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It was meant to be a postoperative checkup to see if his scars were healing well.
However, the atmosphere in the doctor’s office was gloomy, a far cry from the previous times when the doctor shouted his name jovially when Tammy Chen entered the room.
This time, the doctor solemnly asked him to take a seat and said, “The results are not very good. It is cancer.”
Discovering lumps
The 28-year-old first discovered lumps in her breasts in late November last year and made an appointment to be referred to a specialist. While she confirmed that there were lumps through an ultrasound at the time, she was told it was “normal” to have them. He would return three months later to review the situation.
For Tammy, she ran regularly and was considered healthy, albeit on the small side. She also had no family history of breast cancer, and therefore when the circuit breaker tripped, she put aside going back to the specialist for follow-up.
When phase 1 of Singapore’s reopening began, he caught up with his job as an insurance agent and postponed his second doctor’s appointment. However, she was still feeling somewhat restless and it was in August 2020 that she finally decided to see the specialist again.
It was then that the lumps were found to have increased in size. “The doctor said that the shape had changed from defined to a flower petal shape,” he said. Then a biopsy was done and it was determined that she had breast cancer.
Tammy remembered being momentarily blank when she received the news.
“But I knew I had to compose myself and listen to everything the doctor had to tell me,” he said.
As he received the information, there were only two questions running through his mind: “Am I going to die?” and “Will I have to undergo chemotherapy?”
The doctor immediately assured her that there was an 80 to 100 percent survival rate and shared that breast cancer that occurs in someone in their twenties is quite rare.
Deciding to remove both breasts
In Tammy’s case, the particular breast cancer she had (mucinous carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ) usually only occurs in women who are between the ages of 50 and 60. And because it spreads slowly and thrives on female hormones, no surgery would generally be recommended and the condition would be treated with oral medications.
However, as she was only 28 years old, the doctor advised her to consider surgical removal of her breasts, as she was still young and had many years ahead of her.
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Fortunately, a full body checkup showed that the cancer had not spread and was located mainly within her right breast. And while she could have chosen to remove only her right breast, she decided to follow the doctor’s recommendation to remove both.
“My left side had lumps that the doctor feared would turn cancerous and that he would have to do radiation therapy and monitor the situation,” Tammy noted.
“Removing both meant reducing the risk of the cancer coming back, which I felt was safer in the long run and I didn’t want to have surgery again if possible.”
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Processing such important news in your twenties is difficult, and even more so when you don’t have your family with you.
With travel restrictions in place, Tammy decided not to share the news with her parents, who do not reside in Singapore. “I didn’t want my mother to be especially unnecessarily worried and angry that she can’t fly and be with me during this time.”
It was only after a friend hinted at her that she mentioned her surgery to her father the day before he underwent surgery “just in case something happened.” To date, he has yet to tell his mother about his cancer, hoping to break the news in person.
Choose replacements
Although she thought against breast reconstruction, she decided to go ahead with the procedure as she “didn’t want to regret it” and while doing it later was an option, it would mean going under the knife again.
“I also want to keep wearing nice clothes,” he joked.
However, that was not the end of the series of decisions he had to make. Her consultation with the plastic surgeon saw her looking at a wide selection of implants in different shapes and materials.
“They encouraged me to touch and feel them all,” Tammy shared. “The doctor even told me that I could enlarge them if I wanted.”
In addition to implants, she also had to decide what type of surgical procedure she was most comfortable with. “The doctor also assured me that the implants would look natural. Not as cheerful as those who opt for breast augmentation.”
The surgery went smoothly, and since the cancer was confirmed not to have spread to the lymph nodes, no chemotherapy was required. For now, she is considered cancer-free and should only take oral medication.
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She was even discharged earlier than expected and returned to work three weeks after being on the operating table. “I didn’t really tell my clients that they were going to operate on me, and some of them were looking for me. Fortunately, due to CB, many are now open to the idea of video calling, so I didn’t have to go home and was able to to manage, “he shared.
In addition to feeling easily tired now, life has returned to normal for Tammy as it has been just over a month since her big surgery. But nevertheless, he knows that things are not exactly the same as they were before.
“In some ways it still feels very different, and I’ve learned not to take things like health for granted anymore,” Tammy said. “I also realized how important it is to have a support system and a community in such difficult times.”
When asked why she decided to share her journey publicly on Instagram, she said: “This must have happened to me for a reason and other young women have approached me with questions after I shared my condition. And I am glad that I can help and give. force anyone who may be going through something similar. “
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is held every October. Since breast cancer is the number one cancer affecting women in Singapore and early detection can save lives, women are encouraged to get a mammogram for just $ 25 for Singapore citizens. Visit pinkribbonsingapore.org to learn more about the various activities that are carried out to raise awareness of breast cancer.
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