For nearly a year, Milly Nambaziira prayed for healing. It finally came, in a hospital room.
When 39-year-old Milly Nambaziira, a resident of Kabulengwa, Nansana, discovered a small lump in her right breast in 2022, she thought little of it. She had just stopped breastfeeding her 14-month-old baby and assumed it was simply a milk clot. The lump caused mild pain occasionally, but since it faded quickly, she ignored it.
‘I thought it was something normal after breastfeeding,’ she recalls. ‘But one day, as I lifted our TV against my chest, I felt a piercing pain that made me stop immediately.’
That moment pushed her to seek help. At a nearby clinic, the nurse examined her and advised her to go to Mulago National Referral Hospital for further evaluation.
A life-changing diagnosis
At Mulago, a breast scan and biopsy revealed devastating news; the lump was cancerous. When she met Dr Timothy Makumbi, he explained the seriousness of her condition and recommended surgery to remove the affected breast before starting treatment.
‘When I got home and told my husband and aunt, they were shocked but supportive,’ she says. ‘No one in our family had ever suffered from cancer, but they stood by me.’
Yet, despite their support, Nambaziira could not accept the diagnosis. ‘I was in denial. I believed there was another way to heal, maybe through prayer,’ she admits.
The cost of denial
Instead of returning to the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) as advised, she turned to spiritual healing and stopped answering Dr Makumbi’s calls.
‘I went to a prophet who told me that I would be healed through prayer and fasting. I stopped eating certain foods such as rice, milk, porridge, and anything fried,’ she says.
But her health continued to deteriorate. The lump grew larger, the pain worsened, and she lost a lot of weight.
‘I was starving myself,’ she says softly. ‘Someone told me about a herbalist in Kasubi, Kampala, who charged Shs25m, money I did not have. That is when I started believing I would die soon.’
Her biggest worry was her three children, especially her eldest, who was in Primary Seven. ‘I used to pray that God would at least let me live until she finished her exams,’ she recalls.
Choosing life over fear
For almost a year, she relied on prayers and herbal remedies that offered no relief. When she lost so much weight and weighed only 45 kilogrammes, her family intervened.
‘My husband and aunt insisted that I go back to the Cancer Institute,’ she says. ‘They told me that even if it meant removing the breast, at least I would live to raise my children.’
In early 2023, she returned to Mulago with her cousin. Although still doubtful, she agreed to another biopsy.
The results confirmed breast cancer, but luckily it had not spread. Doctors found only minor scarring in her lungs from a past Covid-19 infection, so she was strong enough to begin treatment.
‘That news became my awakening,’ she says. ‘I realised I had wasted almost a year chasing miracles when help was always there.’
Courage amid stigma
Even after accepting treatment, emotional challenges remained. Some neighbours discouraged her from having a mastectomy.
‘They told me I would stop being a woman without a breast,’ she recalls. ‘But my husband told me that my life was more important than how I looked.’
With that support, she underwent surgery in March 2023. Three weeks later, she began chemotherapy under her aunt’s care.
The road to recovery
Chemotherapy was tough. The side effects drained her physically and emotionally. ‘Sometimes I felt like giving up,’ Milly admits. ‘But my aunt and husband encouraged me to hold on.’
She completed six chemotherapy cycles by October 2023, followed by 15 days of radiotherapy. Gradually, her strength returned and she regained her weight.
‘I started feeling alive again,’ she says with a smile. ‘I could play with my children, cook for them, and even return to work.’
Today, Nambaziira is on hormone therapy and goes for medical reviews every six months. Her doctor says her recovery is progressing well.
The power of support
Nambaziira’s recovery was not just medical; it was emotional and social too. She credits her husband, aunt, and work colleagues for playing a key role.
‘My boss was very understanding,’ she says. ‘She told me to focus on getting better and promised to keep my job until I finished treatment. After I recovered, she even bought me a prosthetic bra to help me regain confidence.’
Though her boss later passed away, she remains grateful for her kindness.
A second chance at life
Now, Nambaziira has turned her painful experience into a message of hope. She encourages women to go for regular screenings and seek medical help early.
‘I wasted precious time because I believed in false promises,’ she says. ‘If it was not for my aunt and husband, I would have died in the hands of people who only wanted money.’
Her message is clear: ‘When you get diagnosed with cancer, the first step to healing is acceptance. Only doctors know what to do; not pastors or herbalists.’
Lessons in food and faith
She has since adopted a healthier diet and lifestyle. ‘Diet is very important after cancer treatment,’ she explains. ‘I take a lot of fluids, fruits, and vegetables, but I avoid too much sugar, salt, and cooking oil.’
She also practices gratitude daily. ‘Cancer taught me that life is precious and fragile. Every new day is a gift,’ she reflects.
A message for everyone
Nambaziira’s story highlights a wider problem in Uganda; late diagnosis and the reliance on alternative healing. Many women delay treatment due to fear, stigma, or misinformation, yet treatment is freely available.
Doctors at UCI urge women to conduct monthly breast self-examinations, attend annual medical check-ups, and seek treatment immediately when abnormalities are detected.
For Nambaziira, those lessons came through pain, but also through renewal. ‘I am living proof that early treatment saves lives,’ she says. ‘The real miracle is being alive after getting treatment.’
As she continues her follow-up visits and hormone therapy, Milly remains thankful for the medical team at Mulago and UCI, her supportive family, and her renewed faith.’I no longer see my scar as a loss,’ she says softly. ‘It is a mark of survival; a reminder that I faced death and chose to live.’
How to do a breast self-exam
Pick the right time: Check your breasts once a month, about a week after your period ends. If you no longer menstruate, choose the same day each month.
Look in the mirror: With arms at your sides and then raised, look for changes in size, shape, skin texture (dimpling, redness, swelling) or nipple appearance and discharge.
Feel while lying down: Use the pads of your fingers to press your breast in small circles; light, medium, and firm pressure, covering the entire area from the collarbone to the ribs and from the chest to the armpit.
Feel while standing or in the shower: Raise one arm and use the opposite hand to check the same side, using small circular motions. see a doctor if you notice a lump or thickening, changes in size, shape, or skin texture, nipple inversion or discharge, or persistent pain.
Remember: Self-exams help you know what is normal for your body, but should not replace regular medical check-ups or screening.