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Mdm Choo Siew Tiang’s courageous battle against cancer shows her finding solace and strength in the three loves of her life.

Three peanut-sized lumps in her left breast. Three rounds of day surgeries over different years. One mastectomy. Five weeks of radiation therapy. Two-and-a-half months of chemotherapy. Numerous medical reviews. Various types of medication still to take.

Undeniably, Mdm Choo Siew Tiang, 69, has been on a physically taxing and mentally draining roller coaster in her battle to keep her Stage 2 non-genetic mutated breast cancer in remission.

A homemaker, mother of two grown children and avid badminton player, Mdm Choo also advocates for breast self-examinations (BSEs), perhaps influenced by her mother’s experience with breast lumps, which were removed through day surgery. “Maybe that’s why I have always been particular about doing my BSEs in the shower,” says Mdm Choo, who now works part-time as a promoter at a Danish children’s furniture store.

This simple practice, which takes only seconds, led to her early detection and diagnosis. According to the Singapore Cancer Registry, Stage 2 patients have a five-year survival rate of 80%.

The Beginning of an Uphill Battle

Mdm Choo discovered the first lump in 1994. A second lump, similar in size, appeared through a BSE in 2004. She underwent day surgery at two different private hospitals to remove them, and biopsies revealed they were benign.

In 2009, a third lump was found while she was taking a bath. Unfortunately, this time, the biopsy results were positive.

“I had hoped the biopsy would not bring bad news and that the lump wouldn’t be cancerous. But when I got the results, it hit me hard,” recalls Mdm Choo. “I asked myself, ‘Why me? Why must this happen to me?’”

Despite the diagnosis, she gathered her courage and relied on the doctors’ expertise. “At that moment, I knew nothing other than that I had to trust the doctors’ advice,” she says.

In 2010, at age 56, she underwent a mastectomy of her left breast. Her husband, son and daughter worried that the cancer could have spread. Thankfully, their fears were unfounded. That particular period of time was especially challenging for Mdm Choo because her younger sister’s ovarian cancer had relapsed after 10 years. Despite her own treatment, Mdm Choo visited her sister in the hospital.

She recalls, “By then, my sister had difficulty walking, but she came to visit me after my surgery. Our sisterly bonds were strong, and I believe we brought comfort to each other on our respective medical journeys.”

Shortly thereafter, Mdm Choo’s sister passed away.

Following her CT scan, Mdm Choo started chemotherapy and completed the final cycle in 2012. A year later, she suffered a relapse. The subsequent treatment required five weeks of daily radiation therapy, each session lasting five to eight minutes.

“It was excruciatingly painful, and the side effects included skin blisters and fatigue. It was very difficult to endure; I would shed tears each time I underwent the procedure,” she recalls.

In comparison, Mdm Choo says the four cycles of chemotherapy she went through were “far easier to endure”. However, chemotherapy also brought on various side effects: everything tasted bland, she lost her hair and she constantly felt bloated. It took her 30 minutes just to drink a glass of water. The discomfort led her to pace in circles around her flat for half an hour at a time.

The Resilience of the Human Spirit

What kept Mdm Choo going was her determination to live a healthy and active life while enjoying life’s simple pleasures. “My family supported me every step of the way. After each chemotherapy session, I would have a small celebratory meal, sometimes with my son,” she says. “I also found strength in exercise, my first love.”

Before her cancer diagnosis, Mdm Choo sometimes rock climbed, swam and jogged. “I even scaled Mount Kinabalu,” she shares. However, during chemotherapy, she couldn’t continue these sports.

Another side effect of chemotherapy for Mdm Choo was insomnia; she could not sleep more than an hour or two each night. “Wide awake early in the morning, I would stretch and head out at 5.30am to brisk walk along the park connector near my home. I would return an hour later, make breakfast, and do household chores,” she says.

Besides exercise, Mdm Choo loves cooking and eating. She seizes every opportunity to cook up a storm in the kitchen and is always ready to try new recipes. Being of Teochew descent, she enjoys traditional dishes with vegetables, ginger and garlic.

“I avoid sweet foods, fried food and too much red meat. I can live on bee hoon soup and eat fish daily. I believe this has helped my recovery journey,” she says.

Thriving Beyond Cancer

Mdm Choo remains active and vibrant, maintaining fairly high energy levels every day. Through it all, she has not relied on a caregiver. She continues to be an independent woman who makes the most of each day, and her family doesn’t need to worry much about her.

Today, her treatment continues to ensure her breast cancer remains in remission. She takes various medications and visits PCC bi-weekly or weekly for reviews, as well as blood tests and injections every three weeks.

To strengthen her immunity, Mdm Choo eats light, soupy dishes and takes a health supplement rich in antioxidants. For the past nine years, she has been taking nutritional supplements from American brand USANA, which provide essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimal body function. Mdm Choo always ensures she gets her doctor’s approval before consuming any health supplement.

Mdm Choo is also passionate about playing badminton. She hits the court with three different groups of buddies: one on Monday, another on Wednesday and Friday, and a third — whom she has played with for around 22 years — on Saturday.

“I’m so surprised I’ve remained cancer-free this long,” she says matter-of-factly.

Her advice to other breast cancer patients is: “Cancer treatment is not an easy journey, but be strong and face reality. Don’t overthink things. Your first priority is finding a good doctor for your treatment. Listen to them and discuss your treatment based on their advice.”

She adds, “Every patient’s treatment journey is different. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and, most importantly, stay positive. Even in the toughest moments, when you’re in pain and feel like giving up, be brave.”