Mercy Johnson, a star in the Nigerian film industry, has now spoken publicly about her battle with cancer and the subsequent life-altering surgery she had.

Mercy Johnson revealed this on the most recent episode of her YouTube cooking program where she was joined by special guest Joke Silva for a chat. Mercy Johnson inquired during the show about the well-being of legendary actor Olu Jacobs.

The ace movie star told Mercy that at some point, she committed Jacobs’ health to God in prayers and also adopted traditional medicines but realised his symptoms were getting worse.

She added that the moment she accepted that “this is my new reality,” coping with Jacobs’ condition became  “so much easier.”

“I think for me, it was getting to the place of acceptance. Sometimes when a partner starts exhibiting some things, there will be the religious side… all these prayers and things,” she said.

“There are also other sides that say if you use all these natural herbs and the natural this and the organic that, and you’re doing everything that you’re being told to do and there is no change. It is almost as if the patient is getting worse.

“But when you get to the stage of acceptance that this is your new reality, honestly it is so much easier. You realize this is the new season, you’re walking with your partner and you meet them where they are. It’s so much easier.”

After hearing back from Joke, Mercy explained how a cancer diagnosis led to her being prescribed medicine for the rest of her life.

She said, “Odi [her husband] and I have actually been here and I have never discussed it where we had, like uhm, a scare. I had a cancer scare in quote and I had like my thyroid removed. And it was like a journey for us because we had kids.

My last was six months at that time and then we kept on saying “okay, we have to understand that this is the new us, let’s go get the surgery done”. And then we got there, they said I was going to be on medication for the rest of my life and it was a reality that we had to sit down.

You know, them giving me a timing and telling me you can’t miss your medication. Once you wake up that day, that’s the first thing. Telling me all of the side effects. So I’m reconciling with this you’re saying, it’s the truth. At the point you realize this is where we are, let’s grow from here, let’s live in this comfort zone.”

YNaija