16-06-06 to 16-06-09 : 3 Beautiful Years

(click on the "4-arrows" icon for a full-size screen view)

16-06-06 to 16-06-09..

3 beautiful years..

Life..

To be savoured..

To be treasured..

To be loved..

With many more..

And then some..

Beautiful years to come..

(remember to turn up the speaker volume..)

The Link between Stress and Cancer..

The following is an extract from an article title ‘The link between stress and cancer ‘ by Dr. Ang Peng Tiam in “Mind Your Body” of the Strait Times dated 18 December 2008:

I remember a conversation in 1992, when Professor Sun Yan, a renowned oncologist from Beijing, visited Singapore.

He was asked whether he believed that stress can cause cancer.

Without hesitation, he said: 'Of course, stress definitely causes cancer.'

I was taken aback and asked him why he gave such a confident response. He went on to talk about the Cultural Revolution in China.During that period, between 1965 and 1975, ordinary Chinese people came under tremendous psychological stress.

Betrayal by friends and family, oppression of thought and mandatory and harsh new routines created an upheaval in their lives.'During that period, I was already a doctor and there was a sudden rise in the number of cancer patients in all the hospitals,' Prof Sun related.'We saw many more cancer patients. The common factor among them was the tremendous psychological stress they were all experiencing. That's why I'm sure that stress is one of the causes of cancer.'

At the time, I had doubted his conclusion. Today, after more than 20 years in the field of oncology, I am more inclined to believe him.

So how does stress cause cancer?Evidence from animal and human studies has shown that chronic stress weakens the immune system which is responsible for constant surveillance within our bodies for infections and cancers.This system seeks out and destroys abnormal cancer cells which may arise from time to time.

When it fails, the cells can go undetected and grow into malignant tumours.For the same reason, patients suffering from Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or post-kidney transplant patients on immunosuppressive drugs, are more prone to developing certain cancers.

There is also some data suggesting that cancer patients who feel helpless and have negative emotions tend to be worse off. The 'bad vibes' promote the growth or spread of cancer, although this relationship was not consistently seen in all the studies.

So how can anyone, particularly a cancer patient, cope with stress?Faith in God is one way. By entrusting one's life to a supreme being, the burden is taken off oneself.

Exercise, meditation, leisure activities, counselling and use of anti-anxiety drugs may all help in improving one's psychological well-being too.

Even though I sometimes struggle to see the many patients waiting to see me, I constantly remind myself to practise what I preach: 'Be happy and live each day to its fullest'.

You don't need science to tell you that.

Dr Ang, the medical director of Parkway Cancer Centre, has been treating cancer patients for nearly 20 years. In 1996, he was awarded Singapore's National Science Award for his outstanding contributions to medical research.

CNA's TV program on Ovarian Cancer

Did you watch the full program on ovarian cancer on Channel News Asia (CNA)?
So many things to learn from this TV program. Please take the opportunity to watch this full version:

http://www.parkwaycancercentre.com/multimedia/journey-of-hope/ovarian-cancer-part-1

5-in-1 Test at Year #3..

For the first time, Dr Ang Peng Tiam suggested that I go through a series of tests to round out what had seemed like a fantastic first 3 years, post-chemo. It was to cover..

1. my mammogram

2. my bone density

3. my cholesterol level

4. my overall blood test incl CA 125

5. and the big one, my CT Scan

Even with all the 'experience' of needles and numerous tests before, one cannot help but feel a little uneasy at the thought of all 5 tests being done at one go. Wouldn't the chances of something 'negative' popping up be quite high from these large series of tests?

I thought it would be best to get them over and be done with, once and for all.

So, on Saturday 28March, I trooped into Mt E, with hubby in tow, to face this 5-in-1 test like a good warrior should. First, it was the blood test. Then the bone test. Followed by the mammogram and lastly, the CT scan.

And on Monday, in Dr Ang's spanking new office, he said..

"All's fine, Nellie! You are in great shape!"

What a huge relief..again!

As you can see from these "Before" and "After" photos of the test, my face told a thousand stories.

I happily sat on the new recreation-chair outside of Dr Ang's room for my usual R&R ..a shot of Zometa, to strenthen the bones and wipe out any remaining unwanted cells.

Another good day at the office..as they would say in the corporate world.

