Someone once told me women got it worse cos we’ve got more organs that can be diagnosed with cancer. That we can do nothing about but awareness and knowledge definitely helps. What’s worse that being diagnosed with cancer is not knowing how to prevent or getting it diagnosed early.

Much awareness campaign has been done for breast cancer (eg: October and pink ribbons) but no one took it seriously until someone you know gets it. Perhaps we shouldn’t wait till then.

Other than breast cancer, cervical cancer is the 6th most common cancer affecting young women today, no longer is cancer a thing of old pipples. But other than going for regular pap smears as part of prevention measures, we can actually vaccinate ourselves against it!

Be in the know and take the preventive measures - be it regular pap smears or vaccination. It’s your life and you’ve only got one.

More about Cervical Cancer and pledge your support for Power Over Cervical Cancer (POCC).

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It was the final 5 Herceptin treatments to go and after unsuccessfully inserting the IV into the veins on my right hand, the nurse moved up to insert on my arm, where you’ll usually draw blood.

I sat next to the same aunty I met in previous session, who kept chatting with me and offered me fruits. She’s nice, just alittle too chatty and I couldn’t sleep cos that would be rude - falling asleep in midst of conversation.

After the session, I waited at for the lift to carpark at Paragon and standing beside me was a young mother pushing a pram and her maid.

The lift took a long time and as I waited I suddenly felt liquid flowing down my right arm. I looked and LO AND BEHOLD blood is oozing out under the plaster where the IV was inserted!!

My arm with all the blood looked like it has been stabbed or bashed badly. My first concern was whether I got any blood on my white berms. Thanks goodness none. I only stained my crumpler.

Fortunately toilet was close by and I had a cleaning aunty staring at me while I wash the blood off my arm.

I peeled off the plaster and it was totally soaked with blood, but contrary to what I had imagine, blood is not gushing out of the needle hole. Beats me what happened.

When I looked at the overflowing soaked plaster, it reminded me of soaked pad. HAHAHA!!

Kite flying anyone?

via Awkward Family Photos

Last year today I was waiting at Mt E getting ready for my surgery and thus begun my long journey of treatment. Many has say the past year seemed to fly by but for me it was the longest year.

Fast forward to one year later, I’m still undergoing treatment but life is almost back to normal. I’ve gained weight (trying hard to lose but in vain) and am growing out my hair.

Looking forward to a better xmas present than last year’s.

The Sg custom coming back from Malaysia into Singapore is getting from bad to worse. It was a Tuesday night and the jam was horrific! All cos they want to check the temperature of each driver + passengers 1 car at a time. It’s no fun having to wear a mask and “enjoy” all the hot air emitted by the jammed cars, I pity the kids taking temperature there.

However something pleasant amidst the agony happened.

When I was at the Malaysia custom counter, the officer looked at my passport photo and asked “Danilla, are you sick?” Caught off guard by the special attention, I could only muster a weak smile. And that’s not all, as he hand back the passports to us, he said “God bless you Danilla.”

I wondered if he is a Christian, but I highly doubt so.. cos he’s a Malay lah! Oh well, I just thought that was sweet of him.

A team of radiologists directed me to the platform and swiftly aligned the markings on my body to the beams emitted from the machine. Everything in place, they scooted out of the room.

Alone, I lay on the cold platform, or maybe it’s just me being nervous. I watched the machine rotate noisily to my sides. I begin to feel uneasy.

Is there going to be a beam of light shooting out like the light sabre? I’m not sure.

To say I’m not scared at that point would be lying. I was scared, I was nervous. And I closed my eyes, no I didn’t sleep, I prayed.

Whenever the machine finishs a dose of the radiation, it lets out a a sigh, or at least that what it sounded like to me. A sigh of relief.

Still got many more sighs to go, but the saving grace is that it’s a quick and painless process. Tho the daily routine makes it tedious, but I can deal with this after I’ve been through phase 1. How I wish the side effect of radiotherapy is the fats around your tummy gets melted away.

Did you say fat hope?!

> Continued my 3-weekly Herceptin treatment by infusion yesterday, I had previously understood it as a hormonal treament, but it’s actually a targeted antibody therapy aiming at HER2+ cancer cells — my cells are receptive to such treatment according to the histo report. Read more on how Herceptin works.

> Commenced on my hormonal treatment (again cos my histo report states my cancer cells are receptive to such treatment), which is a 3-monthly injection of small pallets to my tummy area The medicine in the pallets will then oozes out (in my oncologist’s own words) slowly over the 3 months period. On top of that, I’m started on oral medication as well, which I’ll be taken for at least 2 years.

