Madam Ruhana, 52, is one of the 346 women in Singapore diagnosed with ovarian cancer yearly.1 “The door has closed for me,” Madam Ruhana states solemnly, referring to the startling truth that many cancer patients have to face in one way or another.
The diagnosis of cancer can be a tortuous experience to come to terms with, especially for hard-to-detect cancers such as ovarian cancer. The only obvious symptoms for ovarian cancer are abdominal swelling and discomfort, bloating or wind, change in bowel habits, and quite possibly the most easily dismissed – stomach pain.
For Madam Ruhana, dizzy spells and stubborn headaches were the only indications she had in early 2014. At the insistence of her superiors at work, Madam Ruhana finally went to see a doctor and discovered that a 5cm tumour was residing in one of her ovaries.
Spiralling into a deep depression and unable to comprehend what was happening, Madam Ruhana refused to undergo surgery but went to visit her husband in Malaysia instead, and was advised to see a village doctor in Malaysia to treat the cancer cells. However, her condition did not improve. She waited 3 months only to discover that her tumour had expanded threefold to 16cm. At that point, surgery to remove the tumor, followed by chemotherapy, was a must.
Currently still recovering, Madam Ruhana is doing all she can to get back on her feet. Her schedule is filled with walks, check-ups at the hospital, and participating in activities organised by Singapore Cancer Society.
“I know the door has closed for me,” Madam Ruhana repeats like a mantra, “but the window is still open.” She believes that as long as she keeps moving forward, focusing on the light coming from her windows of hope, Madam Ruhana can overcome her brush with cancer.
“Just don’t jump out of the window and you’ll be fine,” Madam Ruhana jokes.
Get Screened to Reduce The Risk of Cancer
Get yourself and your loved ones screened for cancer as soon as possible. Here’s some reasons why:
- Certain cancers are preventable and curable when treated at an early stage
- Screening helps detect cancer even before symptoms appear
- Many cancers do not show obvious symptoms until they reach advanced, harder to treat stages
Find out more about cancer screening.
by Joshua Tseng, Year 3 student from School of Business, Temasek Polytechnic
Notes:
1. Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Registry Report, Trends in Cancer Incidence in Singapore 2010-2014