Suree Saekor
Thailand
I have been a vegetarian for 10 years and so I was surprised when I got cancer. Nine years ago, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer — the cancer cells had spread to the lymph nodes. The doctor told me that I had only six months left to live.
It was in 1994 that a lump was found in my left breast. I didn’t know what it was; it grew nowhere else but my breast. I was single, and terribly shy, so I ignored it until the end of 2000. Then it started to hurt, so I thought about telling my family, but I didn’t know how.
Thankfully, I went to Crown Prince Hospital for my piles surgery and the nurse noticed that there was a lump in my breast while she was helping me with my electrocardiogram. She told the doctor and he had a section of tissue examined, and the test result showed breast cancer. I just had piles surgery and felt too weak to stay in the hospital for more treatment.
At the beginning of 2001, my siblings took me to Siriraj. After a medical checkup, the doctor in charge said, “This is very serious! What took you so long to seek treatment?” The tumor was 7 cm and too big for surgery, but he encouraged me to arrange for treatments, chemotherapy first, and surgery after the tumor got smaller.
In addition, what brought me hope at the time was Tian Xian Liquid (TXL)! My nephew told me about it, saying that Tian Xian Liquid is well-known and a good medicine that has won many prizes in many countries. Tian Xian Liquid was not sold in Thailand back then, so we had to buy it in Hong Kong.
Before long, the doctor suggested I have chemotherapy. I could hardly stomach it the first time. The second day, after I got home, my nephew told me that he knew where to buy Tian Xian Liquid in Thailand, and my brother got it for me. It arrived on the fifth day after my chemotherapy and my nephew said this was life-saving medicine. What he said and did comforted me a lot. After taking Tian Xian Liquid, the side effects of chemotherapy gradually decreased and I could eat and sleep much better.
Since then, I have been taking Tian Xian Liquid while getting chemotherapy, After the third chemotherapy, my nephew took a look at my wound and told me that it healed so fast that he thought it was unbelievable! My nephew was the one who always took care of my wound, so I thought it must be Tian Xian Liquid’s effect. In the fourth chemotherapy, my doctor checked and told me my wound got smaller — those rotten places whitened and formed a scab. Doctors all felt strange about it and cut it off completely. The surgery was successful but I still had to take chemotherapy 25 times to kill off all the cancer cells. Although the treatment and recovery took a very long time, my life remained normal and I could take care of not only myself but also my business.
Although my bad decision delayed the best chance of treatment, I was lucky to meet a kind doctor and Tian Xian Liquid, which helped me through my difficulties. Nine years have passed and my body is still very healthy; I feel like a normal person. I want to thank my doctor in charge, Dr. Adune, and my family who brought me confidence and encouragement, as well as the people who work at IRCA, Thailand Branch.
I want to tell all the women that you should self-examine your breasts as part of your health routine each month. If you happen to find any abnormal lumps in your breast, you have to arrange further examination in the hospital immediately. Don’t be shy like me who delayed checkups.
Finally, to other cancer sufferers, don’t be deterred by the stage of your cancer. Don’t fret over how long you will live. As long as you treat cancer the right way, relax and encourage yourself a lot, don’t feel disappointed or frustrated, you will be like me — recovered and living a normal life!
