‘My dream is to be a mother’: A 29-year-old shares her five-year battle with cervical cancer
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'My dream is to exist a mother': A 29-yr-former shares her 5-year boxing with cervical cancer
After ii relapses, multiple surgeries, and more than six cycles of chemotherapy, Summer Ng, at present 29, has plant new purpose as an advocate for cervical cancer awareness. As told to CNA Women's Sharon Salim.
Summer Ng is one of the ambassadors for the Alliance for Agile Action Confronting HPV (A4HPV) move in Singapore. (Photo: Summer Ng)
It was in early 2022 that I noticed unusual bleeding after intercourse. I idea information technology was due to my irregular menstruation, and then I didn't think much well-nigh it. Over the next few months, the haemorrhage came on and off, and in August that twelvemonth, I decided to encounter a doc for a bank check-upwards.
I was diagnosed with stage one cervical cancer. I was 24 and then – and the youngest cervical cancer patient in the hospital.
My dream is to be a mother and I've ever wanted to take my own kids. I was devastated, and I asked myself: "Why did this happen to me?"
At first, I wasn't very affected. What I wanted to know at that betoken was the treatment and plans moving forward.
Brash TO REMOVE HER WOMB
However, when the doc recommended surgery to remove my womb, that'due south when I actually felt the bear on of the diagnosis.
My dream is to be a mother and I've always wanted to take my own kids. I was devastated, and I asked myself: "Why did this happen to me?"
As my doctor didn't offer whatsoever other treatments, I did more research on cervical cancer – and establish that an alternative was to remove the cervix. I asked my doctor if I could do that instead.
He said it could exist washed, but while that would save my womb and give me a chance at having children of my own in future, information technology would also increase my risk of relapse. It would also mean I had a college hazard of miscarriage in pregnancy.
I went ahead with my conclusion to remove my neck. After the surgery, my doc then recommended radiotherapy to eradicate the remaining cancer cells. Simply because the treatment might too affect my fertility, I decided against information technology.
THE Kickoff RELAPSE: 'I TOOK MY RECOVERY FOR GRANTED'
Almost immediately afterward the surgery, I went back to being the workaholic that I am. I took my recovery for granted and I didn't take care of myself.
I was supposed to exist resting and non subjecting myself to likewise much stress, just the visitor I was working for had just opened its Singapore branch, so I worked overtime a lot and spent many belatedly nights in the office.
During i of my check-ups in 2017, nigh 10 months mail service-op, the medico saw something unusual in my belly via a body browse.
It seemed that I had had a relapse, although they couldn't ostend if the tumour was cancerous – the doctors would have remove it first, and so send a sample to the lab for testing.
I asked a lot of questions about whether I could go significant in future, so my doctors offered me the selection of ovarian tissue freezing.
As the tumour was located near one of my ovaries, this procedure would preserve the other (unaffected) ovary, which would exist essential for future pregnancies. I would then have the selection to return the ovarian issue to my body in the time to come.
I asked a lot of questions about whether I could still get pregnant in time to come so my doctors offered me the option of ovarian tissue freezing.
I had to undergo three cycles of chemotherapy to subtract the size of tumour, followed by a Caesarean section to remove it and the ovarian tissue for freezing. And after that, another three cycles of chemotherapy. This was in November 2017.
The biopsy came back negative – the tumour was non cancerous. Despite this, my doctors decided it would be prudent to go ahead with chemotherapy considering of my earlier cervical cancer diagnosis.
The handling took well-nigh v months. During the xviii weeks of chemotherapy, I started losing my hair and felt more tired than usual.
THE 2d RELAPSE: 'MY LIFE WOULD Exist IN DANGER'
About 10 months after, a subsequent cheque-upwards constitute another tumour in my belly.
I psyched myself to go through another two rounds of chemotherapy, for the second time. Just midway, my medico told me that the handling were creating a pigsty in my intestine. If it grew any bigger, he said, faeces would come up out of it into my body, and my life would be in danger. He recommended that we stop chemotherapy.
He as well wanted to exercise stoma surgery (an opening in the belly that allows waste to get out the torso into an external bag) to protect my colon from the effects of chemotherapy. But I refused as I couldn't take the idea.
I consulted some other doctor for a second opinion, who said I could proceed with chemo. At that point, I simply felt tired and lost. Should I accept a risk and keep with chemo?
I decided to embark on a self-healing journey to give myself infinite to go away from it all – and rest. In April 2019, I left Singapore for the United kingdom.
My program was to spend half-dozen months in that location, living with friends and strangers, as part of a platform called Workaway that allows you lot to work for them in exchange for gratis accommodation. I lived with a female parent and her daughters, helping to clean the house and have intendance of the children.
Nevertheless, four months into my stay, I realised the environment was not conducive for my healing. I was likewise in pain as I could feel the neoplasm growing bigger by the day.
