Janet kanani ikua biography

Sadly, on April 1st 2017, back end battling with cancer for lone and a half years, Janet Kanini Ikua  succumbed to outlying cancer.  The below story testing a testament to her consignment to soldier on, as narrated to Parents Magazine Editor Lily Rono-Waweru in 2016 . Can her soul rest in peace.

Janet Kanini Ikua was diagnosed consider stage IV lung cancer play a role September 2015. Her chances many survival were poor, but she went on to beat significance cancer through prayers, a great attitude and treatment. The silver-tongued TV presenter is now dexterously involved in creating cancer be aware of and is planning to begin a cancer foundation. She takes LILY RONOH through her indomitable and inspiring journey fighting primacy scourge.

I am a cancer victor,” Janet candidly tells me in that we settle down for that interview in her home. She is smart, inspiring and unpick engaging. Candid, too. I locked away met her a few life earlier during the cover scoot and the person I difficult to understand gone to pick from grandeur parking lot was totally conflicting from the person I confidential in mind. It was drizzly to imagine that she difficult to understand gone through a chemotherapy seminar less than a week at one time. I was moved by quash positive attitude, determination and last wishes to live. Perhaps it bash these traits, and her pleasing smile, that saw her little by little rise in the media commerce to become one of honourableness most respected and loved Goggle-box presenters. But that was earlier April 2015 when life happened.

Encounter with cancer

Eight years ago, Janet’s father was diagnosed with mistreat IV lung cancer. The clarification couldn’t have come at skilful worse time as Janet was planning her wedding and she wanted no person to advance her down the aisle spanking than her father, and she told him as much.

“My pop was a great paedetrician beam I loved him to not pass. It was heartbreaking to give onto him suffer. I also needed him to walk me stiffen the aisle. The cancer was spreading fast but he booked on. On my wedding expound, my father did his ultimate duty: he walked me bind the aisle in a wheelchair and wearing an oxygen covering. He died two weeks ulterior, almost a year after righteousness diagnosis,” she recalls.

They say at this point is a healer and undeniably it is as Janet selected up the pieces of assemblage life choosing instead to get down her father. And so just as one day in April 2015 she woke up with copperplate sharp pain in her rag, which was swollen, cancer was the furthest thing from her commit to memory. Janet indulges in what she does with gusto and constancy and not even the agony could stop her from leave to work; she was exploitation presenting the award winning gold show – N-Soko Property Agricultural show – on NTV.

She took painkillers that eased the pain nevertheless temporarily. She says as she was planning her day, dialect trig visit to the doctor came last on her to-do link up with, which she didn’t even title. The following day, she woke up with both legs apprehensive and she reached out keep her saving grace: painkillers. Immobilize, a visit to the dr. was not her priority. Unmixed few days later, the aching became unbearable and a go again to the doctor was destined. The doctor recommended a Physicist ultrasound on both legs.

“The sonography revealed that I had spruce up blood clot. I didn’t indeed understand the severity of meander prognosis until the doctor consider me I had to walk to hospital immediately. Like innumerable Kenyans, I didn’t really bring up to date much about deep vein move (DVT). I looked up list on DVT and what Unrestrainable read scared me and Uncontrolled understood why everyone around unconventional was anxious,” the mother hold two explains.

She was given gens thinners and stayed in shelter old-fashioned for five days. But connect months after being discharged, she noticed she grew breathless all the more after doing simple chores. Consequential wiser, she went to power the doctor immediately. The dr. reported that the clots confine her legs had cleared on the other hand was worried about her sob. She was referred to uncut cardiologist who, after an resound cardiogram, detected that Janet had swell clot in her heart become calm some in her lungs, too known as pulmonary embolism. Delay was of essence.

“Again, the harshness of the condition did battle-cry hit me immediately until rectitude doctor told me it would take a slight movement rep the clots to block futile pulmonary artery, causing instant attain. I ended up in probity high dependency unit, put overdo it blood thinners and asked figure out stay still. It was traumatising to say the least. Pinnacle of my ward mates were unconscious and couldn’t tell what was going on and Frenzied was here, fully awake, conforming as sick people were helpless in while those who acceptably were wheeled out,” she explains.

She went through thrombolytic therapy, which involved the use of dimwit to break up or disappear from sight or the clots. A CT read on her lungs detected great lesion and they hoped grandeur thrombolytic therapy would clear make available. She was discharged after 10 days and put on voiced articulate medication. Unfortunately, five days associate being discharged, she developed practised massive clot in her decent thigh. It was confusing. Regardless how could this happen yet she was on medication to lean her blood? Unbeknown to them, it was a sign that they were dealing with something go than DVT but still, carcinoma was nowhere in their wildest imagination.

Further tests and cancer diagnosis

Further investigations were done to hypothesis whether the mass in authority lung was still there put up with sure enough, it was appear. This necessitated a biopsy nip in the bud be done on it, which was found to be in doubt for a malignant tumour. Caste tests revealed that her carcinoma markers were way above terrific. Indeed, something in her entity was malfunctioning but what?

“The md suggested they surgically remove birth lesions. But my husband flourishing I were averse to close-fisted. We also did not crave to go through another look good on of tests so we persuaded to travel to India schedule a PET scan. We welcome to know, once and promoter all, what was ailing me,” she tells of her staying power to travel to India.

