Those who meet Madam Wong for the first time would never be able to tell that she is a metastatic breast cancer patient. Quick on her feet and filled with quiet courage, no one would expect that Madam Wong was unable to walk on her own just a year ago. In September 2019, Madam Wong experienced excruciating back pain and her legs were numb. The mother of three went to the hospital and was told the unfortunate news that she had metastatic breast cancer, which had spread to her bones and lymph nodes. Her bone was pressing on a nerve that made it impossible for her to walk. During the critical stage, Madam Wong was unable to even lie down as the tumour was pressing on a nerve and she slept sitting in a chair.

When she first found out about the diagnosis, Madam Wong was in disbelief. The first thing that struck her mind was that she would not survive without treatment. She was told she had to undergo surgery to resolve the issue with the bone and nerve but had to wait for 2 weeks to heal before commencing radiotherapy treatment. Due to the severity of her tumour, Madam Wong chose to forgo the surgery and commenced treatment immediately, with 10 sessions of radiotherapy and oral chemotherapy. Regular scans showed that the tumour has shrunk a little and her condition is stabilising.While she used to get tired easily, Madam Wong slowly regained energy in her legs and started to walk with a walking frame. In three months, she was starting to feel better and began to walk normally around Chinese New Year. Throughout her mBC journey, her family and friends gave her the courage to go on, and her cousin especially emphasised that she should get treatment. Eventually, Madam Wong rebuilt her strength, and was able to resume her gardening and baking that she enjoyed before her mBC diagnosis.

Her uncle, a Stage 4 lymphatic cancer survivor, shared his experience with Madam Wong, accompanied her to doctor appointments, helped her navigate the treatment information, and most importantly gave her the confidence to get better. Seeing him living well gave her hope that she could too. She found that hearing stories from other mBC patients while she was at the hospital helped her feel less isolated as well. Madam Wong was surprised with the treatment results and how quickly she got back on her feet. In fact, she doesn't mind people telling her she does not look like a mBC patient – what matters to her is how she sees herself and she is undeniably happy with her progress. She goes walking and exercises regularly to stay healthy and has even picked up meditation since the diagnosis based on her uncle’s recommendation.Her kids motivate her to travel, which she did by going on short holidays with some friends. With the hope to eventually go back to work, Madam Wong practices the philosophy of enjoying life as much as she possibly can. She wants other mBC patients to not be afraid – do not think that you will always feel sick. Madam Wong never imagined her turnaround could be so quick with such improvements. Her journey and experience gave her hope that she can continue life in a positive light. Life does not have to stop because of mBC.