"I felt a sharp pain when my husband was playing and sucking my breasts. It felt like a bite. I kept it to myself, hoping it was nothing until my mother died of breast cancer years later.

"Then it dawned on me to go and have my breasts checked," breast cancer survivor, Louisa Yayra Ahiabu, recounted the genesis of her ordeal to the host of Joy FM's Strong and Sassy, Animwaa Anim Addo.

"I went for the usual breast screening at Trust Hospital. They couldn't locate any lump, but I told them that when I squeeze my nipple I see a colourless liquid come out of it.

"And because of the strong history of my mum, they requested that I do a mammogram," Mrs Ahiabu, who is also the Human Resource Manager at the Department of Surgery, Korle-Bu, continued.

The report came, and unfortunately, there was a lump in her breast, around her armpit and her doctor then asked her to do a biopsy.

According to her, while she waited for the report, she prayed and hoped that it was not breast cancer, although deep within her, she had a strong feeling she had it because her mum died of it.

"It wasn't easy getting to know that I had breast cancer, especially after having buried my mum who died from the same disease," Mrs Ahiabu said.

To make matters worse, the doctor who saw her at the time broke the unpleasant news to her without any empathy and even queried her for delaying reporting early to the hospital.

"I didn't know how I drove from the hospital to my home in Dansoman. When I got home, I lay down and started crying. I was alone because the children had gone to school," she revealed.

An accountant with CSIR and husband to the breast cancer warrior, Anthony Ahiabu was with his wife in the studio for the interview and he spoke about how he reacted when his wife disclosed to him that she had breast cancer.

"I called her to check up on her, the report, and the outcome. She hesitated to tell me initially but gave in and said it was breast cancer.

"When I heard that, I became moody suddenly, I sat down and looked into the air. I couldn't work again, so I closed and went back home," Mr Ahiabu said.

According to Mrs Ahiabu, her doctor asked to meet her and her husband and told them not to panic because there was hope.

"I thought they were just going to take the lump because it was very small, but when they said that they were going to cut my breast, I was so devastated. Eventually, my two breasts had to be taken off," Mrs Ahiabu said.

Initially, only one of her breasts was affected, and then she did the surgery. Afterwards, she was on hormonal treatment, but the side effect was too much and she went into menopause.

She stopped taking the medication and the other breast was also affected.

The breast cancer survivor said she lost her hair, and her fingernails grew darker.

"I felt pity for myself, knowing I had lost my breasts, but I was also encouraged that at least I have life to take care of my children," she said, beaming with smiles.

Her only challenge is whenever she's dressing up, and she has to put on the prosthesis and adjust it to look normal.

Thankfully, her husband has been very supportive and has been with her every step of the journey to Mr. Ahiabu, "It's wise to take out the breast than leave it for the sake of pleasure."

Mrs Louisa Yayra Ahiabu's cancer was stage two and was estrogen-related, so she's currently on a drug that suppresses estrogen production.