Boago Mphoentle Modiisane:on her First story Motswana

OAfter more than two decades as an optometrist, ne Boago morning Modiisane while takdiscusses how ing he a got bath, into she the discovfield, how he serves ered the a community lump in her and left why the job breast, continues and was to immefulfill him. diately alarmed because her mother had died from cancer earlier. She was later diagnosed

TELL US A LITTLE BIT

of stage two-breast cancer that ABOUT called YOURSELF for her breast to be re

My name moved is immediately. Boago Modiitsane, I come from Mahalapye and did my primary school and secondary school at St Patrick’s Primary School and Madiba Secondary School respectively. I am Call married me Mphoentle and have Banduh three girls. I Dimbungu. currently I run am a my woman own aged private 55, practice a wife in Mogoditshane, and mother of four Eye children, Care Optometrists! three females and a male. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 45 while on study leave

YOUR CAREER IN OPTOMETRY:

pursuing my Degree in Special

DID YOU HAVE AN EPIPHANY

Education at the University of

MOMENT OR WAS IT ALWAYS PART OF THE MASTER PLAN?

My desire to deal with conditions that affect the human eye started when I was doing my Tirelo Sechaba in Tshane. While there, I used to see

Tell us about yourself? were suffering from was cancer? first thoughts when you received the diagnosis?

Botswana. I come from Maun. from Lobatse and Gaborone coming visual system and in the prevention of to do outreach in Hukuntsi Primary eye disease and injury. The ophthalHospital and I told myself that one mologist is the medically trained spe

My mother died from cancer and so day I will have to be counted as one I had done cialist a lot who of research can deliver on cancer. total I eye care: of eye care professionals in Botswana. had always primary, made secondary, it a habit to and check tertiary my care There was a lot of panic since I was

During our times, career guidance breasts services once in a (i.e. month. vision One services, morning contact a student and it was my last semester was not as developed as it is today, while lenses, taking a eye bath examinations, I felt a lump in medical my to eye complete my course. It was all over

whelming and didn’t know how I was we had to do some research on our left breast. care, I and later surgical asked my eye house care), helpdiagnose

er to double going to manage it all. But I had to be own regarding careers. So, after some general check, disease and of she the confirmed body and treat

that there was something in my breast. very strong in order to complete my research I settled for Optometry. ocular manifestations of systemic studies. Though tears did not come

I then followed up with my gyn

Government had offered me scholaenachologist diseases. who referred me for a out, my breathing showed that I was arship to do dentistry but I chose to memmogram. Optometrist It was December is a primary of 2008 healthbattling to digest the sad news. I supMy mother died from cancer. And pose its natural as human being that stick to my first choice - Optometry. and it care was fully professional booked since of the everybody eye and visual while none of my siblings have had you get scared and panic once you hear

After completing my part one BSc at was preparing systems who to go provide on leave comprehensive for the breast cancer, three of my sisters had festive you have a terminal illness. My family

eye season. and I vision was scheduled care, which to do includes scares University when they of Botswana, discovered lumps I was admitin

the test on January 5, 2009. I could didn’t notice that because I tried to be their ted breasts. at the The University lumps were of Auckland removed in refraction and dispensing, diagnosis strong so that they support me without

sense my gynaenacologist’s worry and New fortunately Zealand all to were pursue benign Optometry. (cancer though and he management didn’t say anything of diseases to me, of much the fear. free). Upon One completion, of my cousins I is came also a back breast home but I eye overhead and the him rehabilitation communicating of condicancer as the survivor; first Motswana he had it 25 to years graduate ago. as with the tions radiographer of the visual trying systems. to get me Primary an Optometrist. I have also done an a earlier care date. optometry Unfortunately is complete it wasn’t eye and Masters Degree in Public Health with possible, vision so I care waited that until highlights January. The the imporUniversity of Liverpool in the UK. results tance from the of scan optometry showed that in I prevention, had

cancer. My breast was to be removed On my return home in 1996, I joined health education, health promotion,

immediately. the private sector and subsequently health maintenance, diagnosis, treatstarted my private practice in 2000. ment and rehabilitation, counseling, and interdisciplinary consultation.

Opticians are primary health care professionals who provide vision care through refraction and dispensing of optical aids such as spectacles.

What were your

It was rough especially at work since it was a new environment. After my studies I was posted in Gaborone because that is where I was getting my treatment, otherwise I was supposed to have gone back to Maun where I was working before going for On a day-to-day basis, I further am takstudies. or The eye side inflammation. effects from ing care of patients. We are treatment just not hindered me from doing providers of eyeglasses or contact lenses; we prescribe medications that treat certain eye-health conditions. If there’s an eye infection or an injury, we are doing minor surgical

Boago Modiisane

during this period?

I went through six circles of chemotherapy and seven weeks for radiation everyday. I got lots of support from my family, relatives, friends and ofcourse Cancer Association of Botswana. There was a lady volunteer who used to visit me and explained more of what I should expect as side effects from the treatment. That meant a lot to me. The word of God also pulled me through that difficult time.

We know that about 10% of all breast cancers are hereditary. Are there other women affected in your family?

How has this affected you at a psychological level?

What events led up to your diagnosis, or, how did you discover that you WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN OPTOMETRIST, OPTICIAN AND OPHTHALMOLOGIST?

How long were you in treatment? What helped keep your spirits up and gave you support