SHARES
A stay-at-home mother to two beautiful teenagers, recently Jill Koh received in Jan 2021, a breast cancer diagnosis. She is now in remission with long term hormone therapy after a series of treatment. Nevertheless, the uphill battle with breast cancer did not diminish her usual bubbly and cheerful demeanour.
“Life is like a game of chess. To win you have to move.” – Allan Rufus, Author
Here, Jill shares her story of navigating through her breast cancer journey, even if it meant losing a breast through total mastectomy to get better.
An unusual find during breast self-exam
“I first found the lump in December 2020. I was in Bangkok to settle some personal errands. After a long day, as I lay in bed on my side, while doing a breast self-exam, I felt a bump that won’t move!” Advice from a close friend who is a neurosurgeon rang in her head. “He said, if there’s any bump that ‘bites onto the bone’, go get a check immediately, to ensure that it is not cancerous,” Jill shared.
“I called my husband straight away to tell him about this incidental finding,” Jill continued. “He calmed me down and told me not to fuss over it, but echoed my concerns to check it out. He also pre-empted the kids that mummy might be sick.”
Then, she made the nearest appointment back at home in Singapore to verify her suspicion.
Suspicion confirmed by cancer diagnosis
“After completing my stay-at-home notice upon returning to Singapore, I did a biopsy and other tests on 2 January 2021. At that point, I had no other breast cancer symptoms, such as inverted nipple or orange skin, other than the lump that I felt,” Jill said.
Three days later, the doctor confirmed it was cancer. “The PET/MRI scans found the cancer cells that was concentrated on the right breast. The doctor told me that I had both lobular and ductal breast cancer. Hence it is preferable to take a more aggressive approach with total mastectomy.” Since the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes as well, he recommended radiotherapy too.
“Subsequently, I underwent a total mastectomy of the right breast, followed by breast reconstruction using fats and blood vessels from the abdomen area. After the surgery, I had to learn stretching and walking again before I could return to my normal activities,” she explained. On top of the surgery, she also completed 12 cycles of chemotherapy and 15 sessions of radiation, before being put on hormone therapy for the next 5-10 years.
Life changes after cancer diagnosis and treatment
“Although life hasn’t change much with cancer, I’m living life at a slower pace as I am still working on regaining my stamina. The doctors encouraged me to live as normal as I could and eat what I want in moderation. Hence, I maintained a lifestyle that is similar to my pre-cancer days with certain precautions.” A compromised immune system meant that she had to steer clear of crowded places to avoid picking up bugs and germs. “Because of that, I am turning into an online shopping junkie,” she joked.
“Inevitably, my husband and I are spending more time at the hospital now. Our schedule revolved around the medical appointments, so much so that that we felt that we should get season parking for camping at the hospital!” another remark that allowed her humour to shine through.
Making the most out of recovery at home
As chemotherapy caused hair loss, Jill cropped her hair short. When her daughter complained of stray hair in her meals, Jill decided to shave her head. “A bald head resulted in sensitive scalp. So I had to wear a scarf or beanie to protect my naked scalp. It looks really weird to have my ears sticking out of the head gears. However, putting on a face mask when the ears were tucked in is a really tedious chore. That’s when I decided to make a mask extender to ease putting on and removing the mask.”
She first started the project using materials she had at home. “Later, I found out that a craft shop was closing and selling their ribbons in bulk. So I bought these ribbons with the intention of making mask extenders for children with cancer. I reckoned that if these kids are required to have their mask on all the time, their ears are probably going to hurt too,” she added.
Making mask extenders for children (Photo courtesy: Jill Koh)
When the mask extenders were ready, she reached out to OncoCare Cancer Centre to distribute the mask extenders to the children in need. To date, she has made close to 80 mask extenders. “Since we stayed at home due to the COVID-19 lockdown, making these mask extenders has been a therapeutic pastime while contributing back to the community.”
When asked about her future plans for this passion project, she had in mind to make pink ribbon corsages to bless her girlfriends as well as the doctors and nurses at OncoCare. “In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, I wanted to give these ribbons away so that we can wear it together to cultivate a sense of camaraderie.”
Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Photo courtesy: Jill Koh)
A silver lining in the midst of health crisis
“I am grateful to be able to call Singapore home, where the best healthcare services are available. My hospital bills were covered by MediShield Life, a health insurance for Singaporeans and PRs, which I am also thankful for.” Jill commented.
As a closing remark, Jill concluded by saying, “Life is precious. It is a blessing to have access to medical advances so that I can have another chance at life again. In fact, losing a breast or hair loss from cancer treatment, or early menopause induced by hormone therapy, did not make me less of who I am in person or in spirit.”
Jill Koh and her family (Photo courtesy: Jill Koh)
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.
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by Joanne Lee
Multipotentialite. Loves creating and seeing ideas come alive. View all articles by Joanne Lee.
