Insensitive Advertisement

On my way to work one morning early this week, I heard an advertisement being aired by one of the local radio stations.

The ad is by one of the local banks promoting their insurance products for women.

The ad starts with a woman in a such a pathetic voice saying “I have cervical cancer”. Then a man voice follows with no emotions, “We found a lump in your breast. The tumor is malignant”. This is followed again by the woman’s voice which could be heard saying, “Who says it is easy being a woman. We should protect ourselves before anything happens.” Then the ad concludes by saying the listeners should get insurance to protect themselves.

I have survived breast cancer, now being a survivor I get irritated with this kind of ads. Firstly the ad is so pathetic and demoralizing. You can only protect yourself financially with insurance but you cannot protect yourself from cancer! What more you cannot buy insurance once diagnosed with cancer.

May be I thought I was being over sentimental, so I asked two colleagues if they have heard of the ad and what they thought of it. One of them said the ad was good as it reminded woman that they should get insurance and there are products to cover women related diseases. But then she added on by saying she was looking it from the view point of advertising and security.

On the other hand, my other colleague said it was bad taste to air it early in the morning and it depicted women are bound to have a cervical or breast cancer. I totally agree with her.

Yes, it is a good reminder that women should seriously consider insurance coverage but at the same token the advertisers should be more sensitive to contents and air time of such ads.

Is There Life After Cancer?Looking Good & Feeling Great.

I had a very interesting morning last Saturday. I was called to share my experience as a cancer survivor at the Malaysian Dietitians Association Scientific Conference 2006 . It was held at Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel. The theme of the conference was Cancer Care: Team Approach Towards Optimum Nutrition And Quality of Life.

The last session for the conference was sharing of experiences by 4 breast cancer survivors. We had about 100 odd audience listening to us at this concurrent session.

The first speaker was Ms Siti Shariah Hj Shaari. She is one amazing woman who has survived breast cancer and now is under going treatment for ovarian cancer. She spoke on “My Journey- A Personal Experience of a Breast Cancer Survivor”. She showed grit by making it to the conference all by her own and displayed a wonderful zest for life!

This was followed by Ms Adeline Joseph of the National Cancer Society, Malaysia. Her presentation was titled “The Role of Cancer Support Group” . I am so thankful to her because she was my support during my treatment. She is a breast cancer survivor for the last 11 years with a pleasant and cheery countenance.

I was the third speaker. I was called in to replace the original speaker who was not well.

The last speaker was Ms Dee Sidhu from Amanita, Malaysia who spoke on “Lessons Learned- A Dietitian’s Reflection After Cancer”. I am truly astonished that she can juggle so many responsibilities in her busy schedule of business, family, training and voluntary work. And what more she is a breast cancer survivor filled with energy and enthusiasm.

I spoke on “Is There Life After Cancer? Looking Good and Feeling Great.” I was really excited when I was given the opportunity because this is the first time I have spoken at a scientific conference!

I spoke on the following:
•OUTLOOK TO LIFE
- Love & Cherish Life, What Matters Most In Life, Inner Strength
•ADDITIONAL CARE BEYONG TREATMENT
- Continuing Care, Reconstruction, Tamoxifen Therapy
•COPING WITH LINGERING SIDE EFFECTS
- Fatigue & Loss of Energy, Arm Lymphedema, Other Side Effects
•CARING FOR MY NEW SELF
- I Come First, Diet, Exercise, Relationships, Breast Self Examination,
A Child In Future, Support Group, Career
•CELEBRATING LIFE
- Birthdays, Celebrations and Merriments, Holidays, Hobbies
•Living Beyond Breast Cancer
- To live with renewed zest for life!!

We had a panel discussion in the end of the session. Many of the participants came up and said how they admired us the survivors for coming and sharing their personal experiences.

I like what one of them said, “the session was one of the best sessions in this conference as this was the only session that allowed for real life facts and personal touch by survivors.”

After the presentations, there was this one participant who came to me and said that all of us are so lucky to have all support and love. Not ever one is lucky as we are.

Yap, I suppose we are lucky for the tremendous support we received from family, friends and anyone who came our way. I for one am thankful to God for that.

Juices and Rabbit Food!

I have been snacking on “rabbit food” when I am in the office. Yap…that is what my colleagues call the slices of cucumber, carrot, capsicum, celery, lettuce and tomatoes that I eat in the office.

I have been reminded to have a balance diet and to drink a lot of juices. That is why when I got back to office after recovering from breast cancer, I started eating fresh vegetables and more variety of fruits daily.

At the beginning, I was very diligent and use eat them every other day in the office and drink the juices when at home over the weekend. Then after few months of eating capsicum, it aggravated my heartburn. So now I do not eat them so often. I also had to visit the dentist because some of the fillings in the teeth came out! This is due to eating some of the rabbit food raw, which is of hard texture. Then…. I became lazy. I did not eat my rabbit food that often nor did I make the juices over the weekend

Every time I skipped eating my rabbit food or drinking my juices, I got worried. I felt I am losing on the antioxidant, vitamins, minerals, live enzymes and other important elements. Then what some breast cancer survivors told me some time ago flashes across me…"I always take juices everyday before leaving for work"…..

