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Patricia Mokoena
No one ever dreams of waking up and be told that you are suffering from a terminal disease especially when you are only 35 years old with a bright future ahead of you and two young daughters to look after.
When the doctor at Leratong Hospital broke the news to Mpolokeng Thabeng, she says she immediately went into denial stage and later suffered a nervous breakdown and had to be seen by social workers and psychologists.
"When I realized the first time in June 2015 that I have an abnormal menstrual cycle, I went to the doctor who just dismissed it as infection and gave me antibiotics. After finishing the second course of antibiotics in 2 months, I was still experiencing the same problem of getting my periods twice in the same month and the doctor recommended that I go for a pap smear."
What followed after that day was a complete transformation of Mpolokeng's life. Her life took a different turn after being diagnosed with stage 2B of cervical cancer in August 2015.
Mpolokeng was then admitted at Leratong Hospital in the West Rand for 6 Weeks and started attending radiation treatment including chemotherapy at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital from Monday to Friday.
"To date, I still take hormonal, vitamins, pain control and urinary tract medication. As people we are never prepared for such drastic changes in our lifestyles. After been diagnosed, my life was never the same again. I learned to respect the gift of life. Burying people that I used to attend treatment with, made me realize how lucky I am to still be amongst the living.  I had to adjust to this new routine and what hurt me the most was that my then 13-year-old elder daughter had to quickly grow up and be a mother to her younger sister," recalled Mpolokeng sadly. 
Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix at the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Most cervical cancers are caused by longstanding infection with one of the human papilloma viruses (HPVs). HPV infection is very common, and most people with HPV infection do not develop cancer. There are over 100 types of HPVs and only certain types have been linked to cancers.​
Symptoms of cervical cancer include: blood spots or light bleeding between or following periods, menstrual bleeding that is longer and heavier than usual, bleeding after intercourse, or a pelvic examination, increased vaginal discharge, pain during sexual intercourse, bleeding after menopause and unexplained and persistent pelvic or back pain.
Cervical cancer can be life-threatening if it goes undetected however, it is highly treatable and associated with long survival and good quality of life. All women are at risk for cervical cancer. It occurs most often in women over the age of 30. Cervical cancer is highly preventable because of screening tests and a vaccine to prevent HPV infections which are given to our kids at an early age.
"My advice to fellow women is to learn to listen to your bodies. Stop self-medicating yourselves. Let's go to clinics or to public hospitals where services are free or to private doctors, if you think there is something that you don't understand in your body. Get your pap smear done annually. Take care of your life before it takes care of you," concluded Mpolokeng.