According to Cherono, doctors then ordered an X-ray, which suggested compression of her oesophagus, prompting a referral to another sub-county hospital for further evaluation. Here, she underwent a chest CT scan for Sh10,000, but doctors said the results were inconclusive. "I was referred again, this time to Litein, where I underwent an MRI that cost me about Sh8,000, and a biopsy followed, for which we paid Sh40,000," she recalls.
In July, Cherono was referred to a private hospital for an endoscopy. By then, she was barely eating and had transitioned to consuming liquids -- tea, porridge, and milk -- her main source of nourishment. "The report showed a tumour (mass) in the middle section of my oesophagus, to which doctors recommended an oesophageal stent (a tube placed in your oesophagus to keep open a blocked area. The tube helps one swallow solids and liquids) before starting further treatment," she says.