The Positive Fighter
Mary Loh’s husband died from liver cancer, and in a bitter twist of fate, she was diagnosed with almost the same illness. But her strong spirit helped her beat the odds
Mary Loh felt something was not right two years ago. She was unusually tired and listless, losing weight and did not have much of an appetite.
She decided to make an appointment to see Dr Teo Cheng Peng, Senior Consultant Haemato-Oncologist and Physician at Parkway Cancer Centre, who is also a personal friend. Dr Teo had treated Mary’s husband, who died from liver cancer 10 years ago.
Dr Teo gave her a blood test and scan, which revealed she had liver cancer with liver cirrhosis. Surgery was suggested, and she was sent to see liver specialist Dr K. C. Tan for an operation to remove the tumour in her liver.
“They operated on me, they opened me up, but they couldn’t take out the tumour,” says Mary.
The tumour was situated between two arteries. Removing it would disturb the arteries and make the situation worse.
So she was referred back to Dr Teo who started to treat her through non-surgical means. She has since received three sessions of Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) to minimise and destroy the tumour, a possible option when surgical removal is not viable.
Her first RFA was in April last year. The second and most recent one was in February this year.
She’s also had blood and albumin transfusions. Apart from these, she has to keep to a strict diet and has been told to take things easy and to slow down.
“My doctor says I am no longer the same person I was before, so everything I do now, I have to do it very slowly,” she says.
Mary cannot walk or move as fast as she used to, but still looks forward to each day, taking walks with her daughter and maid, going shopping or playing the occasional game of mahjong with friends.
At home she’s lively, always joking and laughing.
Despite her somewhat weakened physical state, she says she feels better than ever. She says: “I don’t know what it is but there’s something inside me that says that the treatment is giving me a better life. I feel that I have improved; my gut feeling tells me I have improved.” Her family has noticed the improvement too.
“Her cancer is actually well controlled,” says Dr Teo. “Usually, for such cases, patients do not live beyond 6 to 9 months. She has responded well to treatment since we first saw her two years ago. She has outlived our expectations.”
The 68-year-old former nurse especially enjoys taking part in the various activities organised by CanHOPE, Parkway Cancer Centre’s counselling service.
“She’s one of our most supportive and active participants,” says CanHOPE counsellor Susan Kirsopp, who has become a good friend and “unofficial goddaughter”.
“I feel happy when I’m in CanHOPE. It has helped me to look at life from a different angle – that nothing is impossible, everything is possible,” says Mary.
Dr Teo says of her positive attitude: “I think part of the reason why she has done well is her approach to her illness. Especially in the beginning, she would just plod on and fight the disease, without worrying about whether she would win or not. Her will to fight helped her get through the treatment more easily.”
What’s the secret to her positive and cheerful disposition? Mary replies with a smile: “It just comes like that.”
Dr Teo Cheng Peng
Senior Consultant Haemato-Oncologist
Parkway Cancer Centre
6A Napier Road
Gleneagles Hospital #01-35
Singapore 258500
Tel: (65) 6472 2662
Fax: (65) 6475 9221
