Andra Wilson: The cervical cancer chronicles

Cancer survivor and artist Andra Wilson with her artwork at her home in Greenvale Park, La Horquetta on January 10. - Photos by Ayanna Kinsale
Cancer survivor and artist Andra Wilson with her artwork at her home in Greenvale Park, La Horquetta on January 10. - Photos by Ayanna Kinsale

ANDRA “ANDREA” WILSON was 25 and pregnant when she learned she had cervical cancer.

She was shocked and scared for her life and that of her unborn child, but was mostly worried about her two young sons, who were five and six at the time, growing up without their mother.

Wilson, 54, recalled she was three months pregnant in 1997 when she started bleeding profusely. As she lived in Diego Martin at the time, she went to the Port of Spain General Hospital emergency room and was seen immediately.

She said she was given a Pap smear and received the frightening news that she had stage one cervical cancer that very same day.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, there are five stages of cervical cancer.

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Stage 0 is precancerous and describes abnormal cells that do not spread beyond the surface of the cervix. Stage 1 is a small cancer between five millimetres and two centimetres deep.

In Stage 2, the tumour grows outside the cervix and the uterus but not into the walls of the pelvis or the lower part of the vagina. In Stage 3, the cancer spreads into the lymph nodes or the tumour grows into the lower part of the vagina and the walls of the pelvis.

If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is considered Stage 4.

“I was scared. At that time I didn’t know I could get cancer at such a young age. I didn’t smoke, I didn’t drink, I ate like normal. I didn’t know much about the cancer and was confused, so they sent me to counselling.

“But then I learned both my mother’s and father’s side of the family had cancer, so it could be family-related.”

She joined the gynaecological clinic at the hospital and later, got a letter to go to the St James Medical Complex to begin cancer treatment. She started radiation treatment in April that year.

She said although she was worried she would lose her baby, which she did in June 1997, she was more worried about the children she already had.

“I didn’t necessarily lose the baby because of the radiation. Remember, I was already bleeding a lot, so I knew I was going to lose it.

“I was sad, but I was more thinking about my two children that living. If I go, I know my mother and sister, my family, would see about them, but I’m their mother. I want to be there to see about my children and live to see them grow up.”

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She underwent two months of radiation and several months of chemotherapy, which she had to stop because it made her hand swell painfully at the insertion site. She said she could not use the hand for months, and was put back on radiation.

She spent about a year in treatment and was very weak. But some time after, she was told the cancer was in remission.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of her troubles.

Andra Wilson shows off her cancer walk participation medals at her home in Greenvale Park, La Horquetta.

Wilson went into early menopause and began bleeding from her anus. Her blood count was very low and she was so weak she often had to use a walking stick, and had to be taken to the hospital for regular blood infusions.

She recalled one time, she was taken to the hospital but the doctor could not find a vein, and told her mother she had two-three days to live. Desperate to save her daughter, her mother ignored the doctor and found another.

That doctor eventually found a vein and suggested medication that was not available in TT at the time. Her mother made a call to family abroad and they sent boxes of the drug.

“That medicine is what saved my life. I was on it for months, maybe more than a year, but I don’t remember all that too clearly.”

She still wasn't out of the woods.

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She said as a child she had asthma, but grew out of it. After the radiation, however, the asthma returned. She also had recurring kidney stones, a hernia and, last year, she had a mild heart attack.

Before the cancer, she had several jobs, including cleaning and babysitting. She was also taking Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) classes in English, maths, principles of business and art.

Because of the cancer, she had to stop them all. Even after she stopped bleeding, she could not return to work, but she needed a source of income.

A friend told her about the social welfare programme and she got a disability grant. But, she said, even with help from her family and partner at the time, the grant was not enough to support herself and her children.

She tried doing small jobs, but kept falling sick and had to stop working.

“I just had to stop. I said, ‘God will show me a way.'”

Eventually she recovered and, in December 2015, got a home in Arima from the Housing Development Corporation, which she pays for with the help of her son.

Then, in 2021, one of her sons was shot and killed. She was still emotional about his death and reluctant to go into details.

Silver linings

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Wilson started talking classes at the Adult Literacy Tutors Association (ALTA) and did a jewellery-making course. She also paints and draws.

“Art gives me peace of mind. If I’m worrying about something, I’ll just pull out a piece of paper and start to sketch.

“I love the ocean, I love nature, I like to plant. I have a kitchen garden and a flower garden, and I always liked to do stuff outdoors.

"Now, when I feel bored or sad, I will ride my bike or take a bus to Carenage to take a sea bath.

“Having a strong mind and good support keeps me positive. I put God in front and pray a lot. I have a lot of good friends and I try to do the things I love doing.”

She said when she was sick her mother was her biggest support. She used to take Wilson for treatment, to clinic, to the hospital when she was sick, and cared for her children when she could not. Her three sisters and her partner at the time were also a big help.

Cancer survivor and artist Andra Wilson told Newsday art gives her peace of mind.

Now, her main support was God, her fiancé, and her son and his wife. But she continued to get help and encouragement from family, friends and her ALTA teachers.

Wilson said when she finished her ALTA classes, she wanted to complete her CSEC classes and write two books.

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She planned for the first to help people with literacy problems. She wanted to let them know they should not be ashamed and encourage them to take literacy classes and improve their lives.

The second book will be about her experiences with cancer. She said people often spoke about breast and prostate cancer, but not the others. She hoped her book would, some day, help people with cervical cancer and other life challenges.

“I always used to say, before I close my eyes, I want to meet all my goals and do all the things I love doing. I want to help people going through the same situation to be strong and never give up. Whatever they sick with or going through, I want to encourage them to keep on doing the things they love.”

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Cervical Cancer Prevention Week will be observed worldwide from January 21-28.

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"Andra Wilson: The cervical cancer chronicles"

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