SHARES
Hailing from the oil and gas industry, Craig Baker led a stressful life of constant decision-making and standing by twenty-four seven. Abruptly, a sudden diagnosis with late third stage colon cancer steered him out of life in the fast lane. He received treatment at OncoCare Cancer Centre from Dr Kevin Tay. He achieved remission since July 2016, and he is on his way to celebrate his 5-year mark of being cancer-free.
“I am an American, originally from Arkansas. My work in the oil and gas industry brought me to Singapore, and I have been here since for almost 10 years. Sheena and I have been together for the past nine years. We just celebrated our one-year anniversary of being married,” says Craig Baker, as he introduced his wife and himself. “After the diagnosis and surgery, I remained semi-retired.” Meanwhile, Sheena started a home business,” he continued.
Craig Baker and his wife on their marriage registration day (Photo credit: Craig Baker)
“Back in 2014, I used to suffer from belly cramps at nights, sometimes after a spicy meal. I didn’t pay much attention to it, until it began to keep me up at night,” said Craig. Noticing that the cramps only happened at night, he thought it was irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or indigestion because he had chronic heartburn and reflux since he was a child. “Sheena would urge me to consult a doctor, but I refused to listen. A year later, it became so unbearable that I couldn’t sleep at all. Finally, one night, it was so bad, that I decided to visit the Emergency Department for some relief.”
Sinister News Shedding Light on Unexplainable Cramps
“At the Emergency clinic, a gastroenterologist examined me. Immediately, he said he needed to get me into surgery due to what he thought to be appendicitis. He did a CT scan to determine the extent of inflammation. However, it was my colon that appeared swollen, indicating that there could be another problem,” Craig described.
Sheena continued, “I went home to look after the dogs. During the wee hours, I received a call from the surgery room, informing me that it was not appendicitis. Instead, they found a mass that was obstructing the appendix! They couldn’t confirm what it was without further tests, but they needed an immediate instruction and consent on how to proceed. In the end, I consented to have the mass removed since it was a dire situation.”
“She saved my life!” Craig chirped in. “But when I woke up from the anaesthesia, the doctor bluntly told me that I had colon cancer. Of course it was a shock to our system to get such an unexpected diagnosis! Thinking that I was going to die, I broke down and started crying,” he recollected. He also lost his grandfather to liver cancer. “The doctor tried to snap me out of it by assuring that I was not going to die. I am an old school guy – I only saw cancer as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It was a mentally stressful day, until I met Dr Kevin Tay.”
Meeting the “Chicken Soup” Doctor
“Our doctor connected us with Dr Kevin Tay, who came in and sat with us the day after the surgery. The way Dr Kevin Tay talked and treated us, felt comforting immediately. We connected right away as Dr Kevin Tay exudes warmth and compassion. He felt like my mom when I was sick, as he has a “chicken soup” way of explaining things,” said Craig. “From that day on, we felt he was like a part of our family – the relationship we build with him meant everything to us.”
Craig was diagnosed with locally advanced colon cancer as the cancer had spread to the surrounding lymph nodes. He was treated with six months of oral and intravenous chemotherapy. “Craig was determined to overcome cancer from day one. He would tell me each time he comes to the office, that he will surely get rid of this and be well! Sheena was supportive throughout too. They are definitely one of the most loving couple I have seen in my clinic.” described Dr Kevin Tay.
Little Things Making a Difference at OncoCare
There are often so much anxiety surrounding the treatment and procedures. The team at OncoCare was amazing, they went above and beyond the extra mile during my treatment.
“Once during chemotherapy, I was hit with a bad lung infection. After I met Dr Kevin Tay at the emergency room, he was so worried that he stayed the night at the hospital with us. He never left,” reminisced Craig. “And every time I was there for treatment, Dr Tay was in the office. He would sit with me and talk to me, and make sure that the chemotherapy was uneventful.”
“The nurses also treated us like family. They always explain to us the procedures before performing anything. They also encouraged us to speak up if there are any discomfort. No matter what, if I made a face, the nurses are ever ready to help me out,” he said. “They are just like family – always smiling and cheerful when they see us. I couldn’t ask for better. We stayed behind instead of moving back to the States because of them.”
Sheena continued, “It’s the little things that they do – during our first trip for blood pressure test, the arm band was too small for Craig; by our next visit, they prepared an extra-large one just for him! He even had a pillow with his name on it for chemotherapy.”
“Oh yes! I was using a neck pillow. It was hot and I was sweating on it. Hence, I checked with the nurse if she was going to let another person to use the same pillow. At first, she was perplexed with the question. After that, everyone got their designated pillow for their chemotherapy sessions,” added Craig.
Celebrating the Pillar of Strength
“Sheena was my rock. All I had to do was to undergo treatment; she had to keep the house running and deal with everything else – the bills, the dogs, and a sick husband. She was very strong through it all, and still is today,” said Craig, as he began to sob softly beside his wife. “Throughout the journey, I was always the optimistic one,” Sheena continued, giving her dear husband time to compose himself.
“She never let me stay in the dark. She was always encouraging and calming to be with. In fact, I probably would not have made it if it was not for her. Every time I was down, she just came in and kick my butt – make me get up and get a shower. Always reassuring me that it’s going to be fine,” said Craig. “She was perfect, perfect through it all.”
“Before the diagnosis, we led a fast life due to my job nature. We would be out drinking a few nights a week – people would come to Singapore and we are always there to meet them,” giving a glimpse of his life prior to cancer diagnosis. “After being diagnosed, I told her that if we survive this, we are going to take the foot of the gas paddle to slow down. She made me promise that,” he said.
“She was perfect through all of this, and I couldn’t go back on my words to her. So, we got six dogs, grew vegetables and worked on our greenhouse. On most days, we walk the dogs in the morning; we exercise and eat right through the week. On weekends, we do pretty much what we wanted. It was a 180 degrees change – going from full-on accelerating to cruising along in life.”
Craig and his wife (Photo credit: Craig Baker)
Winning the Battle with Positive Thoughts
“My words of wisdom would be – don’t put bad thoughts in your head. If you think you’re going to die from cancer, you WILL die from cancer. You can never get out of your own head,” said Craig. “Instead, look at the bright side that you are still alive, and keep moving forward. Every day that you are healthy, is another day away from cancer.”
“We are almost five years after our remission, and we are about to cross that milestone of being five years cancer-free. If we hit that milestone, we are going to celebrate like there’s no tomorrow,” he said, happily.
“Remember, look at the bright side. Always stay positive.”
A Word from GetDoc
Always listen to your body. Any unexplainable body changes should prompt a visit to the doctor for further investigation. If you or your loved one experience unusual signs and symptoms, consult a doctor today for early diagnosis and treatment.
This patient testimony was brought to you by Oncocare Cancer Centre, Singapore.
Further reads:
- How to Spot Cancer Early – Beware of the Warning Signs [Part 1]
- How to Spot Cancer Early – Beware of the Warning Signs [Part 2]
Find an Oncologist in Malaysia, on GetDoc
Find an Oncologist in Singapore, on GetDoc
by Joanne Lee
Multipotentialite. Loves creating and seeing ideas come alive. View all articles by Joanne Lee.