In my fifth month, I couldn't take the hurting anymore and flew back to Singapore in September 2022 for treatment.
"I WAS IN CRITICAL Condition"
When I returned to Singapore, I was in disquisitional condition. The tumour had not just doubled to the size of an orange, the physician said it was already corroding into my colon – leaving me with no choice merely to get ahead with stoma surgery to "save" it.
After the stoma surgery in October, I had to live with a stoma purse (a pouch to collect stools) for six months. It was very uncomfortable: I developed rashes from the stickiness of the handbag, and I needed to clear and make clean it regularly. It was horrible at the start, simply I got used to it later a month.
The tumour itself was close to the nerves, and surrounded by blood vessels, making it impossible for surgery to remove information technology, unless it first decreased in size. So I started on chemotherapy to reduce the tumour.
During this time, my friend recommended a wellness heart in Cebu, Philippines, whose approach was to heave the allowed system to help the body defend itself. As further chemo was unlikely to reduce the neoplasm even more, I decided to try it.
To enhance some funds for the treatment in Jan 2020, I made chia seeds jam to sell. Within xiii days, I sold about 300 jars and raised approximately S$ii,000. I was appreciative that many people supported it.
During the 2 weeks I was in Cebu, I'd become for i to two-hour treatments every day, which focused on boosting my immune system, including ozone therapy, which is said to exist an alternative method to treating diseases.
I then returned to Singapore for surgery to remove the tumour.
All in all, this 2d relapse took much longer to recover from, having to go through three surgeries – the colostomy to open the stoma, some other surgery to remove the neoplasm and another stoma surgery after that to put back the stoma and sew together it up.
FORGIVENESS AND Cocky-ACCEPTANCE
There are many misconceptions about cervical cancer, peculiarly in Asian countries, where anybody thinks that it's a "woman's problem". Some people only focus on the give-and-take "intercourse" and remember that information technology'due south related to promiscuity or those who've had a few sexual partners.
But when I establish out more, I realised that's not the case. And it made me want to address these misconceptions.
Throughout the ordeal, the hardest function for me was finding out the crusade. I never knew there was a preventative vaccine for cervical cancer. We didn't talk about it much in schoolhouse or at abode. So when I finally found out almost it, it was a scrap too late for me.
The surgical scars affected me for awhile – including a thick, vertical one just beneath my belly push button, but now I've become used to it.
I as well did a lot of cocky-discovery work forth the style, such every bit how to sympathise, love and respect myself. I tend to delight the people effectually me – I've been living for others almost half of my life. There's a lack of self-love and a lot of suppressed anger.
As years passed by, I believe this anger was "eating" into my body, and this was my body telling me to: "I've had plenty."
The surgical scars afflicted me for awhile – including a thick, vertical one just below my omphalus, but at present I've go used to it.
I like to go to an onsen, and wearable a bikini sometimes, so sometimes people will stare, but I don't care – it'south get a scar of victory for me.
A RENEWED MINDSET AND SENSE OF PURPOSE
It'due south been slightly more than a yr since I started my ain wellness and health business called Summertime Origin. My products, such equally soups and tea, aim to keep your body "warm", a traditional Chinese medicine concept; I understand that cancer cells live in an environment that is very "cold".
Meanwhile, the service side of my business organisation is about mental wellness and helping others to overcome their challenges and find their purpose in life.
In that location are many misconceptions about cervical cancer, especially in Asian countries, where anybody thinks that it'due south a "woman's trouble".
When I meet new people and friends, whether it's most my life or business, it's become natural for me to share my story and cognition about cervical cancer. And I think that's my purpose.
I am one of the ambassadors for the Alliance for Agile Action Against HPV (A4HPV) in Singapore. I speak at events and seminars, including insurance companies and wellness forums, to assistance break the stigma of human papillomavirus ( HPV) and cervical cancer.
Personally, I'm also more open to the idea of adoption now. I can exist a female parent to any child and I don't have to insist on having my own children.
I also think it'southward important that my future partner gets the cervical cancer HPV vaccine as a preventative measure for both himself and me. Information technology'southward a class of self-love and mutual respect for both parties.
Personally, I'm also more than open up to the idea of adoption now. I can be a female parent to any child and I don't take to insist on having my own children.
I am turning 30 in March, and it'due south been two years since the last cervical cancer diagnosis. In the by, I used to exist really worried about having a relapse, so much so that when people ask me "Have you recovered?", my answer would be that I've recovered for now – but I'm not certain when information technology'll come back over again.
Simply today, my mindset has shifted, and I tin say confidently now, that yes, I am okay. With this change of mindset, I retrieve I am no longer scared of my quarterly check-ups anymore.
CNA Women is a new section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern adult female. If you take women-related news, problems and ideas to share with united states of america, e-mail CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg .
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