SHARES
At 15 years of age, ‘N’ (as he prefers to be known), knew what he wanted. Amazed by the arts – history, literature, music, he wanted to further his studies in the Arts at Junior College soon after high school. However ‘N’ would never have imagined how the direction his life was headed towards when he was diagnosed with bone cancer.
“ time to grapple with the reality ”
It was March 2017 and ‘N’ was having Physical Education lessons when he began to feel an aching pain in his right shoulder. As the pain was bearable, he and his family dismissed it as a sports injury initially. They never imagined that cancer could strike a young active and healthy teenager like ‘N’.
However, after days of rest and the pain persisted, ‘N’ consulted a doctor who referred him to an orthopaedic surgeon – who ordered an MRI scan. The orthopaedic surgeon found an unusual growth and referred him to the oncologist. At the oncologist, he confirmed ‘N’’s worst fears – the diagnosis was bone cancer!!
“It was all very shocking, a stunned silence. It took my mind a few seconds to take in the horrifying confirmation: I have bone cancer. I stumbled home, grappling with the reality of the situation. School was still in session but I had to stop all lessons and undergo treatment immediately. What is going to happen to me? The element of the unknown was quite jarring, the uncertainty of life and death. It was pretty scary.”
“ an aggressive treatment plan for bone cancer ”
“We consulted Dr Kevin Tay, a Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist at the OncoCare Cancer Centre. Dr Tay has an interest in soft tissue & bone sarcomas among other cancers. After reviewing my case, Dr Tay began to lay out an aggressive treatment plan to treat my bone cancer. We learned that bone cancer is much easier to cure in otherwise healthy people whose cancer hasn’t spread. That is why, particularly in cancer, early detection and diagnosis are so important.”
He patiently outlined the plan as follows: It would be two months of chemotherapy first to shrink and control the tumour. After that, a surgery is required to remove the growth. Thereafter another round of chemo, to control cancer cells in the body. He further briefed us what to expect and explained reactions to chemotherapy differed from person to person.
Now having gone through chemo, ‘N’ was shaken by how terribly bad his chemo experience was.
“Honestly, it was all very unexpected how my body reacted to the treatment. Especially since people always say ‘You’re young, you’re strong and healthy, with no pre-existing conditions, it should not be that bad.’, but it was dreadfully rough and difficult to bear. I suffered alot.”
After the first round of chemo treatment, ‘N’ had surgery to remove the tumour and implant a donated bone to replace the cancerous one. “The next round of chemotherapy felt endless. It was an aggressive treatment plan.” He suffered horrible side effects and had to endure a nine-month confinement because of a weakened immune system at that time. It was certainly a terribly horrendous experience – to say the least.
“ getting through chemotherapy ”
Music played the biggest role for ‘N’ during his therapy sessions. More than escapism, music provided a way for him to express himself. He had to find the strength to be strong. Experiencing the illness as a patient, ‘N’ understood that people might not ever fully comprehend what he was going through. He himself had days where it would be hard to find words to express emotions. Music was that expression during his time with cancer.
Eventually, the final days of chemo approached. “When the dates started appearing on the calendar, it brought some relief and hope.” The result of the chemotherapy was an optimistic one, there were no more traces of cancer and ‘N’ was free to return to finish his education!
“ a constant reminder ”
Long after the diagnosis and recovery, the implications of the bone cancer are still revealing themselves. As doctors had to remove some muscle from the right shoulder, it left ‘N’ with a slight disability. “It’s been four years since and I’m still figuring out what my arm can and can’t do. The journey after the treatment itself is essentially trying to live life normally as much as possible.”
“After the treatment ended, life returned somewhat to normal. Yet, that was always that added knowledge of the possibility of a relapse, or any illness in general. It opens your eyes to how fragile life can be. Your perspective on life sort of changes. While I returned to the same lifestyle, there was a constant reminder of how special it was to be still here.”
“ sharing from my life experience ”
After going back to complete his secondary school and now finishing Junior College, ‘N’ remains grateful for a second chance at life. He shares some nuggets of wisdom to anyone facing similar circumstances:
“Even though it’s like you are hit by a lightning when you first receive your cancer diagnosis, yet remember, there are many important decisions to make. The most important is which doctor would provide the best care.
You can start by asking the doctor who first find the cancer to refer you to a suitable oncologist. Also getting a second opinion might be helpful to feel certain about the diagnosis and get information that could enhance the treatment plan.
When choosing an oncologist, I would say, look out for high quality care. Ask about the oncologist’s credentials and experience and gather whether you feel comfortable talking to him or her.”
“ this new outlook on life ”
“You can win the fight against cancer. Everyone goes through a different treatment experience but try to make the most of it. One must tap into our own heart and remain strong while going through a tough health journey with your trusted oncologist.
Use this new outlook on life to enrich yourself. While striving to be strong and positive, one must be honest through the process of healing. Don’t dismiss your feelings, especially when the experience is truly difficult. You just must be honest with your emotions, to find some sort of peace to get through it.”
‘N’ is grateful to Dr Kevin Tay and the team at OncoCare Cancer Centre for all the care they gave him during his treatment journey. Even though his chemo journey was tough, he knows he had made the right choice.
“Dr Tay leans towards the compassionate side, contacting me often to check up on me – interacting on a more personal level. This is very valuable, especially in oncology, where patients suffer something so personal, like cancer.
The medical team was so supportive and kind, especially with me being one of the youngest under their care. Naturally, patients will feel frustrated at their circumstances. Nonetheless, the team at OncoCare took care of me and was attentive to my needs. I would like to thank them sincerely for all their help during my time with them.”
This patient testimony was brought to you by Oncocare Cancer Centre, Singapore.
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by Jemima Joseph
Using words to create communities. Intrinsically passionate about people, music, and the arts. View all articles by Jemima Joseph.
