A Time for Change

By Doris Koh, Cancer Survivor

Two and half years have come and gone but 17 July 2002 still remains the most memorable day in the calendar of my mind. That was the day I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. My mom also had colon cancer.

I had persistent abdominal pain for about a week but did not pay much attention to it as I was a relatively healthy and active person. But when I finally went to see a doctor, he scheduled me to go for a colonoscopy the very next day. I received the most terrible news. There was a tumor, the size of a golf ball in my colon. Strangely enough, I felt an unexplained calmness. There was no question of “Why me?”. I just took it in my stride. That very night, at 10pm I underwent an operation to remove the diseased part of my colon.

I was started on chemotherapy almost immediately after my discharge from the hospital. I had a total of 6 cycles. Midway through my treatment cycles, I was told that I needed another surgery and this time was to remove a nodule in the liver. I was undaunted by the news of a second surgery but was even more determined to fight the disease.

My liver was resected on 5 November 2002. Soon after my second surgery, I continued with the remaining three cycles of chemotherapy. It was all smooth sailing except for an infection that landed me in the hospital. Otherwise, I tolerated my treatments quite well with minimal side effects like a smaller appetite for food.

I was fortunate to have support from caring doctors, immediate family members and relatives to keep me going strong during my treatment period . My lifestyle and diet took a complete change. I love vegetables but not much of fruits and I also have a small appetite. But now, my diet consists more of fruits, vegetable and fibre.

I start my morning with health supplements such as Pycnogenol, which is an antioxidant, wheat grass and energy water before going for a morning walk and ‘Chi-Kong’ at the Lower Pierce Reservoir for slightly more than an hour. What I share with you now is my personal health plan and may not suit everyone. It is just for sharing purposes and is not meant to encourage you to do exactly the same. You need to find what’s right for you to lead a healthy lifestyle after cancer.

My breakfast consists of some cereal and sweet potato, a cup of blended vegetable and fruit juice which consists of broccoli, carrot, green apple, orange and rock melon. I also eat a bowl of plain natural unsweetened yoghurt topped with strawberry, blueberry and red grapes.

I have a light lunch of fruit salad with papaya, watermelon, sesame seeds, avocado, topped with apple cider and flaxseed oil dressing. A cup of green tea helps me wash down the high fibre, low calorie lunch.

For snack in the afternoon, I eat a plate of fruits of different varieties and colours. A mixture of mango, kiwi, guava, melon, banana, grapefruit, pineapple or pear depending on what I fancy for that day. Sometimes i take a small handful of mixed nuts and seeds.

My dinner is simple. Some mixed vegetables like tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, and watercress as an appetizer. I also eat mushrooms more frequent that usual now. Main dish would be steamed fish and miso soup. I sometimes take some other seafood for variety.

My dear friends, patients and fellow cancer survivors, I just want to say that, having cancer is not a death sentence. What I’ve shared with you is my own experience. I strongly believe we must change our life style and eating habit to stay healthy. I must praise and thank God for giving me the strength and keeping watch over me all this time. Otherwise, I will not be sharing my story with you. We have been given a second chance at life and we must think positive, look ahead with strength and courage. Only then can we add quality to our lives.