 Good afternoon viewers or wherever you are in the world. Good morning, good evening. Welcome to another edition of cancer with Dr. Denise Ejo-Seo of Comod Cancer Foundation in partnership with Plus TV Africa. I wanna thank you all for joining us again for another of our survivors experiences and tales that are going to help the cancer space understand the journeys and stop thinking that you're just going to die because you've got cancer. I thank you all for joining us again this afternoon and I hope you're really having a good time. And to those of us in Nigeria, I hope that you're all safe and doing what you've got to do as your civic duty. Hello everyone and welcome to another discussion. And today in the house I've got a survivor whom I'm going to hail again. His name is Ochi Iba. Hello Ochi, how are you? I'm fine, thank you, good afternoon from Nigeria here. Good afternoon. Now I'm happy you're smiling, you're relaxed now. That's what I need, I need you to relax. Today Ochi is going to be telling us his story. So our title of our program today is a survivor story of non-Hodkins lymphoma with Ochi. Ochi is a non-Hodkins cancer survivor who is a chef by profession. He is an advocate for cancer and hopes to impact change through his shared experience. As you will appreciate, Ochi enjoys cooking and continues to develop his own culinary skills because of his needs and challenges. He has chosen cancer advocacy because he is a survivor and wants to encourage cancer patients that they can survive cancer too. Thank you Ochi for joining us this afternoon of morning or evening wherever you are. Are you relaxed? Are you ready for me now Ochi? I'm relaxed, thank you too. All right, let's go with our first question. So what is non-Hodkins lymphoma? From your knowledge as a survivor. So I'm not asking you medical questions. Yeah, non-Hodkins lymphoma is a cancer disease which was a diagonalized in 2016 in India. Hmm, okay, that's where you found that you had it. Yes, in India. Talk us through your cancer journey, talk us through how you found out, what you found out. The whole thing started, yeah, it all started in that same 2016. But when it started, I didn't know it was a cancer that I had. And I was going from hospital to hospital in Nigeria here, but then it was not detected at all. And I was curing very lean, there was big tummy, swollen legs, big weight loss, no appetite of anything. So like I said, I worked with a transcomutant before now because of COVID-19, we are laid off of our job. But at that time, they were the ones that sponsored my trip to India. So it was when I got to India, before India, in Ethiopia, but in the air, I was paralyzed one side. So when I got to India and the test was carried on, that was where I got to know it was a non-Hodkin lymphoma. And I was at the last stage, last stage. So I was looking to the lab, ran all the tests, given the world, and I started taking chemo, chemotherapy immediately. Like I said, I took six cycles of chemotherapy. I got better there, not completely, but I was 90% better. So after three months in India, I was discharged and asked to come and complete my remaining chemo in Nigeria. So I came with the chemo from India to Nigeria and I was ministered in the chemo in Nigeria. So this is where I finished the remaining six cycles, making it 12 cycle hour. Then after that, I started going for a Pescan. There was no Pescan in Nigeria then. So I was using South Africa for a Pescan. Every year I go for Pescan. Every year I go for Pescan on tea. First we sent 2019 or 2019 when I was free. No more cancer again in my system and in my body. Wow. Okay, so for our viewers now, I'm going to explain to you what non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in your lymphatic system, which is part of the body's germ-fighting immune system and it affects the white blood cells. Now we're not medical people. We actually talk about this to help cancer patients and survivors understand there are other people out there fighting this disease. The word called cancer, it is. It's called cancer. No big deal. Thank you Ocha for sharing that and you highlight some interesting things from your story, which I want to pick up on. You've talked about, very briefly, you talked about being partially paralyzed when you are en route. Did you ever find out why you got partially paralyzed? Are you still partially paralyzed or you're back full? No, I'm back full and healthy. Very strong now. Thank you God. I'm very happy to hear that because this program is as a result of my own journey with cancer. I've not yet got to your stage, but by the grace of God I will get there. I'm still on my second and a half year journey, but that's fine. We're still here and we're still fighting. And thank you for being an advocate. So thank you for sharing your journey. How has it been for you? Well, I must say I thank God. It has not been easy. It has not been easy because cancer requires assistance, especially from the government of the country. Why I said this is because cancer is very expensive to treat. You can imagine if I was not with a transport meeting at that time when money was spent for me, they took care of all my bills. Now that I'm not working, what would have happened? So it's very expensive. It's not been easy and even at that I still try to maintain my diet, which is very expensive here. Yeah, dieting, I do a lot of dieting and I do sport a lot. I do some exercise too. So it's not an easy journey. I can tell you in the area of renounce it's tight, it's way tight. The truth. I want to say thank you. So let's take a break now because I'm coming back to ask you from I hope there are personal questions and to all of you out there we're talking to real survivors, we're talking to people who have gone through this journey and today Ocha is being honest and telling us how he has gone away. And that navigated it irrespective of where he was. He was in Nigeria and he had to move to India. Now I'm coming back from this point on what we are experiencing and the advocacy and the importance of advocacy in making a difference in Nigeria and in low middle income countries across the world. Because we need to cancel survivors our voices