> Also met my radiotherapist to start planning for radiotherapy. Did a pre-scan and had lines drawn on me so the radiation machine can align and shoot the beam accurately. The radiotherapist said when he was working in National Cancer Centre previously, the lines were tattooed on! The patients had no choice! Here they just use permanent markers. Can’t imagine having tattoos of dotted lines on the side and in between my boobs. How to wear bikinis like that? -___-

Radiotherapy starts daily from next Tuesday. Looks like I’m going to have a very tanned left boob. Will be applying lots of moisturiser so it doesn’t become wrinkled - that would be tragedy.

> Cos of the many appointments to run yesterday, I parked at Cairnhill Place carpark (supposedly the cheaper option in that area) getting in just before 9am and leaving just before 5pm. My parking fee came up to $21.50! Faint!! Anything within $20 I can handle but $21.50?! I then checked Heeren and Paragon, they would be cheaper if I choose to park for such long hours. What the fish?!

Whatever it is I’m returing to netball! Too long of inactivity and I’m having problem fitting into my pants! I hate being fat and fair.

The last time I was botak was back in my infant days, mom enjoys recounting it now that the state of my hair returns to those “good old days” where she’ll observe closely everyday to see if my hair has grown. Apparently I was a baby born with very little hair — so little that mom got worried I’ll never grow hair. Quite unlike James who was born with a brush on his head.

-____-

However undesirable being botak is, there are a few good.

1/ You can shower just before bedtime and without having to wait for hair to dry, you can jump right into bed and fall asleep.

2/ You save money on shampoo. Now you know what is all-in-1 — one shower gel for head to toe.

3/ You save water. And save the earth. So call.

4/ Keeps you cool on hot days. But ofcos during cooling or extra windy days, the effect is multiplied without the protection of hair.

5/ There is no bad hair day. Duh.

6/ You save on buying hair gel and whatnots.

7/ No time needed in the morning styling your hair. You get to sleep more. Yay!

8/ No more messy dropped hair on the floor. Girls with medium to long hair know what I’m talking about.

Words of wisdom come from experiences — don’t you agree?

All no hair ofcos angry lah!

[via Savage Chickens]

It’s my year of jubilee, James said. I needed rest and God will be providing triple of what is needed. What a way to look at ugly things happening in your life.

I’m happy to update that I’m done with my last chemotherapy session last week and is now moving on the next phase of treatment — radiotherapy. I’ll learn more about the details next Monday when I check in with my oncologist.

As of now I’m still recovering from the effects of the last session but at least I can start growing my hair =).

I’m so going for a good meal in a few weeks’ time when my taste buds and appetite return. I want tomyum soup!!

Finally and thankfully I’m half way through the 8-sessions chemotherapy but that is not to be the end of the ordeal.

Doctor has just informed at my 4th session that I’ll have to go through a year-long drip on Herceptin, starting end Feb, together with my 5th chemotherapy session.

According to my doctor the side effects for part 2 chemotherapy would be better. Sofar it seems to be better tho it still irritates my tummy. Got be patient.

3 more sessions to go and I’ll be done with chemotherapy, I’m really looking forward to it. It does really kills your fighting spirit and morale. Now I know why some people give up after 3 sessions cos that’s the point when you feel like you can’t tolerate going through another cycle of side effects again.

Tho after chemotherapy is radiotherapy, which is another tedious treatment process, but at least I’ve completed a step and moving on to the next.

With the complete lack of exercise, weight piled and energy is at all time low. It’s depressing but I guess this is life. When you feel and seem to be at your best, you get hit.

Stay strong. Live strong. One step at a time.

> The past week has been a blur. Thanks to my 3rd session and also a rush of stuff happening at work. It has not gotten any better with more sessions I’ve been through, each session and its after effects still sucks big time. The week I have my session is a torture, can’t eat but damn hungry, eat already I’ll have to bear with the churning of my tummy. Slept alot but still tired cos the body is not restful at all — too busy dealing with the medication. It even starts to feels revolting when I think about the needle, the pack of medicine, the thought of the medication running through my blood stream the smell of food etc. I’ve never missed eating more. My latest craving is Carl’s Jr. *moody*

> Despite the fact I have to report to the clinic every 10-12days, I’ve slotted a short getaway. Before I go insane. Just a short one, for a breathe of fresh air and get my mind off it.

> Thank God CNY falls on the 3rd week after the session, so it’s my best week. I shall feast!