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Former soccer star Makhosi Luthuli is pain-free and enjoying life again after a cancerous tumour was removed from her face.

She was still groggy when her cousin handed her the cellphone. She thumbed it to selfie mode and looked at the screen. There it was: the face of Makhosi “Troublemaker” Luthuli – and one she hadn’t seen for nearly seven years due to the cancerous tumour that had covered most of the right side, severely distorting her features.

I will beat this

Last year the former Banyana Banyana midfielder told DRUM of her committment to fight her condition (I will beat this, 8 March 2018) and now she’s a changed woman, thrilled to have her life back after an operation to remove the growth. “It was like taking an ugly mask off my face,” she tells us, smiling. Makhosi (45) has every reason to be happy.

“I am free from pain and it feels like I’ve been given a second chance. I knew God would never give me a burden that is beyond me. I believe He wanted to test my faith and I’m glad I came out victorious.” The former midfielder told us last year she was determined not to allow the cancer to get the better of her.

“I’m not scared of dying but I’m not dying any time soon,” she said. “Cancer hasn’t taken my talent and skill away from me. I am still Makhosi the Troublemaker.”

Seven years of hell

But lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, had taken a horrific toll on her. She was in constant pain, had difficulty breathing because the tumour had disfigured her nose and she couldn’t chew food properly as part of her jaw and teeth had been destroyed.

Her left ear and eye were also covered and her kidneys had been damaged because of chemotherapy and radiation. But now doctors say she’s officially free from cancer and she’s looking forward to making up for lost time after “seven years of hell”.

“My speech has improved and I can now eat whatever I want to. I am no longer on special diets. I can breathe without any problems and I can see clearly through both my eyes.”

She missed eating fruit most, she says, because of the damage to her jaw. After the operation she could initially only eat soup but her diet is back to normal now for the first time in years.

The six-hour operation to give Makhosi her face back and rid her of the cancer cost R1 million. The surgery was performed by doctors from Operation Healing Hands, a charity initiative organised by a group of doctors and private sector medical professionals to give back to communities on Mandela Day.

The struggle to find help

Makhosi’s operation took place last year on Madiba’s birthday, 18 July, and the surgery, prosthetics, hospital and aftercare costs were donated by Life Wilgers Hospital in Pretoria.

Before Operation Healing Hands agreed to Makhosi’s operation the footballer was desperate for help. “As the cancer grew on my face I knocked on every door, including government departments, but I received no medical or financial assistance.

“It was a daily torture but I never allowed the illness to control my life, so I kept on fighting,” she says. She has nothing but praise for the medical team.

“I will never forget the love and compassion shown by those doctors, the nurses and all the personnel in that hospital. They explained the entire procedure to me and I was comfortable with it,” she recalls.

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid.

“Before the operation I said a prayer because I didn’t know if I was going to make it through. I was put under the anaesthetic and woke up six hours later.”

And when she opened her eyes, she was greeted by her cousin, Ncamisile Luthuli, who had been a pillar of support throughout her long battle. “She gave me her cellphone and for the first time I saw my face without the lump,” Makhosi says.

Repairing what’s been damaged

She spent a week in hospital and now goes back for monthly check-ups, but she’s no longer on any medication. Now the only thing left is plastic surgery to repair the damage the tumour did to her face, an operation that’s been scheduled for later this year.

Makhosi, now freed from the pain that kept her indoors most of the time, is back on the soccer pitch with her club Future Stars, where she is the coach.

She’s feeling mentally and physically energised and stronger than before. “I know I’m one in a million people because I have survived cancer. I also know I survived because I fought with everything I have to get treatment.

“Many victims of cancer die without getting this kind of help. And some die without even getting a proper diagnosis or treatment.”

The Makhosi Lithuli Foundation

She recently started an organisation, the Makhosi Luthuli Foundation, to spread awareness about cancer, particularly in rural areas. “I’ve started visiting local schools,” she says. “I was once a soccer star but now I’m a cancer survivor. I know there are many people who are suffering silently and they are scared to come out.

My foundation seeks to support such people. For me, cancer was a journey and I told myself that it too shall pass. I didn’t allow it to stand in my way and I motivated myself every day.” Meanwhile, her players are thrilled to have their coach back.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have Makhosi. She sacrificed her time, her family, even her money just to see the club grow. We’ve also learnt life lessons from her and we are truly grateful for that,” player Sipho Mabika (23) tells us. Another player, Nyawose Sibongakonke (21) adds, “We feel very happy that she’s back with us.

It’s been tough for all of us in the club. We know how much she wanted to be with us, but she couldn’t because of her illness. Whenever we came to practise, we joined our hands and prayed for her.” People in her hometown of Magabeni, near Durban, can’t believe Makhosi is back. “For years there were rumours I’d died,” she says.

“For years everywhere I went people would stare at me. Now they can’t believe I’m back, that I’m the same person. Everyone is happy and excited for my healing.”

^{Image credit: Drum}

Zama Chutshela

The Care Quality Commission will review how it dealt with a 2015 report highlighting concerns.

Here’s how these women stay positive.

Less than 20 years ago, face transplants were far-fetched procedures of the future. They’re still not exactly commonplace, but a number of them have been done in recent years—and a new study shows that they can prove extremely beneficial for people who have been disfigured by burns, animal attacks, and other types of facial trauma.

In 2008, the first near-total face transplant in the US was performed at Cleveland Clinic. As of August 2018, 40 face transplants had been done around the world.

