Her troubles started sometime in 2005 whilst she was in the employ of Barclays Bank in Francistown.
"There was a lump just on the side of my neck which my colleagues talked a lot about, but to me I did not consider it to be a threat at all perhaps, out of ignorance," narrates the free speaking Mbalambi.

Her colleagues bothered her a lot about the lump to the extent that "they even remarked that my left side was bigger than the right." The 47-year-old mother of three would later notice that something was wrong with her body. "When I checked on my dressing mirror, I confirmed the fears in the colleagues but still it did not dawn on me that the lump was related to any serious illness. On one of the days when Mbalambi consulted a medical doctor for an unrelated problem, she showed the lump to a doctor who immediately referred her to another medical doctor he felt would help.

"Despite the advice of this doctor that I should take the development of the condition seriously, I decided to ignore the free medical advice oblivious of what the lump could be signaling."It was only after she visited this doctor for the second time that he noticed that she had taken his advice lightly. He immediately telephoned the professional colleague he had referred her to. Her journey to a cancer diagnosis started off with the medical doctor sucking some fluid from the lump to test if there were any traces of cancer in her body but the initial test came out in negative.

"It was then that I insisted that further tests be done to eliminate other possible illnesses especially Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and others which could exacerbate my condition in the event cancer tests came out positive," she notes.Whilst waiting for the results of some of the tests, Mbalambi says she had to go through some form of self-counseling so that she would be able to accept whatever results came out.

" I remember a doctor taking a long time to break the bad news about my illness. I plucked enough courage and accepted my fate before she could even break the news."

She learnt that the cancer had spread throughout her body and required immediate treatment.

Results coming from Gaborone Private Hospital indicated that she had cancer of the type, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Initial symptoms included "generalised lymph node swelling since December 2005 and expected prognosis 80 percent cure rate."She says, she was forewarned about the reaction of her body to the treatment and this set her on the long journey that has ultimately produced a cure. One thing about cancer treatment she says, "it does not come cheap. One of my quotations from the Gaborone Oncology Centre to the medical aid was nearly P100, 000."

Immediately treatment commenced, she became very weak but never believed that she would die. But, she had to grapple with hair loss, which forced her to wear a wig, weight loss, which forced a change in her wardrobe, and loss of appetite.
She treated this as a mere passing phase although it seemed as if it would last forever.

"Besides my bravery, I still feel that I survived because I got the support I needed from family members, friends and the Oncologists who treated me."

Mbalambi was given a lot of literature to read so that she could appreciate what she would go through as a cancer patient.Whilst battling with cancer, she gathered solace from the fact that there were many people that she met at the Oncology centre including some of her work mates, with whom she had constant contact.

Whilst they networked and shared information about the disease, Mbalambi was troubled by the fact that some of her established friends died whilst on treatment.

At the initial stage of her treatment, there were instances when her immune system would go down, leaving her completely powerless. With cancer mow cleared from her body, Mbalambi has now become a better person in encouraging other people to conduct regular general body tests so that if there are any hidden infections they can be detected at a very early stage. At the workplace, amongst her relatives and friends, she preaches the gospel that cancer can be avoided and can be curable. Her best talk centres on good living and generally eating the right food.

She has literally become the ambassador of the WHO pink ribbon, for cancer. But above all, Mbalambi, who is a born again Christian and a staunch member of the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) believes that God played a crucial role in her healing.She encourages women in particular to not only concentrate on testing for cervical cancer through the pap smear or checking breast for lumps but should rather, do a general body test.

"Some newly diagnosed people who know that I survived cancer, come to me for advice because the initial stages of cancer treatment can be unbearably painful," she says indicating that one has to accept it.

At the church through the prayer groups, Mbalambi preaches cancer gospel so that those who have ailing relatives and loved ones can use her example to know that there is life after cancer diagnosis.

"Look my hair is back but previously I was forced to wear a wig because my hair was falling off. Now I am able to do styles of my choice with ease," she declares stretching her hair.

Her mother Gaesenye Makwapa succumbed to the ailment some years ago.'Perhaps, my case became different through my attitude. I told myself if there was treatment for the disease, then I was not simply going to die just because one of my parents succumbed to the disease."

Her attitude attracted names such as "Die hard" and a plethora of others from her work mates because she was considered to be very strong.

Today, Mbalambi attends check ups every six months and she is convinced that her health will improve for the better.
What really causes cancer?

Some kinds of cancer, journals say, are caused by things people do. For example, smoking causes cancers of the lungs, mouth, throat, bladder, kidneys and some other organs, as well as heart disease and stroke. While not everyone who smokes will get cancer, smoking increases a person's chance of getting the disease. Drinking a lot of alcohol has also been shown to increase a person's chance of getting cancer of the mouth, throat, and some other organs. This is especially true if the person drinks and smokes.

"Radiation (x-rays) can cause cancer. But the x-rays used by the doctor or dentist is safe. Too much exposure to sunlight without any protection can cause skin cancer. Certain inherited DNA changes can increase the risk of developing some cancers and are responsible for the cancers that run in some families. For example, the BRCA genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) are tumour suppressor genes -- they keep tumors from growing. Changes (mutations) in these genes can be passed on (inherited) from parents. When they are mutated, they no longer suppress abnormal growth, and cancer is more likely to develop," suggests the journal.

Ministry of Health yesterday commemorated the World Cancer Day under the theme "Cancer can be prevented too". This theme, a press statement from the ministry says is in line with the World Cancer Campaign which emphasises that most cancers can be prevented through modification of unhealthy lifestyles.

"Cancer is a global health problem and a leading cause of death around the world. In Botswana cancer is the second leading cause of death after HIV/AIDS and TB. From 1998-2008, 11,363 cases have been registered. The top common cancers are skin, cervix, breast, esophagus, eye, lymph nodes, blood, liver, prostate and bronchus," further says a press statement authored by Dr. Malebogo Pusoentsi.

The good news however, Dr. Pusoentsi says, is that WHO estimates that of the cancers, more than 40% of them can be prevented by simple measures which include:
Stopping tobacco use
Avoiding second hand smoking
Limiting alcohol use
Avoiding excessive sun exposure
Healthy diets
Regular exercises
Preventing infections causing cancer
As a parting shot, Mbalambi says that her best secret was to seek God, as He will never disappoint no matter what. "Above all, self discipline is important," she says.