I finally brought a new juicer to office this week after procrastinating for so long. Since I come very early to work I decided I might as well use the time to make my vegetable or fruit juices instead of reading the newspapers. I do not have to eat them raw but can juice and gulp them. It is so easy but then, there is the cleaning up to do. YOU CAN’T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT!

Satay For Dinner. Charred Food?

Yesterday for dinner, I could not refrain myself from eating chicken satay( slices of meat on bamboo skewers, which are grilled on charcoal fire). I use to crave for it often, eating drowned with kuah kacang (peanuat gravy).

After breast cancer, I have been told by may well wishes that I should not take charred/ grilled or food which is barbequed as it contains carcinogenic particles.

A quick search on the internet on this issue and this phrase often appeared “.....some evidence that large amount of charred food may cause cancer, the evidence is not conclusive.....”.

So yesterday, I peeled off the charred portion of the meat an enjoyed the balance of, dipping in the peanut gravy. YUMMY!

Anyway it not often that I indulge myself like this. Life has to go on, food has to be enjoyed.

And guess what!After all this I had fish burger for lunch. Ah….Ah……AH!

I'm so tired...Fatigue After Breast Cancer Treatment

I really feel exhausted very often. As the end of the week approaches, I practically have to drag myself to work. During weekends, I just want to hibernate at home. I even go to bed much earlier than I use to.

I have often read that fatigue related to breast cancer treatment can go on for year. But how long it takes to recovery………god only know!

Sometimes I just want to stay at home and do nothing. I not want to attend social gathering or even meet my friends for a cup of tea nor do I want to attend my toastmasters meetings. When I get to this stage I do a memory check on how many months it has been since the completion of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Oh my… 9 months have passed. I still feel tired and it gets in away of having a good day sometimes.

People do not understand that we cannot be expected to spring back right away into action, although we look healthy.

So to get around my fatigue I now privatize my activities and say NO to others!

Please have my seat.

Malaysians have ceased to be civic conscious when traveling on public transport. Why do I say this?

I spend almost 2 hours on the commuter train traveling to work every day. In the morning I get a place to seat but when I travel back home, I usually do not get a place because it is usually very packed like sardines

There are times on these long hours of journey, I get to witness the non courteous passengers. I see the elderly person or pregnant woman standing unable to seat because no one wants to give them their seat. The passengers seating are either pretending to be sleeping or reading when someone stands in front of them. I really get disgusted at the attitude of these people .I suppose what was drilled into our minds through our moral education when we were young has been forgotten by many i.e. give you seat up to a pregnant, elderly person or handicapped person. Although some mindful passengers do give up their seat by doing a good deed but most of them not.

Sometimes when I have a seat and want to offer it to someone, I remember vividly what my friend said to me last year “you have not gathered all your strength after the illness and you cannot be standing all the way home. Now think of your health first”.

So these days I ask myself… I am really tired or not. When I do give my seat to an elderly person or a pregnant woman, I feel proud of myself because there are so many healthy and young passengers and none of them want to give their seat away! And when I don’t it is because my well being matters a lot to me, in fact it comes FIRST even before doing a good deed!

Fear of Cancer knocking at the door again

My neighbor dropped by my house yesterday evening and her first sentence was “my sister-in-law has a relapse of breast cancer and is in hospital” (her sister- in-law is a 8 year old breast cancer survivor). My neighbor carried on by saying that her sister- in- law cannot move both her legs nor feel both her leg joints. The doctors are unable to find out the actual cause.

Prior to this, I had meet the sister- in- law at my neighhor's place at a Christmas dinner a year ago. When I looked at her then , I was really feeling good and glad because she has survived breast cancer for many years. She looked so normal and had an active lifestyle as any ordinary person.

When I heard my neighbor’s remark, I was upset. This fear is always on the back of my mind. Nor matter how I try to shut it into a drum and let it roll away, it some how creeps up and puts me off mood. I go into a short depression. Then iI call my friends who are breast cancer survivors…we will have a few laughs and I would feel much better.

I also ask myself often, “am I taking the right food and leading the right lifestyle”, so that I would be free of the Big C for the rest of my life.

During my treatment, I use to go to these Qi Gong exercise. Many of the ladies my age who breast cancer survivor themselves, had left their jobs to be homemakers.

I sometimes wonder have I jeopardized myself by going back to work, by eating everything……will cancer visit me again.

Maybe I should quit my job and just relax not to be caught in this web of hustle and bustle of a working life. I would not have to get up at 5 am to go to work and only get back by 7 pm. But wouldn’t that make me feel completely hopeless, slowly putting myself into a refrigerator… I do not even have kids or a husband to look after.

Oh! Relapse or reoccurrence…whatever it may be, I have concluded. Life is short!....I will enjoy it and cherish life as it is.