need to be heard and not heard by everybody else but us. Thank you all and I'll see you in a few minutes I'll be welcoming you back again in a few minutes. Welcome back everyone and having a fantastic time actually discussing with Ocha you see one of the interesting things about this cancer journey is every single one of us have a common thread but we still have a branch of the of the way this disease is so welcome back to this after the short break and we're going to be continuing this conversation with Ocha thank you Ocha for sharing your story so let's go now. You raised something that bothers me and I'll say why because you see Nigeria is our home and wherever we are in the world sometimes conditions put us there and one of the biggest fights for cancer patients across the world is lack of finance another thing a lot of people do not recognize is there are issues with our diet which is also related to finance there's also our mental health which is also related to finance there is our mobility which is also related to finance and somehow everybody thinks that our journey is just about Kimo and it's important for us to be able to explain to people that our journey is not about Kimo or all the just medical parts there are lots more that go on in our lives so from your own experience or from your give me your view because this is about you and I know what we're talking about how did you raise this phone so you've said that your employers paid for you to get to India so you've already kicked ticked a box that if you didn't have that employer you wouldn't be where you are are we? now this same comment you are making is the same comment I'm making about myself which I keep telling people if I didn't have the right to come I didn't have dual nationality and was not living in and out of England and Nigeria I would also have been dead with something I'm trying to make people understand it is just the grace of God that we are in the right place at the right time sure we do not have the opportunity of a story and a lot of people don't have that opportunity so how do you feel about this as a talk it say it as it is how are you feeling how do you say how do you feel I sometimes get annoyed I'm not going to lie I'm annoyed because it is because I was why can't I get why did I have to travel why did you have to travel why can't we not be treated I I tell you the truth I wasn't happy I wasn't happy but there is little I can do in fact there was a time I was supposed to go for a pet scan I was too for a pet scan and I was out of job already and I had to go to Ministry of Health in the Federal Security and I met a doctor and I showed him all my papers my documents, my pictures even on admission and even when I got back I showed him I showed him my passport I really wanted him to believe that this man survived cancer and he told me I said because they said the Government of Nigeria is assisting people with cancer so it's time for me to go for my pet scan and I don't have means I'm out of job and this young man told me hey Mr. Chai they're not going to give you money but they can they can assist you I say yes I'm not asking of money if you can sponsor my trip to ESEA and believe everything that's what I want I don't want you to give me this card it's okay I should go and put a write up and ask for it I did as I speak today they lock it it all sees nothing nothing nobody has communicated to me no message from there nothing nothing so I sometimes I wonder with all due respect but I wonder how a medical system works it's not really working the 2021 that I went where I got money and went for pet scan again because even if you think you're free but you have to be careful you can be checking if you have the power, the mother and the money to go it was the human rights radio station where they called ordinary president I had to cry to him I told him my situation that I'm out of job and this is what I suffered and I need to check this man fed so much for me and had to raise 1.6 million for me to go to South Africa and run my takeover with me we don't take care accommodation, feeding everything we get the 1.6 and I went my cancer was still I was able to go so it's not the street one at all the last I attended one seminar recently where the KVC governor's wife attended and some governor's wife came it's all about cancer and I tell you the message was not good at all some senators came some mass representatives came and the minister of health was there and they told the minister of health telling that government will give money for cancer patients the minister will refund the money to the government post that they did not see cancer we are also shocked we are so shocked there the only way to say this is too bad you have people dying of cancer and you cannot assist them and government will give money you will refund back money that you did not see people I tell you if you go to national hospital you will cry so people cannot afford treatment and that's one thing that kills easily again when you think where do I get money where do I get means to survive to treat myself and you don't have any hope that alone can kill you that alone can kill you so it's so bad here I don't need to tell you lie the pink girl that I joined is doing his best but I tell you he is trying to learn he cannot alone do it so we are asking the government last time with this simultaneous cancer business I spoke there and I said government should please come to our aid people are dying every day of cancer not because they cannot survive but because the money is not there and I go to hospitals to advocate to people I tell them if I can survive cancer you can survive cancer look at me here today you will survive by the grace of God do you understand we do this advocate when they see us they will have this hope and they will believe that this man suffered cancer and he survives why won't I survive it too so it's really not government is not doing enough that's just the truth you know you just broke my heart you know why because around the month of February I think it was February and I had also another advocate on who was very angry about world cancer day and lack of support and I I am trying to