My Breast Cancer Story: Just Suntin

by Just Suntin from Just 2 Story


It’s the month for Breast Cancer Awareness! It's the month of pink!

Here I am, proudly declaring that I am one of the breast cancer survivor, who has just completed the whole required treatments 3 months ago.

I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer Stage 2B just a year ago exactly on this date (25 October)! How could I forget? It was me and my husband's 8th year Anniversary as a couple and we were supposed to celebrate it happily with our pre-ordered cake. 

I first found out about the unusual lumps on my right breast two weeks earlier. I managed to stay calm yet worried at the same time. Then I went for an ultrasound and mammogram at the hospital, and thereafter I proceed with a biopsy.

I burst into tears when the doctor break the news to me! It broke my heart even more when the doctor suggested that I should go with mastectomy (removal of whole breast). I know its not the end of the world yet, but it was not easy to accept what's happening at that time. I was only 32 years old back then!

That night all of us (my husband and my mom) was sadden by the news. Somehow, my husband and I still manage to cut our 8th Anniversary cake.

Eventually, I didn't proceed with mastectomy. I went for a second opinion and was glad that Dr. Patricia Gomez, a Breast Cancer Specialist from Hospital Pantai KL (Bangsar) advised me to proceed with lumpectomy (a surgical procedure to remove the lump) instead of mastectomy.

So I went with the lumpectomy surgery.

Still can smile couple hours after the surgery! Not bad huh!

I was asked to rest for a month after the lumpectomy surgery before I get to start with the scariest treatment – chemotherapy. I Googled on others experiences to prepare myself and at least, I know what to expect. I was concern about losing all my hair. Experiencing hair falls and being bald is the last thing that every woman want in their life!

Then again, I was blessed when I was found negative for HER2 receptor, a much more aggressive type of breast cancer if compared with the rest.

I started my first cycle of chemotherapy on 3rd of December 2011. I had to go through 2 parts of chemotherapy. Part 1 consists of 4 cycles of chemotherapy and Part 2 consists of 12 cycles of chemotherapy. A standard cycle is 6! 

The chemotherapy

Even though Part 1 was quite tough, I am glad that I don’t really experience all the side-effect such as nausea, vomit, constipation, sleeping problems, extreme lack of appetite, etc. The strong dosage of drugs only made me feel fatigue for couple of days after each cycle. Other than that, I hate it when I was infected with flu and cough. That was when I feel very ill cause it will takes 2-3 weeks for me to recover.

Balding

My hair started to fall tremendously 2 weeks after the 1st cycle. To my surprise, for the first time in my life, I can’t wait to be bald! Well, it was actually better than seeing your hair on your pillow every time when you wake up in the morning. Wait till you see all the hairs on the bathroom’s floor! 

Being bald and enjoy at the same time! Positive!!

My kids were asking why am I bald. So, we explained that mommy is not well. Mommy is sick and I am really glad to have them around because they are my source of strength to fight this decease positively!

Covering baldness! 

Guess what? Hubby and I even made it to Universal Studio Singapore when I was still on my chemotherapy treatments. The flight tickets was purchased months before and we were already excited for the 1-night trip. So yeah... why not!

Radiotherapy

Upon the completion of my chemotherapy, I started my 25+8 daily sessions of radiotherapy in June. It didn't really cause me any problems. It was a very quick 3-minutes-laying-down-process with minor side effects.  

Today, it has been 3 months since I completed all my treatments. I feel really good and my hair is growing back too! Yay!! 

I just want to the opportunity here to thank my company for taking care of my medical bills. In fact, I was on paid MC for 9 months! 

Me, myself and I! Photo taken on 21/10/2012

It was a long journey yet I am so bless to have great people around me especially my husband, my mom and my lovely kids.  You all had helped me to get through a very difficult time in my life.

Last but not least, my advice to all woman, please perform BSE (Breast Self-Examination) regularly and do go for ultrasound or mammogram if you are already above 40. Breast cancer can happen to anyone regardless of their age, and early detection is always better.

Do visit Just's blog to read all her cancer story in details.

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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My Malaysia Story: Lee David Bananuka

by Lee David Bananuka from Tanzania

I got to Malaysia five years ago. So many things have happened since, and picking just one Malaysia story is challenging. I’ll tell you one of my favorites.

I’m a bit of a foodie at heart. I eat just about anything and think meals should often be an adventure. So coming to Malaysia one of the things I was really excited about after who I would meet, was what I would eat.

I started asking what are the good things to eat as soon as I arrived at the airport. If you are from here, then you know that in Malaysia that is a long list. I had no idea where to start so I asked a local what is the most Malaysian of all Malaysian dishes. I realize now that question was still a little too general but he suggested Nasi Lemak. So I went with that.

