RECENT CHECK-UP: Jennifer outside the X-ray department at SGH.
LATE STAGE: A patient with a very huge tumour.
PROTHESIS BRA: Jennifer recommends the Avon prothesis bra for breast cancer survivors.
ROADSHOW: Hop on the mobile breast cancer awareness clinic for a check-up. The bus is at Summer Mall today (Oct 13); Giant Tabuan Jaya on Oct 19 and 20 and Daesco Sibu on Oct 26 and 27 — from 10am to 5pm at all the venues.
IN her heart of hearts, Jennifer Chapi, 44, knew the prognosis was grim. But once confirmed by the doctor, it felt like the light in her life was instantly switched off.
Her first thought, when diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer, was “I will die.”
Thinking back, Jennifer said she first suffered from numbness in her hands and feet and abnormal tiredness. But she dismissed them as something that will go away on their own. That was in 2008.
After discovering a lump in her right breast in 2010, she decided to go for mammogram at Timberland Medical Centre in Kuching. When the result came back positive, she immediately underwent a mastectomy at the same hospital.
“It didn’t occur to me that my earlier symptoms were related to breast cancer until I discovered a hard lump and pain. I have never undergone mammogram until I went to Timberland,” she recalled
The teacher at SK Segong Bau is also a mother of three. Her eldest son is 12 while her girls are nine and seven.
“I was shocked, and negative thoughts surfaced as I started thinking I had no chance of recovery. I went out of depression with the help, encouragement and strong support of my family and friends. I was even angry at God and I asked Him why He gave me cancer but now, I thank Him for letting me catch it early and that I survived,” he related.
“On top of that, my thoughts were also of my young children and I knew I had to be brave and start thinking positive after I found out I can be cured.
“Gradually, I stopped crying and feeling sorry for myself because my children need me. Back then, my youngest was only four.”
Her mammogram result shocked her husband but he kept his composure, remained positive and fully supported her.
According to Jennifer, there is no cancer history in the families of both her parents.
During treatment, she was given two years paid leave but only took a year off because she felt the worse was behind her and she was strong enough to teach.
After the surgery, the nurse asked if she wanted to look at herself in the mirror but she replied: “No, I’m not ready. I simply refused to look because it had yet to sink in that I now have only one breast.”
Jennifer also underwent chemotherapy and all her hair started falling off, not just from her head but her eyebrows and everywhere else. She faced her situation bravely, knowing she was on the way to getting better.
While receiving chemo treatment at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), she saw other patients who were worse off and she took her own pain in stride.
“I know I’m not the only one suffering and there are others whose suffering is worse than mine. I met others who also underwent chemotherapy and we chatted and shared our experience. Some came all the way from Sri Aman, Sibu, Bintulu, Sabah and even Indonesia.”
Jennifer thanked God her condition is not as bad as some of the patients’ — that was what motivated her to view and deal with her own condition in a positive frame of mind.
“At that time, the side effect of chemotherapy caused my tongue to swell and I had problem tasting food. Everything was tasteless and the only thing I could taste were sour food. I went and bought huge bags of green apples and even soursop. My sister was amazed because previously, I hated green apples.”
Even her children asked her why she was only eating fruits during meal times and she told them the fruits tasted delicious and she liked them.
After treatment, she goes for check-up and mammogram every six months.
Jennifer is almost in the clear. She has been told that five years after her operation and her mammogram is showing no abnormality, she is fully healed.
Her advice to women is to do regular self breast cancer examination and go for mammogram once they reach 40.
“Prevention is better than cure — after all, the government is offering free mammogram screening and what better time to do it than now,” she said.
Even husbands can play a part by encouraging their wives to quickly go for mammogram if they notice any abnormalities.
As an Avon Malaysia member, Jennifer is happy Sarawak and Sabah are included in its “Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer” programme (KGBC) this year. The mobile bus tour to different locations offers free clinical breast check and creates awareness of the No. 1 women killer in Malaysia.
The company collaborates with the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) and Mydin, a retail shop in the peninsula, in preparing six buses nationwide for the tour every weekend this October.
“I advise women to take up the free clinical breast check – don’t be shy because it can mean saving your life! Application for the free mammogram screening can be done at the bus locations.”
Looking at her now, no one would believe she had mastectomy — thanks to the great invention of prothesis bras which have a pocket to insert silicone pads that make breast cancer survivor feel like a complete woman.
“As a survivor, I thank Avon for offering prothesis bra to us survivors. We look natural and it boosts our confidence as women. I even have people telling me they do not believe I’ve had one breast removed,” Jennifer added.
In her brush with cancer, she said she had found a silver lining in the dark cloud she was living under at the time of her affliction.
She has become a calmer person and the ordeal has also made her stronger in facing any challenges.
“I used to be hot tempered but now I’m cool. People can scold me but I can take it and will not react angrily. My trying experience has also brought me closer to God and made me a positive thinker,” she said.
Meanwhile, SGH Head of Surgery Department Dr Nik Azim Nik Abdullah hoped more women would look after their health properly and come for check-up immediately after discovering a lump in their breasts.
“The incidence of breast cancer in Malaysia is 35 per 100,000 population compared to 130 per 100,000 population in the US. However, breast cancer is the commonest cancer among Malaysian women — with 4,846 new patients each year based on the National Cancer Registry Report 2010,” he said after a presentation at a scientific forum of the recent Breast Cancer Update 2013, organised by the National Cancer Society Malaysia.
The probability of breast cancer for females aged 15 to 79 was 3.9 in 1980 and increased to 7.3 in 2010. Though the incidence is not as high as the US, the five years survival rate in the US is higher — at 90 per cent because of early detection — compared to overall 43 per cent in Malaysia, he disclosed.
Based on SGH Audit for breast cancer from 2008 to 2012, the commonest age of presentation was between 41 and 55, comprising 242 patients or 47 per cent, with the majority seeking medical help when the lump is between 2cm and 5cm.
“These patients mostly waited for months before seeking medical help and by then the lumps have gotten bigger. We hope to see more patients seeking immediate help once the lump emerges or even before the lump forms — meaning once they have the symptoms.
“We aim to go to the kampungs to create awareness and get women with suspicious lumps or symptoms to quickly go for checkup. Early detection saves lives,” Dr Nik stressed.
He also pointed out that some of the patients who came in with Stage 1 to 3 had a survival rate of five to 10 years; some are still alive 20 years after surgery but some came in with Stages 4 and 5 and usually, it was too late and they only had, at most, a year to live.
“For some of them, the tumour was so huge you couldn’t operate on it anymore. In some cases, it had even spread over the whole body. We want people, especially in the rural areas, to know they will not die after surgery — because this is their mindset — that they will die if they go for surgery.
“With that kind of thinking, they would rather suffer and live a bit longer instead of going under the knife,” Dr Nik said, adding that “with medical advancement, that’s no longer the case – and with surgery, you can even live longer.”
SGH is holding a Breast Cancer Awareness campaign for October as well as roadshows, talks, forums and events to promote breast cancer awareness among the public.