I was diagnosed with cancer stage 4

______________

OPINION

By Amlan Tumusiime

About three weeks ago, my wife who is also the Pader District Woman MP, Paska Aciro Menya, picked me from Hoima and brought me to Nakasero Hospital in Kampala for treatment.

We had to use an ambulance from Hoima Regional Referral Hospital because I had a lot of body pain, especially at the lower back and the shoulders. I could not turn on my own even in bed unless I was supported.

Having taken part in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries for Bugahya County, I decided to come to our home in Entebbe to rest and it is during this period that I started feeling lower back pain and feverish.

A few days later, I went back to Hoima to finish some work. It is when the lower back pain increased, paralysing my legs.

The excessive pain forced my wife to pick me from Hoima and take me to Nakasero Hospital in Kampala at night, where doctors tried to manage the excessive pain. A series of tests were done the following day.

A team of five doctors surrounded me trying to find out whether I had ever tested for prostate cancer. I told them that I had never tested and I further told them I had never experienced any symptoms of prostate cancer in my life.

The lead doctor, Dr Badru Sekitoleko, who is a urologist, broke the unbelievable news to us.

“My brother, we have carried out the tests and the results show that you have prostate cancer stage four. You need to be strong and accept treatment with immediate effect.”

I looked at my wife who was seated next to me with tears flowing. I extended my hand and calmed her down, reminding her not to lose faith since we both are all believers and believe in one God. The doctors requested for an MRI and biopsy investigation which we accepted.

Meanwhile, I shared with my long-time friend, the Bukedea Woman MP, who is also the Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among. She was shocked, but advised us to take another investigative option from another facility which we did and the same results were obtained. By then, my health situation had deteriorated, forcing the doctors to transfer me to the intensive care unit, where I spent two days.

The matter was brought to the attention of the Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda, who called me and my wife and promised that the Office of the President would cater for the hospital bills and also advised I be taken to Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi.

The Speaker of Parliament provided me and my wife air tickets to Nairobi, but the doctors advised that my condition was not good to fly at that time. They advised that I stabilise first before travelling.

I want to thank the Nakasero Hospital doctors and nurses for the excellent care they gave me. God bless them.

I have decided to go public on this matter, so as to save the lives of others because at 49, I have never experienced any symptoms of prostate cancer yet doctors say any man at the age of 40 and above needs to go for testing regularly.

It is very possible many men in their 40s feel fine and don’t go for testing yet they could be having the disease unknowingly, just like myself.

All the years I had been working, doing fieldwork without any problem, and even conducted my campaigns without any challenge at all.

The doctors told us that I have been with this disease for more than five years without knowing.

The disease had penetrated my bones and veins, and if I had not gone to the hospital, it would have spread up to the spinal cord, and I would be crippled in the wheelchair for life. Maybe, if I had detected it early enough, it wouldn’t have reached stage four.

This is why I have decided to go public about my status so that other people, especially men of 40 years and above, should go test to avoid this situation I am in. I also plan to use radios to sensitise the community about the same because this is the only way I can help save people.

I am currently on treatment, and a few days ago, I was discharged from the hospital, I am feeling much better because the pain has reduced drastically. I have also regained appetite and I can walk a little bit. Dozens of friends of mine, including ministers Balaam Barugahara (youth), Dr Sam Mayanja (lands), Odrek Rwabwogo (son-in-law of the President), Barbara Kaija (Vision Group editor-in-chief), Dr Canon Henry Wamani (who donated a hundred acres to government for Bunyoro University), members of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom Royal Commission, Dr Kabagambe Kaliisa and Joseph Biribonwa, MPs, senior army officers and other government officials including resident district commissioners visited me. When the doctors told me about this situation, three issues came into my mind and disturbed me:

For 20 years now, I have never missed campaigning for President Yoweri Museveni, and in 2011 and 2016 respectively, I headed his special campaign taskforce in Bunyoro, working closely with Odrek Rwabwogo.

In 2021, I headed President Museveni’s special campaign team in Bunyoro co-ordinated by the then principal private secretary to the President, Dr Kenneth Omona.

In my capacity as the patron of Hoima Bodaboda Riders Association, patron Hoima Journalists’ Association, brand ambassador for Kitara Football Club and chairperson of Hoima District Scouts Council, I felt that if I fail, I could use the above group to mobilise for the President, but doctors assured me that I will be able to have limited movements, but with the support of crutches. The love I have for President Museveni is known.

The other issue is the orphans I pay school fees for, both in primary and secondary school.

Currently, I have about 50 orphans I pay school fees for, and a good number of them are children of NRM supporters who died, and during the burial, the orphans are paraded, and we pick those we can help.

Lastly, my daughter Huddah Karungi, who performed well at A’level from Kawempe Muslim and was admitted to Queen’s University Belfast, UK, for a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and is in her first year. I know God will help because I am a believer, and I have a strong feeling that the doctors will treat me and God will heal me.

I thank you.

The writer is former RDC Kikuube and NRM mobiliser in Bunyoro