Nasi Lemak with friends

I went to a nearby Malay food stall near where I lived, and I ordered it. They served it up, and I sat down with it. The interesting thing is almost everything about Nasi Lemak looked completely familiar to me. Rice is a staple in Tanzania, the aroma of the coconut milk also brought memories of cooking in Tanzania. Anchovies are fished out of the Indian Ocean right off the coast of my home town. The only thing that I couldn't identify on sight was the sambal sauce. So I scooped a big spoonful of that, added a little rice to it, put it in my mouth and began to chew.

A little background on Tanzanian cooking… It is rarely spicy. Most times peppers and other kinds of chili are served as a side. You add them according to your personal taste. This was probably the first time in my life that I had so much of something so spicy in my mouth all at once.

It was a pretty warm night, and there wasn't much breeze where I was sitting. All of this has nothing to do with the way I was sweating that night. Luckily I had a nice cold limau ice at my side. Never has a lime juice been so badly needed in my life.

I came away from that adventure a little more cautious about how I eat. But I can honestly say that after tonnes of Nasi Lemak, Nasi Goreng, Chee Chong Fun, Bak Kut Teh, Briyani and desserts whose names I can’t recall, Malaysia truly is a never ending food adventure for me. 

Even better than all the food, are all the people that I've always found willing to eat a meal with me, and teach me all about the food here. Malaysia is a beautiful place that's full of awesome food, but best of all, full of awesome people who just seems delighted to share it with everyone else.

That’s it for now, I’m off to have a bit of food adventure!

Lee David from Tanzania was an Information and Communication Technology student in APIIT & APU University, Malaysia. When this was posted, Lee David is currently working with Pasific Frase Sdn Bhd as a Business Development Executive.

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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My Malaysia Story: Mikhal Anindita

by Mikhal Anindita from Indonesia

Hi, my name is Mikhal and I am from Indonesia. I have been in Malaysia for quite some times now, and I had just graduated not long ago and is currently back in my homeland to work.

The idea of coming to Malaysia for study was my dad’s idea. The expenses of studying in Europe and America is just too expensive, and it would be a financial burden in the long run. My dad once applied for Monash Master scholarship before, but he couldn't make it. So perhaps, I am just fulfilling his unfulfilled goal in Monash.

Malaysia is a lot similar to Indonesia. The language, the weather, the environment, the people and in many ways, I don’t feel like I have stayed far away from home after all. Although I do find that Malaysian really stick to their own ethnicity. Chinese with the Chinese, Indian with the Indians and Malay with Malays. Perhaps it was the language barrier. When you speak only your own language, you are limiting your circle of friends.

It’s a lot different with my hometown, where we only use one main language to communicate. Even though the difference is still there, but at least we still can communicate to each other well. Overall, Malaysian are friendly and I have no problem making friends with any Malaysian that I've encountered.

Being away from home made me realize how much I love to travel and visiting new places. Not necessarily have to be somewhere far, even exploring the corners of KL for the first time can made me happy.  Usually I go around with my friends around KL and PJ during the weekend, and tourism spots during the holiday.  I remember, I went to Genting, Bukit Tinggi, Langkawi, Penang, Melaka, Ipoh, Cameron Highlands, Fraser Hill, Broga Hill, Tioman, Perhentian & Redang.

Fraser Hill

I like Malaysian food.  Err... actually I like most kind of food, haha. I am the kind of person who love to try new type of food. Personally, I love tasty and spicy food (typical Indonesian), and here in Malaysia, I can still find those food. Though I will miss the food back home after awhile, but I still can live with Malaysian food.  I love Indian roti and hokkien mee. I wonder if the Malaysian can make their chili saude spicier? Hahaha,  all of the chili sauce that I tried here tastes like tomato sauce.

Oh, and I love how food is available 24 hours in Malaysia! How people can eat anytime, even if it is in the middle of the night.  The habit of having supper, another meal after dinner, tempt me a lot. It impacted my physical body a lot. :'(  I wonder how Malaysian girls keep their body slim? Not just slim, but also skinny, with their eating habit.

I have too many good memories in Malaysia. Arranging and celebrating every friend's birthday is one of them.  Although after few years it becomes a habit, it is always a good feeling that people, other than your family, remember and care for you. It's not about the gift, not about the cake, it is more to the warmth and the gathering.

It's an awesome opportunity to know everyone that I've met in Malaysia. Do keep in touch with me, that's why they create Facebook and Twitter, right? Hope to see everyone of you again and wish you all a greater success ahead! :)

Love Miksuper!

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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