reach out and I think we're all going to have to sing this song together that we also have a right to live I don't know why governments think that we are just a number I think that's what they are I think that's the only way I can say it because if we are human beings at least somebody will talk to us anytime we are doing event they don't come, nobody comes it's like they are just there so you know what give me two things just two name two things that you want government to do for us you name two I will name one you name two things you want I will name one thing I want because I know that whatever you name it is going to be common and I'm sure all cancer survivors will name the same things because I think we are all crying out together it's together we are going to win this thing and the people that make decisions need to remember we also have a right to live give me two things name two things one is finance finance is very important that we have and the second one is we as ambassadors we need to continue to speak and encourage people to give them this hope and confidence that they will survive so they should keep fear in way and have hope but the first one like I said money finance and advocates rule yes okay now what is my own now mine is my own request is they should remember when people are making decisions that cancer survivors when I say survivors people that have the disease the people that have gone through chemo radio surgery all the things we have to go through are sitting at the table when decisions are made because nobody should be making decisions for cancer patients without cancer patients telling you why it's paying you you didn't ask us what is the budget how did you come up with budget budget is about equipment it cannot be about equipment because like you have rightly pointed out how are we going to go forward we are begging people for money and we are not getting anywhere okay so we are going to take those three points now the next thing I am going to ask you is let's look at the good part of this thing now give me a positive what did you get out of this experience I'll tell you mine you tell me yours I'm going to tell you mine what I got out of this experience was the fact that I got to understand that life is not in human beings hands it's in the hands of God and as a cancer survivor I believe that cancer patients are privileged in the eyes of God because God takes care of us if it's about man we are right of if it's about God we have a chance you tell me yours yes I think mine will be almost similar because I wanted to say even with money and God is not there for you he won't even make it because lot of persons with money self could not make it so God first but let there be money so that God will help us because like you said God is our Father he hears our cry because cancer disease is not what you can even wish your enemy you can't even wish your enemy to have cancer to suffer cancer so God hears our cries very well as cancer patients and he helps us I want to say thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you you may not realize it but your story also helps people go through it recognize that this money issues this medical challenges all of us have gone through it the key thing is that we must fight we must not give up hope we must not say we cannot do it we must remain positive and believe that we have somewhere somehow something will happen for us and we shouldn't hide under religion please all those suffering with cancer patients do not hide under religion do not hide under thick promises remember together we fight this journey together we are going to win it but we can only win it if we are honest with ourselves and those around us so any message for your family or for yes for your family actually as I love you now I want you to give a message to your family yes I sincerely want to thank my family because they were all with me when I was going through this terrible disease their support their prayers their confine always with me around me keeping me hope that they will not die and I said yes I will not die so their encouragement was handsome they are the little they have they know they have to go their ways and bring their own support to those that do not take blood do not take blood and I sincerely want to thank them because they were great people to me my wife every person that stood by me during this time and especially to God Almighty you know that made my family to stood by me if not some wife would run away when they see this kind of terrible sickness but she did not she was with me and she said you will not die and I said yes I will not die and look at me here today even there is no money but I thank God I am alive so thank you to all of my family members all of you guys God will continue to bless you more love to everybody thank you and I want to take this note to say thank you very very much of all the family members across the world who support us cancer patients and survivors we really do appreciate you we really do love you sometimes we maybe be whinging and complaining but just bear with us we do see all the things you are doing and on this note I want to thank plus TV again the management I really really I telling you we survivors we appreciate this platform we appreciate the fact that you sponsor us in creating cancer awareness that helps to reduce the death rate because currently the death rate in the world is over half over 800,000 people 900,000 people died of cancer in January alone and that's across the world so please together we fight together we win we thank you all we ask you to share the videos follow us on our social media platforms on our Facebook it's come with cancer foundation that's the same on our Instagram page you can find this video on our YouTube once it's been uploaded and you will find it also plus TV's channel so I want to say thank you all for joining us hashtag us click subscribe share and follow us on the notification buttons we look forward to seeing you again in next few weeks actually and we thank you all for supporting our campaign have a fantastic weekend have a fantastic week ahead of you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria thank you