Yes.. many, many more to come, I would say!

"Cancer is not a contagious disease"..

Setting the record straight on this needling question on cancer..

Cancer is not a contagious disease
(ST Forum - 09 March '09)

WE REFER to the article by Andy Ho last Saturday, "'Catch' cancer? Yes, you can".
( http://heresthenews.blogspot.com/2009/03/cancer-yes-you-can.html )
It highlights the role of infectious agents, particularly viruses in causing cancer, and suggests that since viruses are infectious, one might "catch" cancer from a cancer patient.

Viruses have been known to play a role in cancer causation since the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the transforming activity of the rous sarcoma virus in chickens by Dr Peyton Rous nearly 100 years ago. However, an infectious virus causing cancer is different from cancer being a contagious disease. In other words, healthy patients do not acquire cancer from another patient.

One of our patients mentioned this as a concern recently, and we feel it is important to point this out as cancer patients require the full support and care of their loved ones. It would be sad to see our patients with advanced cancer dying alone and or with relatives fearing to hold their hands or touch them. Some may even use such excuses to neglect or isolate their relatives with cancer.

Viruses are widespread and many people may have been exposed without symptoms. Hepatitis B carriers, for example, have an increased risk of liver cancer. Carriers could pass on hepatitis B as an infection, and all necessary precautions should be taken to minimise this.

However, only a minority of hepatitis B carriers develop liver cancer. These patients frequently acquired their infection many years ago at birth or during childhood. The liver cancer itself is not contagious.

It is estimated that 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the adult American population has been exposed to the virus mentioned in the article, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is related to nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and lymphoma.

About 50 per cent of the world population has been exposed to the bacterium, helicobactor pylori, related to stomach cancer.

Overall, very few people who are exposed eventually develop these cancers.

Certainly, hand washing and other general hygiene measures are needed when we care for our loved ones with cancer, mainly to protect them from germs. However, we should not let that prevent us from touching and loving them.

Dr Peter Ang Cher Siang
Dr Tay Miah Hiang
Dr Leong Swan Swan
Oncocare Cancer Centre

Back to the original "crime scene"..

Back to the original "crime scene"?..

Well, kind of. This is not CSI.

But you see, it was exactly 3 years ago that the real story of my cancer started..right here, as shown in this photo : Cameron Highlands, the place of the original "crime scene".

For it was from here that I started to feel discomforts in my abdomen, after a short New Year holiday there. Click here for the original story :

http://beatcancer10.blogspot.com/2006/07/somethings-not-right.html

So, it was nice to "retrace" back, like a CSI detective, to this spot, exactly 3 years later. As a golfer, this has to be one of the loveliest and most serene places in this part of the world, down from the hillside of this public golf course in Tanah Rata, and with the view of the Chinese temple at the back, where I have offered prayers everytime I was there, without fail.

And being the eve of the New Year of 2009, hubby and I had a wonderful dinner at the famous "Ye Olde Smokehouse" Hotel, right beside this golf course.

Was it a dinner to remember? Yes..except that most of it was left on the road kerb, beside the hotel. Suffice to say that my tummy was not taking to RM300-type haute-cuisine well, at high altitude. A simple RM1.20 prata will do nicely for me, thank you very much..haha!

Nellie featured in "HealthNews" by ParkwayHealth

'If I have to, I'll fight it again' ..

I was asked to be featured in Parkway Healthcare's PCC newsletter in November, and I agreed.

Here's the full story published this month ..one that I am particularly happy with because my Mum and sister are both shown standing by my side. A lovely family moment for me..

http://www.parkwaycancercentre.com/healthnews/english/January2009/004_newsandevents_healthnews_2009_jan1.htm

Dancing with Children..what a gift!

I have to pinch myself at times..
Where else can you dance with wonderful 4-, 5- and 6-year old children?
When else should we let our own innocent free spirits fly high and just enjoy the moment?



I had the honour (and privilege) to step on stage with some of the lovely children from my childcare centres 3 weeks ago and danced with them, in front of over 250 parents during this year's Graduation Concert 2008. And what energy indeed from these musically gifted children ..raw and unbridled. And they hardly required much in terms of directions from our teachers to dance their moves to this catchy Bollywood favourite, "Bole Chudiyan".

What an "encore", children! (did we teach you, or did you teach us teachers instead?)

