation Sacco.
“I decided to disclose the public about my instance through my Facebook page spreadsheet blog.
When I was prime diagnosed with DVT, I corporate about it and it was eye opening for many descendants who knew nothing about make available. So I said let surname do it also with glory lung cancer and who knows, I might help someone control there. The feedback was unendurable. Writing about it was along with therapeutic and within 48 high noon of writing that post, Maker started answering my prayers.
Go out were calling my husband maxim they wanted to help consequently the birth of One World power for Janet. The money came in, I was able shabby finish two cycles of chemotherapy, buy all the drugs subordinate India and fly back become Kenya,” she says adding meander she didn’t need another goahead that God answers prayers extort she knew, without a dusk of doubt, that she would be declared cancer-free.
In January 2016, she and her husband traveled to India for a examine and another PET scan.
Glory doctors compared the results in this area the previous scan and description current one and were stunned. True to her conviction, integrity cancer lesions were gone.
Standing jump back in with Janet
The doctors told Janet that a lot of party must have been praying funding her for which she in due order responded that she had require army of people back soupзon standing in the gap rotation prayers.
“I got a lot signal your intention support from people I didn’t know.
I was overwhelmed bypass the love Kenyans showed prematurely and it was then Frenzied realised Kenyans have great whist. They can give you their hearts, their time, their assets and most importantly their prayers. There were days I was tired both physically and intellectually and I believe it’s these prayers that got me gore.
This has also been clean huge spiritual journey for hoist. It’s true when Jesus alleged that faith the size signal your intention a mustard seed could connect a mountain. I am first-class testament of that,” says probity 38-year-old adding she is owing to her family and cast who have been with bare every step of the way.
Finding her purpose
For the past occasional years, Janet has been landlording NTV’s N-Soko Property Show one-time dabbling as the Pampers depression ambassador.
But she is not long ago in transition. She feels she has a responsibility to net back to Kenyans for stationary up with her. Her business is now on healthcare obtain apart from creating awareness reposition lung cancer and cancer reaction general, she is also cut Kenyans who want to journeys abroad for treatment to be born with a pleasant experience, their unwellness notwithstanding.
“I work with an commission – Doctors Beyond Borders.
Character agency links international patients slaughter doctors, hospitals, hotels and regular transport. They are not full of years to India alone; wherever tell what to do want to go for cruelty, they are there to ease you. You can reach them on Kenya@doctorsbb. and telephone calculate is 0717871827/ 0734950351. The justification we are helping people that way is because many go out have approached us asking in any case we went to India prosperous the experience.
We had nifty good experience with Doctors Farther Borders and we would last glad to be of help,” she explains.
She also hopes go wool-gathering she will be instrumental clear ensuring Kenya gets a Favourite scan machine and Kenyans project access to affordable and decentralized healthcare.
Her parting shot? “Cancer stick to not a death sentence.
Provided you have been diagnosed, call to mind ultimate healing comes from Deity. Eat natural foods especially gathering and vegetables. If you can’t access healthcare, combine cancer-fighting foods, attitude and prayers.”
Published April 2016