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I used to say to myself, “The detours that we took in our journey will armor us on the path that we will take and eventually achieve the outcome that we always hope for.” This is a story of the journey that my mother and I took early this year.

January 30, 2024

This all started in late January when the routine blood test of my mother came back. The result stated that she has a low red blood count. She told her doctor that maybe it’s because she does not eat too much meat as she used to. Her doctor shrugged off her reasoning and insisted on further laboratory tests. It was during this lab test that it was discovered that there were traces of blood in her feces, although it was still inconclusive.

Valentine’s Day 2024

On the 14th of February, a colonoscopy was performed and it was seen that she has one large “polyp” that can only be removed through surgery. A sample was taken for biopsy and we were scheduled for a CT scan.

Silver Lining Moment

It was in those moments when you entered a consultation room greeted with a very friendly face of the specialist until she would break down everything.

Her large polyps have turned out to be a malignant tumor and the polyps that were removed have also started to develop some tumors. Hence, on the 17th of February, my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer.

BUT! It was caught on time. On the 21st of February, the cancer cells were all removed.

Cancer

This is an illness that we have heard or witnessed from afar; most of the time, it is very scary to hear all those stories or to witness how a dear friend combats this illness. My view towards cancer has changed. I am no longer scared of cancer, for I know that if we listen to our body and consider symptoms as the “shout for help” signal of our body, cancer can be curable. It’s a hard road at times, but there is always a bright light at the end of every treatment.

It has a different impact when you are in the eye of the storm. You have no time to process every single detail; all that matters is to get through this and be over it.

I gave no space for myself or my mother to question why it happened or to a moment of self-pity. This road becomes less scary and more heartwarming when you know that you are not alone, when you see those brave, friendly faces in the chemo center trying to tell their stories, giving each other encouragement and support.

Cancer has plenty of faces; no cancer is identical even if it has the same name. As the surgeon of my Mother said, “No diagnoses are the same.” It is always different, but there is one thing in common: JUST BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE THAT TEST TO SAVE YOUR LIFE like my Mother.

Road to Recovery

The surgery went well and we are now almost back to our normal routine. We are on our 2nd preventive chemo (4 more to go) and we are doing quite well except for those every now and then discomforts which can be treated with non-nausea medicine.

My Mother and I have a lot to be grateful for despite the early hiccups. We will get through this with flying colors.

Reflections

The detours that I made prepared me to take on this path. I am humbled and grateful to the Lord for He has armored me with strength, submerged me with knowledge through the experiences that I had. He made me a better support for my Mother.

The road to recovery is here and I would always tell my Mother, “Embrace your 3rd life, live with love, with no doubt of tomorrow, for every day is tomorrow and every day is a miracle to be thankful for. Let us embrace life with more passion, with more laughter, and joy.”

Our Support System

There is no path too steep or scary when someone is there to hold your hands, wipe your tears, and give you a knowing nod.

Whenever I am scared and feel alone, I’m glad that you are there to give me that “it’s all okay” talk. Mommy Nao, your calmness when I am crushed gives me strength; Titay, I am amazed by the maturity that you have shown me, you are my “it’s okay” person.

I am lucky to have amazing friends, especially to my Noonas Barbie and Charina, who have allowed me to vent out my paranoia during those uncertain moments. Noonas, thank you so much for listening without prejudice, thank you for gently telling me that it is okay what I felt but I need to face this with facts for my own peace of mind. To my bff Den, thank you for the encouragement to get tested and be over it. You guys restored my sanity. To Felda, Tots, Fatsie; Lore, Marelle, and the rest of my Moonwalkers, thank you for that silent support.

To my Irish family, Mumshies, thank you for those notes or calls to check up on me and mama.

Lastly, to DAD, you are such a wonderful person. Thank you for being the source of her smile and being her prayer partner from day one.

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”― Neil Gaiman, Coraline