I am just so lucky to be able to receive these moments of joy and laughter from the children. Thank you, children (and my teachers) for shining "your light" on me on that day and allowing me to dance with you .. what a gift indeed that you have given me that day! (thank you, parents too!)

Malacca - Our Spiritual Home..

For the Peranakans, Malacca is regarded by many as their spiritual home. For us, Malacca is much more than our spiritual home, for that was where we were borned!

2 years ago in Oct '06, one of the first places I wanted to go to, after the end of my chemo treatments, was Malacca. Somehow, when I am there, I feel "whole". It is a rather strange feeling, perhaps one that comes out of being so close to my own mortality just 2 years ago, and is hard to explain.

This time during the Deepavali holiday, with Mum and sis in tow, we took to Jonker Walk like we were just there, 2 years ago. We visited Mum's sister, who lives there and it was evident on our faces that we enjoyed this small 'reunion' of sorts, everytime we walk on the streets of Malacca.

These 2 photos, 2 years apart, really showed how far I have come, since the chemo days.

I will surely continue to go to Malacca, and renew my spiritual side of my life, every year if I can..

Not Giving Up..

I was glad to read this news article today, and more importantly, to see this good man successfully fighting his cancer. More power to this "NKFbuster"!


Not Giving Up..

WHEN the doctor asked 'Mr Charity' Gerard Ee to sit down, he knew the news about his colon check was not good.

'I told the doctor I'd watched enough movies to know that when the doc says take a seat, it's bad news,' recalled Mr Ee yesterday. 'I told him: 'Don't waste my time, tell me what the outcome is.''

The doctor replied: Stage 3 colon cancer, with a tumour almost as big as a tennis ball.

Patients at this stage of colon cancer are said to have a 40 per cent survival rate on average. 'If the cancer was Stage 4, I'd be a goner,' said Mr Ee.

For the veteran volunteer and charity personality, this marked the beginning of a period of contemplating the possibility of death and what it would mean for those around him, especially his wife and teenage children.

Almost a year since that day in the doctor's clinic, the 59-year-old came out in public yesterday to share the story of his fight against the dreaded Big C.

He did so to show his support for a campaign by the Lien Foundation to get people talking more openly about death and dying.

The campaign coincides with the Government's move to promote the Advance Medical Directive, a legal document to instruct doctors not to take extraordinary measures to prolong life if one is terminally ill or unconscious. The Lien Foundation's chairman, Mrs Margaret Lien, said of the campaign: 'A lot of unnecessary burden and pain can be avoided if we can talk about end-of-life matters openly.'

For Mr Ee, a retired accountant who is currently chairman of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and Public Transport Council, the past year has meant undergoing surgery to remove the tumour and 12 sessions of chemotherapy.

The good news is that he is now 'in the clear' since finishing his last round of chemotherapy in June.

Looking back, he said what helped him through the year was his faith in God, a sense of humour and the fact that he had put his finances in order. The devout Catholic said: 'People were surprised I was so calm throughout the whole thing. I think if I didn't have a strong faith in God, I would have been in a panic.'

His calmness helped his wife, 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter to accept the diagnosis as well.

'I tried to avoid using dramatic words like 'tumour' when I broke the news to my family,' he said. 'I said: 'I have a growth that needs to be operated on.' I knew that if I was hysterical about it, it would have had a chain effect on others.'

Mr Ee was hard-pressed to answer when asked what proved most difficult for him in facing up to cancer. But he confessed to being worried before the surgery to remove his tumour.

'There are only two outcomes: you wake up, or you don't,' he said. 'If you don't wake up, that's the end of the story and my will and life insurance would take care of what happens after that.
'But if you wake up, you have to figure out what to do after that.'

He woke up. And what he did after that was work to keep his spirits up.
He had a rule for his family: No one was allowed to treat him like an invalid.
So he drove himself to chemotherapy sessions and, within two weeks of the operation, was back to performing a host of volunteer commitments.

The surgery involved removing a part of his small intestine, over half a metre of large intestine and his appendix as well. Over the whole process, he also lost 25kg.

'Having a sense of humour is important. I told my friends I had a free liposuction with the operation,' he said.

After keeping his illness private for a year, the Lien Foundation campaign gave Mr Ee a chance to share what he had gone through.

