As I only had to take my Lucrin jab and not see any doctors or do any other treatments/ tests on Wed 26 Jan 2023, Dr Samuel suggested that I go to one of the NCIS on the Go locations to do it as the waiting time is shorter, and might be more convenient to get to from home.  NCIS on the Go programme offers 3 convenient locations in the West region, for cancer treatment and care to National University Cancer Institute Singapore {NCIS} patients. These are located at Jurong Medical Centre {5 mins from Boon Lay MRT station}, Keat Hong Community Club {5 mins from Choa Chu Kang MRT station} a ..read more

Two down, two more to go. Seems quite fast that I'm past the halfway mark with my chemotherapy treatment. But truthfully speaking, living through it is a sloooow torture... After reading other people's experiences, I know I don't have it as bad, but still during the worst of it, I wouldn't want anybody to go through it at all.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by アイ・サクラ  (@aisakuraharuka) I went for my third chemotherapy and Herceptin jab session on Tue 17 Jan 2023, just a few days before Chinese New Year. My blood tests and check-up with Dr Samuel was on Mon 16 Jan 20 ..read more

My session for adjuvant chemotherapy and Herceptin jab second cycle {Tue 27 Jan 2022} commenced much better than the first.  I took my Dexamethasone pills {8mg} correctly for the 3 days for a start, and the session itself went quite ok. I thought it might end a bit earlier than the first session but since I had to get the scalp cooling cap fitted properly again, it took about the same duration.  The nurses informed me that not all of them are trained for scalp cooling cap fitting so I had to wait until about 11+am before one of the trained nurses arrived at the Chemo Ba ..read more

My first adjuvant chemotherapy and Herceptin jab cycle {Mon 5 Dec 2022} did not start off right. Le sigh. Firstly, I had set my phone alarm to remind me to take my Dexamethasone pills in the morning of the day before my first session, but I still forgot and went out to exercise so took it later in the afternoon when I returned... and pushed back the second dose too.   Secondly, I accidentally took only ONE pill {4mg} for the first 3 doses and only realised I was supposed to take TWO pills {8mg} each time during my chemo session oops... it was because I was booked for 2 chemo ..read more

Possible side effects from chemotherapy are hair loss, nausea and/or vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, mouth ulcers, fatigue, numbness, fever or infections. Each patient reacts to chemotherapy differently so it's hard to say which side effects will affect me or how severe I will get them. Many side effects go away fairly quickly, but some might take months or even years to go away completely. These are called late effects.  Sometimes the side effects can last a lifetime, such as when chemo causes long-term damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, or reproductive organs o(TヘTo)  On ..read more

Recovery after a surgery does not mean staying in bed all day. Actually, physical activity is just as important as rest to aid in recovery and can ease treatment-related side effects {e.g. fatigue, pain, depression, lymphedema} and reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence, as well as the risk of developing breast cancer in the first place. This is supported by my doctors.  In fact, the day after my mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgeries, they called in the hospital physiotherapist to come teach me some specific exercises to keep the range of motion in my shoulder and arm ..read more

Chemotherapy is no doubt, brutal on the body. Cancer cells tend to grow fast, and chemo drugs kill the fast-growing tumour cells. However, the drugs don't just target the cancer cells, but also affect normal, healthy cells that are fast-growing too. The damage to these healthy cells cause side effects, which can be rather severe. That's why before each chemotherapy cycle, I need to do a blood test to check that I'm healthy enough to go through the cycle. The blood test will check my complete blood count {red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets} is at healthy levels, and my kidneys ..read more

In NUH, they have a patient-nurse buddy system for cancer patients. These "nurse navigators" offer practical and emotional support to cancer patients and their families.  I met my friendly nurse navigator, Nurse Meera, on Tue 28 Nov, the same day I did the first blood test and echocardiography for my adjuvant chemotherapy and Herceptin jabs treatment plan. We talked for about an hour at the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore {NCIS}.  Nurse Meera went into the nitty gritty of what I needed to do before, during, and after each chemotherapy cycle... as well as the possi ..read more

After what seems like a very long time, I finally got to remove my surgical drain after nearly 3 weeks during my visit with Dr Jane on Wed 16 Nov 2022! *throws confetti*  Surgical drains are tubes inserted into the soft tissue of your breast after surgery to help drain excess fluids that build up inside your body. This fluid is normal and fills the space where breast tissue was removed during surgery. If not drained properly, excess fluid may misshapen implants, cause infections, and other complications.  Drains are left in until the fluid output reaches a low level. This is usua ..read more

Every time I go to the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore {NCIS} to meet Dr Samuel, it is always so terribly crowded. My appointment with him on Mon 14 Nov 2022 was at 3pm, so I registered via the OneNUHS app around 2pm, and we arrived there at 2.45pm. Lil Pumpkin came with us this time as she had her science enrichment class in the evening and we wanted to send her to class after my appointment.  I did my heart-rate and blood pressure screening, then waited until 3.40pm to see Dr Samuel. While waiting, 2 students/ research assistants?? approached me to take part in their ..read more