Modern Disease

There are many different types of cancer: breast cancer, bone cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma (cancer in lymph nodes), etc. Breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer in women.

In 1985 my sister was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer. It started when she felt  a lump on her one side of her breast. The lump was painless and hard. Sometimes, she also had pain on her breast. She consulted with her doctor to have a physical exam of her breast, and she was advised to have mammography (x-ray technique to detect breast tumour). The doctor suspected that she had cancer. To be sure she underwent a biopsy (removal of tissue for diagnosis), from which she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went to another doctor for a second opinion, but also had the same diagnosis. Then she advised to undergo mastectomy (surgical removal of cancer cells in the breast). And thank God that the operation was successful.

After 12 years the cancer cells returned. Cells metastasized in her lungs and ovary. The doctor told us that my sister's cancer was is in stage III but this time was in her lungs. She stayed in the hospital for almost 2 months to remove the water in her lungs and undergo radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Second-hand smokers (those who inhale cigarette smoke from another person) are more likely to have lung cancer. Some says that it's better to be smoker than to be a second hand smoker. For me it's better to avoid smokers than to smoke. She was inserted with a tube on the side of her body to release the water from her lungs. After the treatment, we went home. Every month she had a follow-up check-up with her doctor. Another surgery was done, this time is on her hip. That was when she became bedridden. She felt deep pain in many other parts of her body. By that time it had become stage IV breast cancer. That was the second time when she had her second set of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The doctor also advised her to undergo hip surgery because her hip was also affected by cancer. Sometimes even young people get the disease. The hardest part for cancer patient is when they feel the deep pain in some or many parts of their body. Usually the doctors pay more attention on how to manage the pain than on the disease itself.

In the year 2004, my sister was hospitalized again for the 3rd time. And that was when she could no longer tolerate the pain in her body. Then her cancer get worse and the doctor said she could only live for 3 months. She had entered in a comatose stage. She was only living on pain killer and dextrose and some other medical treatment. This will continue until the time comes when she leaves this earth.