He thinks it is important to get people to prepare for death. Among other things, their families may suffer if they fail to settle their finances before they go.

He said: 'The only thing in life you can guarantee, and nowadays people talk about guarantees, is death.

'If you treat death as taboo and don't prepare for it, you are leaving behind a legacy in which your family will suffer because you ignore it and pretend it won't happen to you.'

theresat@sph.com.sg
13Nov08, ST

Run for Hope 2008..

6.45am, the fresh smell of a light sea breeze and an inquisitive morning sun peering through the clouds .. what a lovely combo for this year's Run for Hope 2008 this month at the East Coast beach.

About 7,000 runners turned up this year to support the annual 'Run for Hope' event to raise funds for cancer research.

It's a lovely sight to see so many of us taking the initiative to give $35 per head to this most worthy of charitable causes.

Yes, it's nice to just be able to join in this effort..my 3rd consecutive Run since my chemo days. Many more to come, I know.

>>gleefully ntangle

"I have never seen a sunset before.."

Have you seen a real sunset lately?

This video on the sun setting on the Greek island of Mykonos was the first time I have seen one in all its glory.

Take a look at it again..it is such an amazingly relaxing sight. One minute of pure food for the soul, really.

In broad daylight, this is how the island looks..magical.

>>gleefully ntangle

CNA's TV program on "A Journey of Hope"..

3 weeks ago, Dr Ang Peng Tiam's office called to asked if I would be supportive of a TV program on cancer, called "A Journey of Hope". I naturally said "Yes, of course".. anything I can do to help support such a cause, I would be more than glad to do so.

Until.. I realised that I was supposed to be one of the subjects on the TV program itself! The program was to show how ovarian cancer has impacted women in Singapore, how it is now the 4th highest cancer incidence hitting women here, and how some women, afflicted by it, had been dealing with and managing this form of cancer.

"You mean I will be filmed for it.. on camera?", I asked the good doctor.

Yes, this would be the 1st time that I would be put on film.. and on TV!

I decided that it would be a worthy cause.. sharing my story, and in a way, going public. CNA wanted to film me in natural settings, so the producer, a lovely lady called Amelia, decided that the shoots would best be taken in the childcare centre where I work, and the East Coast Park, where I spend my relaxation hours.

I sms'd Hubby to ask if he was ok with it. He replied, "Sure, so long as it doesn't impact your health"..in his usual tongue-in-cheek way.

And so, on Wedn 03 Sept, the 5th episode of "A Journey of Hope" was aired. It featured 2 other fellow ovarian cancer warriors. One as young as 18. How can this be? Why is this cancer hitting women at a younger and younger age? It just doesn't seem right that this is happening.

After watching the episode in full, I was glad I plucked up the courage to support this program. The message on ovarian cancer must be told to more women. Only with an increase in awareness, can this insidious cancer be minimized, if not stopped.

Here are a few clips of this 5th episode on "A Journey of Hope".. (this battle on ovarian cancer must start with a higher awareness, then knowledge, then courage..and then there shall be hope!)

/gleefully ntangle

Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon takes over network TV

No one does this better than the US..when it comes to raising awareness of a global campaign, there's no equal. We sat watching this amazing gathering of stars with one aim in mind..rid the world of cancer. $100m raised so far..
There's hope for us all, not just cancer patients or cancer survivors like me.. but all.

/gleefully ntangle

Stand Up to Cancer telethon takes over network TV
By SANDY COHEN – 2 days ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) —

Skateboarder Tony Hawk, actor Shemar Moore and other celebrities said they joined in a three-network cancer telethon on Friday because the disease had touched or taken the lives of loved ones.

Hawk, who lost his father to lung cancer 15 years ago and a close friend to a brain tumor last month, called the timing of the Stand Up to Cancer telethon "poetic."

"I'm here doing whatever they ask of me," he told reporters before the telethon began. "As long as I don't have to sing or dance, it's all good."

Stand Up to Cancer, a fund- and awareness-raising organization, organized the unprecedented, star-studded live telethon airing simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS on Friday night.

Moore, who said his uncle's wife waged a successful three-year fight against cancer, was eager to answer phones for the cause.

"I'm gonna be sweet-talking some people and trying to reach into their pockets," said Moore, who stars on CBS' "Criminal Minds."

Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland said her boyfriend's father died of cancer recently and her brother has been diagnosed with the disease. Sugarland, Melissa Etheridge and others were to close the show with a retooled version of Etheridge's "I Run for Love" — changed to "I Stand for Life."

"I hope I'm going to be able to get through it without crying," Nettles said, noting that Etheridge is a cancer survivor.

Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, whose hit "The Remedy" was inspired by a friend's battle with bone cancer, also was slated to join the star-studded finale performance.

Rehearsing with Etheridge and others "actually gave me chills," Mraz said. "Their star power is stripped away and they're just human beings today."

Casey Affleck, who was set to help answer donation calls, said he had a secret way to command more contributions.

"I'll probably tell them I'm ... someone more famous and exciting so I can get a bigger donation," he said.

America Ferrera left the "Ugly Betty" cast in New York so she could participate in the fundraiser. The Emmy nominee said she lost a beloved college professor to cancer, and that she hoped the evening would be a "hopeful" one that will inspire those facing the disease.

Hollywood producer Laura Ziskin, one of the telethon's organizers, has fought cancer since 2004. After seeing what "An Inconvenient Truth" did for environmental awareness, Ziskin wanted to make a documentary about cancer, a disease she has fought since 2004.

But, teaming up with two other prominent women, she found another approach.

Former Paramount Pictures chief Sherry Lansing, who established a namesake foundation dedicated to cancer research and awareness, was working with television networks to put on a cancer-awareness TV special. So was Katie Couric, who has been an advocate for early cancer screenings — and even televised her own colonoscopy — since losing her husband to colon cancer 10 years ago.

So the women got together — along with other entertainment-industry execs and more than 60 of their famous friends — to create Stand Up to Cancer.

"I jokingly say I have to make cancer awareness entertaining," said Ziskin, who is producing the show at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. "The good news is that the entertainment community gets it. We're touched. Look at Patrick Swayze. Look at Christina Applegate. Look at Robin Roberts.

"Cancer is not in the closet anymore, and now that it's out of the closet we have to motivate the public to demand that as a country we do better," she continued. "And if the country won't do it, we'll do it. We'll raise money ourselves and try to spend that money in a way that will lead to better, less toxic treatments that we can get to patients more quickly."

Applegate, who recently underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer, is among those set to help deliver the message Friday. She'll be joined by scores of other stars from TV, music and film, including Halle Berry, Forest Whitaker, America Ferrera, Jack Black, Salma Hayek, James Taylor, Carrie Underwood and Rob Lowe.

Celebrities will share their personal experiences with the disease and will help answer phone calls from donors, Ziskin said.

The hourlong show also will include a performance of "Just Stand Up," a charity song featuring Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Rihanna, Fergie, Miley Cyrus, Underwood and others.

Couric and her fellow network news anchors, Charles Gibson and Brian Williams, are set to host the show.

The aim of Stand Up to Cancer is to raise funds for "translational research," Ziskin said, which encourages scientists to collaborate rather than compete, translating basic science into applicable therapies for patients. She compared the approach to the Manhattan project.

"We took the best and brightest and locked them up in Los Alamos and said you can't leave until you split the atom and create, unfortunately, a bomb," Ziskin said. "This is no less a problem, with half a million Americans a year dying from this disease. If we take best and brightest, encourage them and reward them for working together, the answers will come much more quickly."


Read these too:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/02/entertainment/main4407953.shtml

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5748258&page=1

Once-in-a-Lifetime Moments..

Have you had the urge to start a collection of what I would call "Once-in-a-Lifetime" moments or experiences as part of your life journey?

Well, I have to admit that once you have experienced cancer inside you, the urge to do more and more of these OIAL events gets even more urgent. And for all the right reasons, of course. Time is the most precious commodity now (and yes, a gift), and cancer survivors simply want to make things happen, and in so doing, make our very own time. Does this make sense to you?

OIAL events become even more meaningful too, simply because one can sense that these events may truly turned out to be once only, and no more..

In the world of songs and music, I am happy to say that I have experienced some amazing once-in-a-lifetime moments so far. Top of the list has to be the 'live' concert of "The Police - ReUnion" on the very stage of the Singapore Indoor Stadium, back in Feb earlier this year. Can you feel the "Breath"? Here.. take a feel of Sting's breath, courtesy of a bit of phone technology in the pocket on that magical night..