Now, enough time has passed that doctors can begin to understand how face transplant recipients have responded to these procedures, following their immediate recovery. Their first long-term look at these patients was published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

So how do face transplant patients fare years after their operations? In short: much better than before.

The authors of the new report analyzed six patients for their study, all of whom received face transplants between March 2011 and October 2014. The patients were between 25 and 57 years old at the time of their procedures, with an average age of 35.

About five years post-surgery, they found that the patients had regained, on average, 60% of normal facial motor function. The researchers tested how well the patients could sense the feelings of hot and cold on their face, and they concluded that the patients saw “significant improvement in sensory return during the first year after transplantation.”

The researchers also said the patients’ quality of life improved after they received a face transplant. Additionally, their risk of depression was lowered.

That said, these procedures don’t come without complications. Infections are a risk after any surgical procedure, and face transplant patients are no exception. The report says bacterial infections were among the most common infections observed post-transplantation.

These procedures also helped the patients reenter society. “Facial restoration provided the patients with adequate functionality that facilitated their social reintegration,” the article says.

However, the authors cautioned that face transplant patients need to continue to be monitored since the procedure is relatively new. This monitoring “is important in order to fully understand the effect of this novel procedure on the patients’ lives,” the statement said.

RELATED: Life After a Face Transplant: What It’s Like to Survive Suicide

Among the most well-known cases of successful face transplants is the story of Carmen Tarleton, who was attacked by her estranged husband in 2007. He poured industrial-strength lye on her, and because of the burns she experienced, doctors kept her in a medically-induced coma for three months. The attack caused her to be disfigured and legally blind, but she received a face transplant in 2013 that allowed her to restore an element of normalcy to her life.

Tarleton spoke to NBC News about how her life has changed since the procedure. She said she’s now viewed less as “Carmen, the woman who somehow lived through a horrific tragedy and had a face transplant.” Instead, she’s been returned to what she was known as before the accident: just “Carmen.”

RELATED: One Woman Gained 41 Pounds After Getting a Fecal Transplant From an Overweight Donor

If you haven’t seen HBO’s Chernobyl, you’re missing out. The mini-series retells the story of the 1986 nuclear power plant explosion in what is now Ukraine, from the moments after the explosion to detrimental aftermath of the accident. 

One of the most poignant aspects of the show is its close-up look at the horrors of acute radiation syndrome (ARS). The visuals make it painfully obvious that something terrible happened to those who were directly exposed to radiation from Chernobyl. But what exactly that was is a little more difficult to understand.

RELATED: 9 Everyday Sources of Radiation

In the three years following the Chernobyl explosion, about 530,000 recovery operation workers (think firefighters and other first-responders) were enlisted to help clean up the accident. These workers were exposed to extremely high levels of radiation— an average of 120 millisievert (mSv), or more than 1,000 times more powerful than a chest X-ray, according to the World Health Organization. Those who responded earliest are believed to have been exposed to levels even higher than that. 

What is acute radiation syndrome? 

According to the CDC, acute radiation syndrome occurs when a person is exposed to a very high level of radiation in a short period of time. The first symptoms of ARS include nausea, vomiting, headache, and diarrhea, which can occur within minutes to days after exposure. 

After the initial symptoms subside, an ARS victim will usually feel fine for a period of time before relapsing. The person’s symptoms will vary depending on the level of radiation they received, but some of the symptoms include loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and possibly even seizures and coma. 

RELATED: 6 Things That Can Trigger a Seizure Even If You Don’t Have Epilepsy

Skin damage is another side effect of ARS, which becomes apparent in the third episode of the show. Swelling, itching and redness of the skin can occur. In more extreme cases, people can also experience permanent hair loss, damaged oil- and sweat-producing glands, skin discoloration, scarring and ulceration, or tissue death. 

The higher the exposure, the more likely the person will die from ARS. Death from ARS typically occurs as a result of bone-marrow decay, which causes infections and internal bleeding. 

What are the long-term effects of radiation exposure?

Valery Legasov, the chemist who worked to help resolve the Chernobyl explosion, is a main character in the HBO mini-series. He reiterates throughout the show that radiation exposure—even at moderate or low levels—can have long-term effects on a person’s health. 

According to the EPA, exposure to radiation in moderate doses (like the nearby town of Pripyat would have had) can raise a person’s risk of getting cancer—in particular, thyroid cancer. Additionally, children and fetuses are at increased risk for radiation-related health problems. Exposure at moderate levels can cause cells to divide rapidly, which can result in developmental and birth defects in these sensitive groups.

What do iodine pills do?

Throughout the show, multiple characters recommend iodine pills as a treatment for ARS. Iodine helps the thyroid block harmful radioactive iodine from being absorbed, which ultimately could lead to cancer. 

According to the CDC, the thyroid is the most sensitive organ to radioactive iodine, so preventing its absorption in the body can help reduce the risks of developing cancer. While plenty of foods (like table salt) contain healthy levels of iodine for a normal diet, they do not have the level of potassium iodine needed in the case of a nuclear fallout. 

RELATED: Could an Iodine Deficiency Be Messing With Your Thyroid?

Iodine pills should not be taken unless recommended by health officials, in the case of a radiation accident. They also won’t protect against any of the other immediate health effects of radiation poisoning besides thyroid damage. 

Ultimately, the levels of radiation needed to cause ARS would only happen in the case of a radiation crisis. While you can take solace in the fact that the levels of radiation from Chernobyl have decreased significantly over the past 30 years—and the fact that disasters involving nuclear power reactors are rare—you can learn more about what to do in case of a radiological emergency here. 

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