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In August 2023, I was diagnosed with cancer in my left breast. It was discovered during a long-overdue checkup. There were no prior symptoms.
The cancer was at a stage where I had the option to remove only the cancerous cells and preserve the breast. Surgery came first, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These lasted a total of 12 months.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with what these treatments do, this is a simplified explanation:
- Radiotherapy is targeted at the cancerous tissues in the immediate area. It uses high-energy radiation far stronger than X-rays to kill the cells.
- Chemotherapy works throughout the body. In my case, it is a cocktail of drugs injected into my bloodstream to eradicate cancer cells wherever they may be.
If this still sounds confusing, my radiation oncologist, Dr Leong, puts it best:
“Imagine you dropped a cake on the floor, and it splattered. Radiotherapy cleans up the mess where the cake hit. Chemotherapy takes care of the splatter further away.”
In total, I endured:
- 3 operations
- 16 chemo sessions
- 20 radiotherapy sessions, and
- a Covid infection mid-way through chemo that got me hospitalised
The side effects were primarily from the chemo treatment, and I would not wish them upon my worst enemies:
- Total hair loss (bye bye eyebrows)
- Low immunity
- Nausea
- Metallic taste in mouth (as if bits of the pot are stuck to the food)
- Fatigue
- Brain fog (imagine you are at sea and surrounded by thick fog)
- Insomnia
Low immunity and metallic taste were the worst.
Low immunity made me paranoid every time I left the house. If I got sick, treatment would be delayed, and I just wanted it all to end as soon as possible. Metallic taste took the joy out of eating.
But not everything was bad.
I started eating more healthily. Broccoli and fish became regulars until I could not stand the sight of either. It was a forced reset, but one that led to a lasting change in my diet and lifestyle.
I also learned to rest completely.
No guilt.
Just rest.