And then, there's the all-time favourite, Roxanne..

I can feel Sting singing to me whenever I hear this.. who cares if I was on the cheapest seats in the house, and 20 rows away..

I feel good just thinking of this event. And isn't feeling good a crucial part of our post-cancer therapy? And are you "making your very own time" too?

(hubby and I argued over which concert was the nirvana, this or that Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" concert in Singapore 2 years back.. we voted for the Eagles in the end, surely a once-in-a-lifetime moment then)

/gleefully ntangle

The Symbol of Eternity..

Of all the stories, the schoolbooks and the wonders of ancient history, the one that stood out for us most was the history of the great Egyptian era.. and of course, the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Hailed by many as the universal symbol of Eternity, one cannot help but feel small in front of this massive human engineering feat, which has lasted over 4500 years .. yes, it was built in 2560 B.C.!

Being there, right under the shadow of these magnificent pyramids, one can sense that "eternity". Not even the beautiful Sphinx can compare with its majesty and longevity.

I wish a little of this "eternity" has rubbed off on me..

Yes, life can be short..but it was a dream come true to be standing beside the Great Pyramids of Giza.. and holding it by the tip of my fingers, no less!

This is one experience for me that will last for eternity!

( the Great Pyramid itself - the one with the polished tip - can be scaled downwards, right into the very heart, by walking down a tunnel through bended knees. I decided to take the scenic option and opted out, but hubby was game enough to overcome the heat and the claustrophobic tunnel to view the insides.. what a view it must have been!)

The Passing of a Great Teacher..

Prof Randy Pausch has touched millions of people with his "Last Lecture". He touched ours too, when we referred to this lecture in our earlier posting back in March..

http://beatcancer10.blogspot.com/2008/03/prof-pauschs-fight-with-cancer-and-his.html

We took his new "Last Lecture" book with us last month to Athens and Cairo, when we went there for a 12day break. We finished his book by Day#3. Such was his way with words that we simply wanted to continue reading page after page..

A remarkable professor, and a great teacher indeed, as noted by CNN below..

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/07/25/obit.pausch/index.html

Here are some gems from his Last Lecture speech..

“…when you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your critics are the ones telling you they still love you and care.”

“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.”

“It’s not about how to achieve your dreams, it’s all about leading your life. If you lead your life in a right way, karma will take care of itself. And dreams will come to you.”

[Quoting a CMU secretary]“This advice is good for the ladies: when it comes to men that are romantically interested in you, it’s really simple: just don’t listen to anything they have to say; pay attention to what they do.”

“If I only had three words of advice, they would be, Tell the Truth. If got three more words, I’d add, all the time.”

"Father of Medicine" - Hippocrates & Athens' Acropolis

Long regarded by the world as the "Father of Medicine", Hippocrates was the man whom every doctor pledge allegiance to, through the Hippocratic Oath, which reads:

- To practice and prescribe to the best of my ability for the good of my patients, and to try to avoid harming them (source: Wikipedia)


We came across an alabaster figure of Hippocrates in Athens, while climbing up the Acropolis last month, and we told ourselves that we must bring this figure home for Dr Ang Peng Tiam, even if he has a drawer full of it in his office.

Turns out, at the next appointment on 19June for my blood-test results and the quarterly "ZoMeta transfusion", we were pleasantly surprised that he had none, and accepted our little gift of the bust of Hippocrates with open arms.

To me, Dr Ang is the father of medicine!

And with another set of results in his hands, he said..
"Everything is fine. Continue to live and enjoy your life, Nellie!"

The Acropolis in Athens, regarded as one of the original 7 Wonders of the World, was built where it is today because it is at the very peak of the, then and now, great Greek city of Athens.

I feel I , too, have reached the very peak of my health!

/gleefully ntangle

(the Acropolis is standing precariously today not just because of daily wear & tear from the elements, but also from the threat of earthquakes .. one of which we felt right under our feet on 8th June in our hotel room, and which we found out through the local TV the next day, that the 6.2 tumbler had destroyed multiple Greek towns, only 150 miles west of Athens at the region of Patra!)

A WonderWoman Indeed..

