April, 2019 | The Health
Women: Cancer Moonshot
29
From
beauty
queen
to super
woman
By Christine Zoe Sta Maria
G
enevieve Sambhi was only 35 years
old when she learned that she had
cervical cancer. However, the former
Miss Malaysia is a survivor today. And
it was all because of her early detection.
We spoke to Genevieve and she ran us
through with her story.
The five stages of grief; Denial, Anger,
Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. These
are the stages Genevieve went through
when she found out about her cancer.
The call
Genevieve had received a call from her father one
day after seeing her latest pap smear test results. Her
father is, almost tragically fitting, a gynaecologist –
and he explained that the results were abnormal and
more tests were needed.
She was in a state of shock as thoughts ran through
her head, “Do I have cancer? Am I going to die?” The
following day, she underwent a cone biopsy. They
found that she has a cyst and needed it to be removed
at once. Just after two days, she was checked into the
University Of Malaya Hospital for minor surgery.
The surgery went smoothly enough, until she then
suffered a massive haemorrhage 10 days later and was
taken back to hospital by ambulance. It was then that
they found out she had cancer.
The cancer was spreading fast, and a hysterectomy
was the only option for her. She was in continuous
shock, as she was still young, her two children were
very young, and she had wanted more children at the
time. Then the realization that she could die and her
children would not be cared for properly sets in. At
that stage she could not go through surgery while was
still recovering from a haemorrhage.
The stages of grief
Genevieve was given about three to four weeks to
come to terms with the news, as the surgery must
Everything but done
Genevieve says that she was lucky, despite what
she had went through, because of her regular
screenings and support from her family.
fight against cancer
checked. The next day, the doctors at the hospital
performed the typical clinical breast examination
and suggested that she go through with all the
screenings.
She went for a mammogram, ultrasound and
biopsy. After the biopsy, it was confirmed that she
was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had to go
for surgery to have that lump removed.
After her surgery, she was grateful to find out
that she was only at stage two of her cancer. The
doctor then referred her to an oncologist. She had
to undergo 6 cycles of chemotherapy, 25 cycles of
radiotherapy and 17 cycles of targeted therapy. The
HER2 breast cancer is a particularly
aggressive form of the condition, and she fought
hard for almost two years going through her
treatment.
Mazwin was one of the cancer survivors to
attend the Roche (Malaysia) launch of their new
combination cancer treatment earlier this
month.
be done in that time. She was in denial at first, then
denial becomes anger, and anger becomes a negotia-
tion with the doctor to allow her to have another child.
After she went through her grief and turmoil, she
then managed to accept her fate. It took about four
weeks before she finally was able to accept the news.
A week before she underwent her hysterectomy, she
had to have another ultrasound done as it is part of the
routine, and it was at that moment when they found
the mass in her cervix. “I remember the doctors and
my dad whispering, as it turned out that I would need
a radical hysterectomy instead, meaning they would
take all the surrounding areas and lymph nodes as well
the uterus,” Genevieve tells.
All surrounding her
She sat down with her husband, family members
and friends hours before her surgery, all of them in
shock and they cried together. She was afraid as she
truly believed that she would not make it through
with the surgery. When she opened her eyes six hours
later, her daughter was there in the room to greet her.
She was incredible relieved that she realized that she
had made it.
Her support and coming
out on top
Mazwin was grateful that she found a place to
relate and get help through a support group as
she went through her journey. Although she did
not disclose much information about her cancer,
treatment and even emotions to her husband for
fear of burdening him, she found comfort in him
nonetheless.
“You need support. You cannot face cancer
alone. It is unfair for you to face it alone. You cannot
have anyone tell you what to do. You have to be the
one to ask for it,” Mazwin says.
Early detection of cancer will save your life.
With the latest medical treatments, the chances of
being cured at an early stage of cancer is higher.
Mazwin’s message to women of Malaysia is that
women should not be afraid of cancer and
need to go for regular screenings. If you get
diagnosed at an early stage, your chances of
survival is high.
She went home after a week. Unfortunately, the worst
has yet to come. 10 days after her return, she received
news that the results showed that the cancer had
spread and she needed chemotherapy and radiation
treatments.
The cancer was so aggressive that it even left her
doctors with dropped jaws. Typically, the cancer she
had would usually take between 5 to 10 years to reach
the stage she was at, but hers took less than a year.
Chemotherapy is never easy. She went through the
painful process of vomiting, diarrhoea and burning
sensation on her skin due to the chemotherapy and
radiation therapy. She longed for a regular lifestyle
where she could spend time with her children and it
was this longing that kept her going.
Her daughter, her family, the saviours
Her daughter would do her best to care for her. She
even held her mother’s hair when she had to vomit. “I
still wish that she had never had to see me that way.
No four-year-old child should see their mother in the
state that I was in” Genevieve laments.
Her brothers, friends and relatives visited her
frequently as she went through her journey, sending
her food, gifts, wishes, and love. Her strength came
from her family. She uses this second chance that she
had been given by spreading awareness and informing
others about cervical cancer and about the importance
of pap smear tests and vaccinations.
She is glad that she had gone for her annual pap
smear back then. Without it, she would not have
known about her cancer and by the time she finds out,
it would have been too late. Genevieve says firmly:
“By spreading awareness, we can end the stigma
associated with cervical cancer as well as educate all
women, girls and even husbands, brothers, fathers
and friends. When my daughter is old enough, she
will be vaccinated so that I can make sure that I am
doing everything in my power to protect her from this
devastating disease.” — The Health