Ang bawat kwento at karanasan ng isang tao sa kanser ay natatangi. Ito ang mga istorya na maaaring makapagbigay ng inspirasyon sa iba pang may kanser upang magpatuloy sa kanilang laban. Sa pagbasa ng kanilang personal na karanasan pwede kang makakuha ng emosyonal na suporta sa pagharap mo sa iyong kanser. Kaya naman malugod na inihahandog ng Hello Doctor ang istorya ni Mrs. Mai Pimentel De Dios, isang visual artist at cancer patient survivor na hindi nagpatalo sa hamon ng kanyang sakit.
Ang Simula Ng Cancer Journey Ni Mai
Kagaya ng ibang kwento, hindi inakala ni Mai na susubukin ang kanyang katatagan ng kanser. Ang simpleng buhay na kasama ang kanyang 2 anak at pamilya sa Cavite ay tila nagambala noong magsimula ang kanyang pagdurugo.
“I have been bleeding for 2 years since 2020. My first ob-gynecologist said it was myoma. I had regular monthly check-ups for 2 years. He said I have an option to have it removed together with my uterus (since I already have 2 kids) or just have my monthly regular check-up, I chose the latter,” Mrs. Mai.
Ang desisyon ni Mai ay nabuo dahil na rin sa pagiging kampante na myoma lamang ang kanyang sakit, bagama’t may family history sila ng kanser. Namatay ang kanyang 1st cousin sa edad na 40 dahil sa breast cancer, at ang kanyang ina ay naoperahan din dahil sa kanser sa suso.
“Every month po ako sa ob, transV tapos may injection para sa bleeding kapag sobra po bleeding ko. But last September 2022 I suddenly felt a pain in my abdomen with severe bleeding which finally led me to decide to have it removed. I also found out that I was 6 months anemic. I had 5 bags of blood transfusion before having my hysterectomy,” Mrs. Mai.
Bukod pa rito, noong Disyembre 2022 na-diagnose si Mai ng Stage 1C Uterine Cancer noong lumabas ang resulta ng biopsy.
“I was shocked but not disheartened because I know God is with me. I believe I was healed,” Mrs. Mai.
Paglaban Ni Mai Sa Kanser
Unang sinabihan ni Mai sa kanyang kalagayan ang kanyang asawa, at kasabay ng paglaban niya sa kanser ay ang pakikibaka rin ng kanyang ina para sa sariling buhay.
“All throughout my mom (who happens to have a heart problem) and I went to our doctors almost always the same schedule. When I was in my doctor’s clinic (oncologist), while he was doing an abdominal ultrasound, he saw another possible mass and so I had to undergo a CT scan with contrast medium. I did and the result was positive, 1 mass outside my bladder and another one in the area where they removed my uterus,” Mrs. Mai.
Dahil sa resulta na lumabas, nakumpirma na mayroong stage 3 endometrial cancer si Mai. Kaya sinabihan na siya ng kanyang doktor na maghanda sa chemotherapy at radiation therapy sa loob ng 25 days straight.
“I was given antibiotics in preparation for the chemo and radiation and during that time my mom who had her heart procedure was in the ICU already, fighting for her life,” Mrs. Mai.
Pagharap Ni Mai Sa Kamatayan Ng Ina
“We were in a room and we were all praying, praying in the Spirit, crying and begging God for that miracle as she was being revived. At that moment my sister wanted to bring me to the ER because I felt a burning sensation in my abdomen. Minutes later our mom went home with the Lord. It was something we all thought would never happen, not that soon, not to Mama,” Mrs. Mai.
Bagama’t masakit sa kalooban ang paglisan ng kanyang ina sa gitna ng laban niya sa kanser, mas pinili ni Mai na magpakatatag para sa kanyang pamilya na hinihiling ang kanyang paggaling.
“But I have to fight yet again another battle and I know I am not alone, I am never alone, God is with me, with our family. After three days while we were in our mom’s wake, I had to go to my scheduled ultrasound,” Mrs. Mai.
Nagpunta muli sa ospital si Mai at nagsagawa ang mga doktor ng ultrasound sa kanya. Limang beses na inulit ang procedure sa kanya pero hindi nila mahanap ang mass.
“Friday after the funeral of Mama I went back to my Oncologist and he said, I still have to go through chemo but radiation won’t be needed and that my final diagnosis is now Stage 1,” Mrs. Mai.
Panibagong Pagsubok Kay Mai
“January 2023 I was admitted again to the hospital to redo all my tests, the result was not as we expected, I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer because they found a small node in my lungs and a possible mass in my pelvic area, also my heart had problems too. Mrs. Mai.
Nabigla si Mai sa bagong diagnosis sa kanya ng doktor, pero hindi nawala ang kanyang pag-asa. Pagkatapos ng isang linggo na-discharge siya at kinakailangan niyang bumalik muli sa kanyang oncologist at gyne onco na magde-determine kung anong treatment ang angkop sa kanya.
“I did a follow-up checkup with my 2 oncologists and received the good news – I AM CLEAR WITH CANCER since the result of the tumor markers were NEGATIVE and the immunohistochemistry resulted for LOW GRADE Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma that was removed during my hysterectomy last September,” Ms. Mai.
Nananatili na buo ang loob ni Mai sa paglaban niya para sa kanyang buhay at hindi naman siya nabigo dahil naging mabuti ang kanyang huling diagnosis.
“God is really faithful, the mass that they found was my fallopian tube and the node in my lungs they believed was a scar from my previous lung infection (covid). I was advised to return after 3 months for monitoring,” Mrs. Mai.
Aral Natutunan Ni Mai Sa Kanyang Cancer Journey
Mahirap at masalimuot ang pagharap sa sakit na kanser, pero kinaya ito ni Mai dahil na rin sa suporta ng mga tao sa kanyang paligid. Sa kanyang cancer journey marami siyang bagay na natutunan, at isa na rito ang pagkakaroon ng healthy lifestyle at pagsasagawa ng regular checkup. Kaya naman tinapos ni Mai ang interbyu na ito sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng payo.
Prevention is always better than cure. Start living a healthy life as early as possible. Tapos kapag may nafeel ka ng something, wag mo balewalain. Check-up regularly,” pagwawakas ni Mrs. Mai
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Para sa mga nais magpaabot ng tulong sa cancer journey ni Mai, narito ang mga detalye kung saan maaari magpadala ng tulong:
Gcash Name: Ma. Gloria Caridad De Dios
Gcash Number: 09954628742
Bank Account Name: Ma. Gloria Caridad De Dios
Union Bank Account Number: 109427241977
