A cancer survivor in Turkana County, on Tuesday, narrated his harrowing journey after he was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer.
Timothy Lokaale, 28, further revealed that during the difficult time, his then-wife dumped him via text while he was admitted at the Mediheal hospital in Eldoret.
The father of two, and family breadwinner, worked at Milima Tatu Dispensary in Turkana North as a counsellor in HIV care and treatment.
Lokaale had been admitted at the Lodwar County Referral Hospital on May 4, 2017, for a check-up, after having unbearable stomach pains for a week, causing distress and loss of appetite.
An X-Ray that was taken showed that the patient had a tumour in his colon, emergency surgery was conducted to collect a tissue sample from the tumour for biopsy by pathologists at Lancet in Eldoret.
On May 23, 2017, he was dismayed to receive the medical report from the pathologists that diagnosed him with stage III colon cancer at his youthful age.
“I could not believe what the medical report read. I had to seek interpretation and guidance from my doctor friend working at Lodwar County Referral Hospital,” Lokaale explained.
The friend advised him to immediately start chemotherapy sessions in order to contain the spread of the tumour.
Since his salary could not carter for the cost of treatment that was around Ksh 40,000 per session, which he required 12 of them, he formed a WhatsApp group to seek for funds from his friends and colleagues.
Total cost for 12 cycles would thus amount to Ksh480,000.
He completed the first cycle of chemo well and travelled home, but things changed when he was due to start his second cycle.
After he was admitted to begin the second cycle, he received a heartbreaking message from his wife.
He revealed that his wife texted that he would die in hospital, and if it happens that he survives, he should marry another woman. She subsequently left with their children.
She also disappeared with money that had been raised for his treatment, forcing Lokaale to seek for more help from his friends.
However, the now healthy man does not blame his ex-wife for leaving him as most people had predicted his death.
“She was told: 'You are wasting your time and little resources that you have to save, his disease cannot be cured. Let him die in hospital, you look for another man who will take care of you and your children',” Lokaale explained.
In 2019, he has been to hospital thrice for screening which confirmed that he is now cancer-free.
