Madam Vijaya is a breast cancer survivor, now part of the National Cancer Society Malaysia, where she serves as the Head of Volunteer and Clinical Support, providing holistic support and counselling services to not only cancer patients, but also to survivors and caregivers. She has given inspiring talks to a variety of universities, schools and hospitals about her survivorship while spreading awareness about cancer. Moreover, Madam Vijaya has won the Global Hero of Hope Award in 2015, which has led the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) to produce a short film about her story.

Madam Vijaya began the session by sharing her experience from the very beginning: she had a good life, a loving family and her own interior design company. But then she was diagnosed with cancer at 63 years old. Upon discovery of a lump, she took the initiative to get a breast examination. After a mammogram, ultrasound and a biopsy, Madam Vijaya was diagnosed with cancer. Upon receiving the news, she described feeling like a ‘zombie’. Her examination was followed very shortly by the operation, hence the lack of time to process the news, yet all that went through her mind was, “I have to beat this”.

Despite the devastating news, Madam Vijaya expressed that she had never been more grateful to have love, care, empathy and support from her family and doctors throughout the procedure. In fact, it was her doctor who recommended that she become a navigator for other cancer patients.

As with any cancer patient, there were both good days and bad days for Madam Vijaya. She lost 30kg through the procedure, took her chemotherapy medication while also dealing with diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Furthermore, there was a point of time when her blood sugar was too high and she spent six months on insulin. On good days, she would spend her time viewing recipes, playing sudoku and other games and activities.

A Q&A session followed the talk, in which Madam Vijaya further shared her knowledge and experience. Despite having to carry the weight of her own burden, Madam Vijaya has courageously helped an array of cancer patients whose stories she shared as well.

One might think that everyone is aware of ‘typical’ cancer symptoms, yet Madam Vijaya expressed her frustrations over being stereotyped or misunderstood as a cancer patient. These misconceptions include the myth that cancer is contagious and that men are unable to contract breast cancer (which may be even more traumatic for those affected). Burning questions about cancer such as “Does cancer hurt?”, “Does chemo hurt?”, “Is it ever too late to get treatment?” are also often asked. Madam Vijaya shared that the fourth chemotherapy session is the most painful, thus most patients skip it after the third. Chemotherapy is often more traumatic due to its side effects rather than the pain it causes, to which the audience members agreed.

To summarise the talk and Q&A session, Madam Vijaya strongly encouraged everyone to practise the following, whether they have been affected by cancer or not:

During the current Movement Control Order (MCO), Madam Vijaya has persevered and continued to provide counselling through voice and video calls. Despite the hardships, she shared that her cancer has made her a better person. As someone who has experienced cancer, Madam Vijaya’s talk was not intended to raise fear but rather remind us to be rational with our lifestyles and symptoms, live a good life and to be grateful for every aspect of our lives.