A fellow ovarian cancer warrior, Molly Lee, who took the extraordinary road of dealing with her cancer with her inspirational blog, and touched thousands of people along the way through it, passed away last month. She fought the disease all the way with amazing courage, and in the end, was truly a WonderWoman.

I never got to meet her in person (though hubby&I met her husband briefly when we paid our last respects at her wake), but I feel like I have known her as if we were friends for a long time, by merely 'walking' through her blog ..

http://www.wearewonderwomen.com/ ..and feeling most of what she felt in her postings.

This article on the Today newspaper, says it best..

Wonderwoman loses battle with cancer

Even in the last painful stretch, Molly Lee strove to help her blog’s readers

Friday • May 30, 2008 Today Online, Lin Yanqin yanqin@mediacorp.com.sg

THERE were countless letters to answer, talks to give, and many more women to encourage, but this wonder woman wasn’t able to do it all.

After three years of fighting ovarian cancer, Ms Molly Lee — who had wonVanilla magazine’s inaugural Singapore Woman Award in March for starting a highly-popular blog on cancer — died yesterday morning. Battling her second relapse when she won the award, Ms Lee, 33, was a fighter all the way to end, said husband Josef Lee.

“She was very cheerful, and she had plans,” he said. “She wanted to give talks to women about her experience with cancer, she wanted to reach out to more people.”

The publicity led many to discover her blog — www.WeAreWonderwomen.com — after she was featured in Vanilla magazine as a nominee, the number of hits she received rose from 80 to more than 130 a day.

“I would update her on the comments on her blog every day, and the letters and email she received, and she tried very hard to respond to all of them,” said Mr Lee, 29, a broadcast designer.

This, in spite of being in tremendous pain and discomfort from the disease and the chemotherapy.

“From April, it was just bad news all the way; we were told that the treatment wasn’t working. The tumours were causing her stomach to swell and she couldn’t do anything, she couldn’t sleep for days because of the pain,” added Mr Lee.

Through it all, Ms Lee made sure to update her blog when she could, getting her husband to type her posts when she was too ill to do it herself.

“She felt that it was almost like her responsibility to respond to the readers who were asking her for advice,” said Mr Lee. “At the same time, I think the encouragement from readers gave her a lot of strength, they inspired her too.”

Since Mr Lee posted about Ms Lee passing away yesterday morning, well-wishers have posted more than 20 responses. Said one: “Goodbye Molly, may you rest in peace ... Thank you for inspiring so many of us to be strong and be positive in the way we look at our lives. You will be missed.”

Said Vanilla :assistant editor Ms Pamela Ho, who had interviewed Molly for the magazine: “I think people will remember her strength, the way she never talked like she was going to die. She always talked about the things she liked to do, her favourite food, because she was so optimistic.”

Mr Lee hopes to continue running the blog — which has seen over 23,000 hits since its inception last year — as a place women can go to to share their own experiences fighting cancer and to seek answers to their questions.

“I do hope more women will continue to come and share their experiences,” he said. “That’s what the blog was created for, and I hope to continue it.”

Those who wish to pay last respects to Ms Lee can do so at Punggol Field, Block 203 (Multipurpose Hall), from now until Sunday when the cremation will take place.

Climbing New Walls, Scaling New Heights..

Since cancer crept into my life back in Jan 2006, I had always dreamt that someday, I will be able to scale the longest wall on this planet, with my mother by my side.

Of course, that wall is the Great Wall of China.

So, on a cold and icy morning of Monday, 18Feb ( only a month after China's worst winter storms for nearly half a century), we stood at the base of the Great Wall, with my mother by my side. And with the added bonus of my younger sister beside me, we all scaled the Wall!

It was symbolic for me. And it was steep in meaning too. Having experienced the depths of cancer, I was now scaling new heights, a 'feat' which only 24 months ago, would have been the furthest thing on my mind.

The tingling numbness of the toes was still there from the chemo, but who cares? The beauty of the Great Wall in the middle of winter was no less spectacular.

If my sister, who was also afflicted with cancer barely 9 months after my own diagnosis, and I were able to "make it here", the feeling in me was that nothing in this world could stop us.. yes, nothing can stop me from reaching even greater heights.

Reach out for that symbolic new height, in your own way.. I know it will mean a lot to us as cancer survivors!

/gleefully ntangle