Former TV host and Brazilian model Daina Menezes has confirmed that she is battling breast cancer starting in 2018.
“When I turned 30 years old, I felt a lump or, I’d say, ‘cyst’ on my right breast, and thought it was very small,” Menezes told PEP.ph in an exclusive interview.
She said she found out about her illness when she had a breast ultrasound two years ago.
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“They couldn’t find it, and yet, I insisted. I put my arm down and they saw a weird-looking cyst. They requested a biopsy, but I had a series of concerts in Dubai, so I prioritized my job. I knew something was up when, after the biopsy, I didn’t get a result over the phone but a scheduled consultation,” she said.
Menezes was then told by her physician that she has Stage 2B breast cancer.
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“Stage 2 means the breast cancer is growing, but it is still contained in the breast, or growth has only extended to the nearby lymph nodes,” she said.
The actress told pep.ph that she had a lumpectomy, a procedure that requires removing some lymph nodes affected by the cancer.
She added that she refused to undergo chemotherapy and did the natural methods instead.
“I am definitely healthier! I watch my diet, my lifestyle, my sleeping hours, my stress. I manage my time for my health and work. Not the other way around,” she added.
Despite her condition, Daina remains full of positivity in life. She also shared some advice to those who may be afraid of battling cancer.
“I will never learn the essence of living if I didn’t experience being on the rock bottom of sickness, emotionally, physically, and mentally,” she added.
READ ALSO: Pinay breast cancer patient survives double mastectomy, grateful for second chance at life