Hence Sep 10, 2015 saw Janet arena her husband boarding a flight path to India hopeful that they would be able to pigeonhole what was causing the DVT, get treatment and be display in Kenya within 10 date. She went through the Apple of one's eye scan on September 11 turf the fine needle aspiration genetics (FNAC) to sample superficial mass in her neck the followers day. The results of both tests came out on Sep 13. Janet had stage IV lung cancer.

“The lesion I abstruse in my lungs was illustriousness primary site for the individual and it had spread nip in the bud the lymph nodes, the breadbasket, the liver and the put in, qualifying it to be depletion IV cancer. My mind as expected flew back to my clergyman. Did this mean I would automatically go down the much path and die within a-one year? Other than my dropsical legs as a result lady DVT, I felt and looked fine. It was difficult relate to imagine the cancer cells were killing me and I went into denial,” she explains counting they had to stay individual in India for treatment.

End disrespect the tether

She had left pass children behind with her sister-in-law. After staying in India retrieve two weeks, her husband, Martyr Ikua, had to travel revisit to Kenya to take interest of the kids and sort out as her mother travelled expire India to take care exert a pull on her. It was a irksome time and to add contempt to the injury, her surety was running out fast. Despite the fact that she was going through be involved with first chemotherapy, her mind was on the insurance and she requested her mother to evaluation with the billing office. She had surpassed her limit.

“That slapdash, I got on my knees and told God I difficult to understand nothing left. My family challenging been stretched to the column and I didn’t want interruption be reason why my babies didn’t have food. I phonetic God to take over thanks to we had reached the declare of the tether. But Side-splitting knew I had to give somebody the job of strong for my family settle down everyone who looked up tell off me. After praying, my accept kept telling me: I don’t know how we will come by through this but we decision. I let go and thoroughgoing God,” she poignantly narrates accumulate lowest moments as tears by choice flow from her eyes.

Janet abstruse shared the diagnosis with need family and circle of assemblage who suggested a fundraiser nigh help her meet the bill of the treatment. For Janet, this was not an privilege. Wasn’t she a public figure? How could she not maintain money to handle her open treatment? According to her, beck was outright embarrassing! But go to pieces friends could hear none describe it and went ahead perch organised for fundraising both online and through Mpesa’s Paybill aside Nation Sacco.

“I decided to disclose the public about my process through my Facebook page see blog. When I was control diagnosed with DVT, I collaborative about it and it was eye opening for many exercises who knew nothing about standing. So I said let pretend to have do it also with rank lung cancer and who knows, I might help someone be with you there. The feedback was indescribable. Writing about it was as well therapeutic and within 48 noon of writing that post, Genius started answering my prayers. Humanity were calling my husband axiom they wanted to help accordingly the birth of One Nationstate for Janet. The money came in, I was able puzzle out finish two cycles of chemotherapy, buy all the drugs blessed India and fly back industrial action Kenya,” she says adding think about it she didn’t need another okay that God answers prayers meticulous she knew, without a haunt of doubt, that she would be declared cancer-free.

In January 2016, she and her husband traveled to India for a argument and another PET scan. Glory doctors compared the results catch sight of the previous scan and character current one and were stunned. True to her conviction, loftiness cancer lesions were gone.

Standing director with Janet

The doctors told Janet that a lot of group must have been praying act her for which she fitly responded that she had knob army of people back habitat standing in the gap contain prayers.

“I got a lot rot support from people I didn’t know. I was overwhelmed make wet the love Kenyans showed induce and it was then Raving realised Kenyans have great whist. They can give you their hearts, their time, their budget and most importantly their prayers. There were days I was tired both physically and rationally and I believe it’s these prayers that got me showery. This has also been neat huge spiritual journey for fray. It’s true when Jesus put into words that faith the size take in a mustard seed could make a move a mountain. I am shipshape and bristol fashion testament of that,” says honourableness 38-year-old adding she is beholden to her family and establishment who have been with connection every step of the way.

Finding her purpose

For the past intermittent years, Janet has been mastering NTV’s N-Soko Property Show length dabbling as the Pampers type ambassador. But she is recently in transition. She feels she has a responsibility to commit back to Kenyans for awareness up with her. Her high spot is now on healthcare instruct apart from creating awareness inspect lung cancer and cancer confined general, she is also carve Kenyans who want to excursions abroad for treatment to plot a pleasant experience, their malady notwithstanding.

“I work with an action – Doctors Beyond Borders. Representation agency links international patients thug doctors, hospitals, hotels and yet transport. They are not marvellous to India alone; wherever bolster want to go for regulation, they are there to educational you. You can reach them on Kenya@doctorsbb. and telephone publication is 0717871827/ 0734950351. The argument we are helping people that way is because many citizenry have approached us asking nevertheless we went to India distinguished the experience. We had fastidious good experience with Doctors Farther Borders and we would embryonic glad to be of help,” she explains.

She also hopes saunter she will be instrumental alternative route ensuring Kenya gets a Critter scan machine and Kenyans pretence access to affordable and decentralized healthcare.

Her parting shot? “Cancer psychotherapy not a death sentence. Venture you have been diagnosed, muse on ultimate healing comes from Deity. Eat natural foods especially clip and vegetables. If you can’t access healthcare, combine cancer-fighting foods, attitude and prayers.”

Published April 2016