Still Standing Strong: Eunice Mwende’s Journey with Stage 4 Cancer

When Eunice Mwende Mutiso was told she had breast cancer at just 23 years old in 2016, her life changed drastically. Now, nearly a decade later, she is a mother and a determined fighter, still pushing through despite a terminal diagnosis. 

Initially, Mwende was diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer during a routine check-up. She had no symptoms or family history of the disease. Following her diagnosis, she underwent a mastectomy and years of treatment, including chemotherapy and targeted therapy from 2016 to 2019. 

The physical side effects were grueling, hot flashes, joint pain, mental fog, and relentless fatigue. She couldn’t sit for long without discomfort. But the emotional toll was even heavier. 

“I was diagnosed with major depression. Losing a breast at 23 shattered me,” Mwende shared. The impact of her surgery hit hard. Just weeks after her mastectomy, still healing, she bought a prosthetic breast and a special bra to help her feel balanced again. 

Even so, depression deepened over time. It wasn’t until she began therapy that Mwende slowly began to heal, both mentally and emotionally. She learned to accept her changed body and redefine her self-worth. “One breast, two, or none, you’re still beautiful,” she said. “I can buy another breast, but I can’t buy my life back.” 

In 2022, financial hardship forced her to stop treatment. She didn’t have private insurance and had been paying all medical expenses herself. In September 2023, her cancer returned—this time under her mastectomy scar and in her lymph nodes. Tests showed it had spread to her lung, advancing her condition to stage 4. 

Stage 4 breast cancer isn’t curable but can be managed. Mwende resumed intensive treatment, including chemotherapy and IV Herceptin every three weeks. The second round was harder than the first: she experienced extreme fatigue, painful swollen feet, blackened nails, and persistent brain fog and depression. Yet, she kept going. 

Amid all this, Mwende discovered she was pregnant. She chose to pause treatment to carry her baby safely to term, under close medical supervision. She later gave birth to a healthy baby and is now preparing to continue her treatment. 

Currently, she’s waiting for a crucial PET scan to assess her condition. However, a shortage of the FDG tracer in Kenya has delayed this. Only one hospital in the country currently offers the scan, making access difficult for patients like Mwende. 

For her and many others, the struggle is not just medical but financial. She’s had to stop treatment more than once due to cost. “Without a good insurance plan, you either delay or stop treatment altogether,” she said. 

Despite everything, Mwende continues her fight, doing scans and tests whenever she can afford them. Her hope is to reach NED status, no evidence of disease. 

Her journey is far from over, but she remains brave and honest about her experience. She shares her story to inspire others and raise awareness. 

“There is life after a diagnosis,” she says. “There is beauty. And there is hope.”