Mum advises women not to ignore worrisome symptoms

At 55 years old, Mei Jia’s* life was that of a typical Singaporean woman. She had a full-time job, caring friends and a loving family. Mei Jia also enjoyed being a homebody on her days off work to catch up on rest and drama serials. 

In January 2020, she started to experience persistent abdominal bloating and a gripping pain that came and went from time to time. 

 

Mei Jia ignored the warning signs of cervical cancer such as abnormal vaginal bleeding and abdomen pain. 

(Credit: iStock.com/PORNCHAI SODA)

“I was so bloated, it looked like I was three months pregnant, and I could not fit into my clothes! It was very uncomfortable, but I still put up with it,” recalled Mei Jia.

The bloating and pain were soon accompanied by heavy vaginal bleeding between periods. A friend of Mei Jia’s advised her to see a doctor immediately, but she brushed it off and put the symptoms down to her age and approaching menopause.

“I naively thought the bleeding would stop in a couple of weeks,” said Mei Jia. 

When the bleeding persisted, another friend asked her to go for a health check, which she once again dismissed. 

However, it was hard to ignore the symptoms she was experiencing. 

Finally, in June, after repeated urging from her friends, Mei Jia consulted a doctor. Scans of her abdomen and cervix revealed a growth in her cervix and she was referred to get a biopsy. 

Two days later, Mei Jia and her husband received news that they were not prepared to hear.

“The doctor said I had early-stage cervical cancer and I was in shock as no one in my family had ever had cancer.” 

Although the doctor shared that early-stage cervical cancer was curable, Mei Jia who had little knowledge about the disease, was not convinced.  

“When I heard the word ‘cancer’, I felt it was a death sentence. I was reluctant to have treatment as I had heard stories of how costly and difficult it could be.”

Mei Jia initially planned to keep the news from her children, but they soon found out about her diagnosis. With her family’s support and encouragement, Mei Jia stopped her job as a fashion retail sales associate and mustered up the courage to see a doctor at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) satellite clinic at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).

Mei Jia went through six sessions of chemotherapy at KKH and 28 sessions of radiotherapy at NCCS and was fortunate to experience only minimal side effects such as insomnia and water retention. She was also relieved that getting treated was not as scary as she had imagined. Mei Jia was thankful that she took the advice of her family and friends to get treated. 

It is important to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle to boost your mood and energy during and after cancer treatments. (Credit: iStock.com/DragonImages)

Mei Jia’s doctor advised her to do exercise which she started with regular walks at the park near home. Over time, she forged new friendships with like-minded exercise buddies. With support and help from her family, and friends and relatives who would visit, she was soon on the road to recovery. 

“I received nothing but great care from the attentive medical and nursing teams. Their positive attitudes, cheerfulness and encouragement strengthened my will to get better,” shared Mei Jia. 

Mei Jia completed cancer treatment in October 2022 and is cancer-free today. She sees her doctor every three to four months for follow-up care.  

 

After completing her treatments, Mei Jia feels more energetic and enjoys dining out with her friends. 

(Credit: iStock.com/DragonImages)

“Today I am more energetic and even my walking buddies see a difference in me. Instead of staying home, I enjoy going out more and being more socially active,” beamed Mei Jia.

Mei Jia hopes her story will help to raise awareness for cervical cancer. She counts herself lucky that she was diagnosed with early-stage cancer, even though she delayed going to the doctor for longer than she should have.

“My advice to others is to get regular Pap smears and the HPV vaccine if you are eligible,” said Mei Jia. “When you feel like something isn’t right, seek medical attention promptly, do not delay. Cervical cancer is curable if caught early.”

*Not her real name