DELIVERING A PRESENTATION IN TAMIL

I always wanted to know how I would perform if I was asked to speak in Tamil about BC. I had the opportunity to test my skills last Sunday early morning. There was a breast self examination (BSE)programme organized by the women's wing of Petubuhan Kebajikan Socio Ekonomi Masyarakat India KL & Selangor (PEREMI) with the assistance of Yayasan Strategik Sosial. The BSE was the first programme after the opening ceremony.

This was the PEREMI’s inaugural event which was officiated by it patron YB. Tuan Manibalan Kutty. Breast Cancer Welfare Association (BCWA) was invited to conduct the session on BSE.

Besides me there were two other survivors, Sarojini and Vimala. I started by sharing how I discovered BC, followed by my fellow survivors. I realized a lot of times I express myself in English that I have forgotten how certain words are spoken in Tamil.

I even forgot how “breast” is said in Tamil….can you believe that! I also totally did not know the tamil word for “menstruation”. Anyway I quickly picked up the words and used them in the presentation.

There were about 30-40 women from all ages. BSE techniques were explained by making reference to the BCWA pamphlet. Teaching sets of silicon breast were available for all women to have the hands on experience.

The audience had a lot of questions to ask, which we gladly answered. It was a good one hour session.

I was actually proud of myself for having been able make the presentation in Tamil. I must congratulate PEREMI for creating more awarenss about BSE to the indian women.

My first presentation in Tamil

Silicon breast sets for on hands experince

Vimala explaining about BSE to a participant

Marion of the BCWA showing to a participant how to feel the lumps on the silicon breast

Organising Chairman Dr Batumalai Velu presenting a token of appreciation to Babara of the BCWA

Toxicity Level of Vegetables & Fruits

I really got upset when I read the recent reports of farmers using banned pesticides. It is important for everyone to eat healthy and fresh veggie and fruits, especially us the cancer survivors. According to these reports these tainted vegetables and fruits are so easy available in wet markets, supermarkets and pasar malam. What then do we do anyway if all these vegetables which looks so beautiful from the outside because so much illegal pesticides have been sprayed with the banned pesticides. One consumer group claims that the illegal farms are so prevalent in Malaysia that almost half the produce of vegetables like cucumbers, brinjals, ladies fingers, chillies and leafy vegetables contain dangerous amounts of pesticides.

After all the treatments, I already have enough alien substances in my body. The irony is, I have to eat more servings of nutritionally rich food but yet at the back of my mind, is the level of toxic each vegetable contains. This fact really bugs when I make myself a bowl of salad from raw vegetables, which I enjoy alot.

Well, farmers do not realize that all these illegal pesticides are also a serious health hazard to them too beside the consumers.

Alternatively I can go for organic food but then I am not on organic food due to cost and availability. I seriously wish there will be more ethical farming practices and awareness among farmers on the use of illegal pesticides. They are used so as to reap higher profits…but then what good is it there if people do not live long enough to enjoy it.

For now, I will continue to buy vegetables which have signs that they have been eaten by insects and have leafy veggies soaked in water before eating them.

Hospital Visits

I read an article written by an oncologist on bed manners which touched on how not to visit a cancer patient. This brought to mind my own experience when I spent 2 nights at the hospital when I had the mastectomy .

I personally felt good when my relatives and friends came to see me…after all I told all and sundry that I was going for a mastectomy.

It was nice to have them, bringing flowers or boxes of ikan aruwan among others items. Most importantly was the fact they brought with them lots of laughter and cheerfulness. That made me forgot the pain and uneasiness of the surgery, the fear and anguish of having breast cancer.

Friends whom I have not seen for ages came to visit me and I was really pleasantly surprised. To me, all their visits showed me they cared for me and I cherish that.

Well, each of us have of own perspectives of people having visit us when we are in hospitals. I know some friends who rather not have visitors as they just want to be left alone to rest and recover. Of course to those friends, I respect their privacy and would make enquiries from their family members on how they are recovering in the hospital.

I now recollect the encounters which I had heard from patients when I used make my hospital visits as a volunteer with the general hospital in Klang. Patients’ grouses included people had tried to sell them health products, strangers approaching them to preach about religion, family members do not coming often enough to visit them or worst still family members have not come at all but have left the maid to look after the patient.

That is the reason why when we volunteers visit them, they would be chatty or at least make an effort to smile. We had spent time with them talking to help them overcome their boredom or assist them in any other way.

Recently, I have a few people whom I know (friend’s friend or family member) diagnosed with breast cancer. As I was unable to visit them in the hospitals, I had endeavored to speak to them via handphone to motivate and to give them confidence. I think this I important as one lays in bed worried about life after surgery due to breast cancer.

Aromatic Massage & Reflexology

My friends and I decided to drive to Melaka last Saturday, just to get away from the rigmarole of the weekend life at the Klang Valley.

As did not book any hotel rooms early, we finally found empty rooms at the Melaka Straits Hotel. We checked into our rooms and took a walk in the scorching sun around the town and had our lunch at the Indian street. At night we had dinner had the Portugis Settlement. We took a table near the sea wall and could hear the small waves beating against the rocks.

We feasted ourselves to some Portugis cuisine. Beside our table was a stall which sold all kinds of sea nails and cockles with were barbequed. Some of the shell thingy…I have not seen in my life! Of course, we were not adventurous with our sea food so we did not try them but other customers were really enjoying the shells which were sold like hot cakes. We restricted ourselves to “sotong sambal” and “Portugis Fish Baked” and we thoroughly enjoyed.

Many of the people at this settlement looked like to me are fishermen during the day and at night they operate the food stalls.

After dinner, as it was still early we just drove into town again and the shop with the sign reflexology caught our attention. So we went into the shop and at a reflexology session for 30 minutes. As the reflexlogist applied pressure at my soles almost every point was painfully. He said I had lot of air in my tummy among others. It was supposed to relax me but it was a realization for me that most parts of my body were not in good shape…ha….ha!

As we completed our session and was driving away, another sign board got our attention. All types of massage. I think we were in the area of the town which was a centre for all these massages and therapies. Since we did not have anything planned and since we would not find the time to indulge ourselves in the therapies when we were back home, we decided to try out the aromatic massage. We had a good one hour session. I have never had experienced aromatic massage before so I was quite reluctant at first because of my hand.

I told the young girl therapist that I am a cancer survivor and warned her nicely of course not to touch my left hand at all. She said she had never had a cancer survivor before and I am her first. Of course in between massaging, she would check to see whether I am alright. She also said I had lots of wind in my veins and I wanted to tell her that was old news! With the pains on my sole, I had more pain to my body….what away to spend a holiday ah!

The brisk stokes and the relaxing movement lulled me into a state of semi sleepiness though I was conscious of the hard pressure from the therapist hands. I allowed the therapist to massage the left back shoulder, but she did not touch my left hand at all.
I was tempted to ask her to do a gentle massage but the thought of any chances of having numbness on the hand prevent me from doing so.

We all slept well that Saturday night. We returned back on Sunday, and with me still complaining of soreness on my soles, hip and thighs.

I suppose the next time I go for any of these therapies it would not be so painful as I hope there will be less wind /air in my body!