Aida’s Story
Read true stories of women who have been impacted by breast cancer. These stories allow these brave women to share their cancer journey and talk openly about their feelings and experiences before, during and after treatment. While names have been changed to protect their identities, their experiences are as real as ever.
“Continued Cancer Research Has Saved My Life”
Three years, four months and eleven days. That’s how long it has been since my world turned upside down. I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer on August 6 and what a journey this has been. But let me say this – I don’t want to scare anyone by sharing my story.
I hope that by reading my story, you will see that things like this can happen to anyone – the young, the old, the infirm, the rich and the poor. If you are facing cancer right now, I want you to feel reassured and confident about facing this head-on because you must.
See cancer for what it is, get the information you need, make big decisions and then move forward. That’s the best way to do it.
As you likely already know, cancer is very common. Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers. I never really thought that I would be one of these statistics.
It happened on a day like any other. I was just lying on my couch after dinner and was watching TV. I felt a pain when my right arm pressed against my breast. I was curious about the pain and lifted my arm above my head to check properly and I felt it immediately. It was a hard lump, very pointy and distinct. I remember saying out loud, “What is that?”
I began to get nervous and all these different scenarios started playing on a loop in my head. I was going a little mad with worry and knew I needed to get this checked urgently. So I booked an appointment with a specialist so I could get a mammogram done. In the end, the mammogram led to an ultrasound and then a biopsy.
I remember heading in to see my doctor a week later to get the results. When my doctor mentioned cancer, I went into a tailspin, just sitting there thinking all sorts of things, repeating the word over and over in my head. I didn’t hear much of what the doctor was saying about treatment options and had to stop her eventually and have it all repeated back to me.
Fast forward a year and a half later, I have undergone 16 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 rounds of radiation and a mastectomy.
I had to face most of my treatments alone because this occurred during the pandemic and there were restrictions during this time on visitors and physical contact. I think what made the difference for me were my nurses and medical team. I had a wonderfully kind and supportive medical care team who made the whole process so much more bearable. I could see they felt for me, they were always there for me, helping to make the process as painless as could be. They took time to explain things, at every step, making sure that I was involved in every decision to be made.
I have to say that this approach is great because there’s so much to face, and all at one go. You’ve got to deal with a shocking diagnosis, and before you have time to process this, you’re having to make big decisions about whether to keep your breast or agree to a mastectomy.
You’ve got decisions to make about your treatment and it can feel like a lot all at once. So when you have a medical team around you who is supportive, who understands how this can feel and then, work to make it easier, more understandable and make themselves available to answer any questions, you feel heard and respected. I felt heard and respected.
I needed to go through all of this at my pace, I had questions and I was looking for answers.
But the most important thing to take away from my story is that it got fixed. I got help, I dealt with this immediately. I reached out and got good support. I could have ignored it, I could have made light of it or simply refused to deal with it. But that’s not me and it shouldn’t be your story.
If you suspect anything out of the ordinary – and you know your body best – then get it checked out. Do what you need to do to feel more in control and you’ll be glad you did.
I am thankful for having acted when I did because it has made a difference in my treatment journey. I am equally thankful for the ongoing work being done in cancer research and am hopeful we will have a cure one day. More importantly, I am thankful for the care, support and love I have had around me, it’s been priceless.
If you are facing a cancer screening or treatment decision, check out Cancer Research Malaysia’s patient decision aid today. It’s free to use and may help you in making decisions about your treatment and care.
Aida, aged 36
Breast cancer survivor
I hope that by reading my story, you will see that things like this can happen to anyone – the young, the old, the infirm, the rich and the poor. If you are facing cancer right now, I want you to feel reassured and confident about facing this head-on because you must.
See cancer for what it is, get the information you need, make big decisions and then move forward. That’s the best way to do it.
As you likely already know, cancer is very common. Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers. I never really thought that I would be one of these statistics.
It happened on a day like any other. I was just lying on my couch after dinner and was watching TV. I felt a pain when my right arm pressed against my breast. I was curious about the pain and lifted my arm above my head to check properly and I felt it immediately. It was a hard lump, very pointy and distinct. I remember saying out loud, “What is that?”
I began to get nervous and all these different scenarios started playing on a loop in my head. I was going a little mad with worry and knew I needed to get this checked urgently. So I booked an appointment with a specialist so I could get a mammogram done. In the end, the mammogram led to an ultrasound and then a biopsy.
I remember heading in to see my doctor a week later to get the results. When my doctor mentioned cancer, I went into a tailspin, just sitting there thinking all sorts of things, repeating the word over and over in my head. I didn’t hear much of what the doctor was saying about treatment options and had to stop her eventually and have it all repeated back to me.
Fast forward a year and a half later, I have undergone 16 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 rounds of radiation and a mastectomy.
I had to face most of my treatments alone because this occurred during the pandemic and there were restrictions during this time on visitors and physical contact. I think what made the difference for me were my nurses and medical team. I had a wonderfully kind and supportive medical care team who made the whole process so much more bearable. I could see they felt for me, they were always there for me, helping to make the process as painless as could be. They took time to explain things, at every step, making sure that I was involved in every decision to be made.
I have to say that this approach is great because there’s so much to face, and all at one go. You’ve got to deal with a shocking diagnosis, and before you have time to process this, you’re having to make big decisions about whether to keep your breast or agree to a mastectomy.
You’ve got decisions to make about your treatment and it can feel like a lot all at once. So when you have a medical team around you who is supportive, who understands how this can feel and then, work to make it easier, more understandable and make themselves available to answer any questions, you feel heard and respected. I felt heard and respected.
I needed to go through all of this at my pace, I had questions and I was looking for answers.
But the most important thing to take away from my story is that it got fixed. I got help, I dealt with this immediately. I reached out and got good support. I could have ignored it, I could have made light of it or simply refused to deal with it. But that’s not me and it shouldn’t be your story.
If you suspect anything out of the ordinary – and you know your body best – then get it checked out. Do what you need to do to feel more in control and you’ll be glad you did.
I am thankful for having acted when I did because it has made a difference in my treatment journey. I am equally thankful for the ongoing work being done in cancer research and am hopeful we will have a cure one day. More importantly, I am thankful for the care, support and love I have had around me, it’s been priceless.
If you are facing a cancer screening or treatment decision, check out Cancer Research Malaysia’s patient decision aid today. It’s free to use and may help you in making decisions about your treatment and care.
Aida, aged 36
Breast cancer survivor
Cancer Research Malaysia is the only non-profit organisation in Malaysia dedicated to saving lives through impactful cancer research in Asians. We have developed a unique patient decision aid specifically for cancer patients, and make this freely available on this website.
