Breast cancer warrior Jodie Nephew inspires resilience and hope

Guided by the mantra, ‘After the storm, the sun comes out and after the night, the morning comes’, Jodie Nephew exemplifies the true essence of a warrior, having survived a year-long battle with breast cancer.

In July 2021, during an ordinary shower, Nephew felt a lump in one of her breasts while doing a self-breast exam. Armouring herself with courage, she decided to seek medical advice later that day. Following the consultation and a series of tests, it was confirmed that she had breast cancer. Feeling scared at first, Nephew chose to undergo mastectomy, guided by her surgeon’s recommendation that this procedure offered the best course of action as it is“the best shot at a full life,” said Nephew, as she recalled the surgeon’s words.

“My breast attacked me and I am fighting back, so it had to go,” she told Sunday Lifestyle.

Describing the procedure as seamless, the warrior shared that she received “first-world treatment”. After a complete six-week recovery, Nephew had a meeting with her oncologist in late October, during which she was introduced to both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These treatments continued for five months.

SUPPORT

Nephew credits her optimism and resilience to her quick action plan. However, she admitted that she had her fair share of mental and emotional struggles along the way. In these challenging moments, she found unwavering support from her community, who were her pillars of strength during her medical ordeal. She candidly expressed, “I felt the most love I had ever felt in my entire life. I was completely surrounded. All the emotional stuff I felt was internal.”

Nephew expressed deep gratitude to Caroline Graham, the chairperson of Jamaica Reach to Recovery, who offered her emotional support and connected her with a community of individuals who shared similar experiences. For Nephew, this was especially significant, considering the heartbreaking tragedy of her mother, who was also diagnosed with cancer but lost her fight due to heart complications. Nevertheless, amid the challenges, Nephew found solace in the stories of survivors and her unshakable faith in God, which served as a constant reminder that hope is ever present.

“Find your community; use Google for research, not medical advice; have an insurance plan; and be encouraged by survivors,” Nephew encourages.

Furthermore, as a breast cancer survivor, she appealed to organisations to make testing more accessible and to promote testing from a younger age. She highlighted that relying solely on the over 45 marker is not reliable, given that she herself was diagnosed at the age of 37.

While one might question if she is concerned about the potential of the cancer recurrence, Nephew doesn’t describe her feeling as worry, but she acknowledges being mindful of the possibility.