JAN/FEB, 2020 | The HEALTH
WOMEN
21
Her legendary strength
Mandy was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, this is her story
21
-YEAR old Mandy
lee was an aspiring
medical student
studying in China.
When symptoms like
fever and night sweats
presented itself, she brushed it off as an ear
infection.
22-One day, she felt a lump on her neck
and a scan showed a mass on her chest. Th e
doctors told her it was best for her to return
back home where she underwent several tests.
“i was diagnosed with PMBCl, or primary
mediastinal B-cell lymphoma. Th e doctors
told me the mass was around 12 to 13cm and
because of where it was situated; between the
lungs and above the heart, it was inoperable.”
i was diagnosed
with PMBCL, or
primary mediastinal
B-cell lymphoma.
The doctors told
me the mass was
around 12 to 13cm
and because
of where it was
situated; between
the lungs and above
the heart, it was
inoperable.” – Mandy
What is PMBCL?
Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma
or PMBCl is a fast-growing subtype of diff use
large B-cell lymphoma (dlBCl). it occurs in
the thymus or in lymph nodes in the centre of
the chest (called the mediastinum).
PMBCl is not common and occurs most
often in people between the ages of 30 and
40. it is more common in women than in men.
Mandy’s doctor reassured her PMBCl was
treatable with chemotherapy, that the drug
would work and all she had to do was take
one year off medical school. Th e results were
cheerful at the start with the mass shrinking
at the fi rst three cycles but it grew at the end.
Mandy recalled how the doctor stated she
was the unfortunate ten per cent that did not
do well with the drug. She was then placed on
salvage therapy and unfortunately, the results
weren’t too good either. She was referred to
another doctor.
“i took a few months to recover, chemo-
therapy hit me hard. i was unable to consume
solid food for a week – just fl uids.”
Th e cancer took its toll on Mandy, she had
pleural eff usion and her right lung collapsed.
From there on, it was a series of illnesses.
Th e mass was so big that it compressed her
airway. Th e diameter of an airway is 10 to 20
mm depending on male or female. Mandy’s
airway was compressed to 8mm leading to her
suff ering from breathing problems.
“i was gasping like a fi sh. Th e mass on my
neck was big as well, i couldn’t even turn my
neck.”
When she was transferred to University
Malaya, they had an issue accepting her in
despite her primary doctor being there.
“i was then placed in the iCU but was kind
of pushed aside to the hallways till they fi nd a
place. it was a horrifying place. At midnight,
they found me a place. it was horrifying.”
Defying all odds
Th e doctor told her parents that they could
not do anything to save Mandy except to ease
the pain since the cancer was too aggressive.
Her parents did not take that for an answer
and pushed them to fi nd any way possible. A
week discussion led to the suggestion of high
dosage radiation.
“Th e second day of radiation, i lost my
voice and developed ulcers everywhere. After
one cycle of chemotherapy, my white blood
cells crashed i developed six diff erent types
of infection all at the same time. i had to be in
isolation and even went into sepsis.”
At that point, Mandy surrendered to God.
She prayed and thought that if this was her
time to go, it had to be now because the pain
was simply unbearable. But at the sight of
her parents clasping at the edge of her bed
found a 1cm nodule at my lung. Th e doctor
recommended a drug but i didn’t feel so good
about it because it was very new.”
Mandy just recently decided to come out
and share her tale. Recently, the oncologist
found a mass on her heart and she’s on her
journey to deal with it.
“i have been eating well, mediating, taking
care of myself physically and emotionally.
Surprisingly i took the news of the mass a
lot better and i even have a therapist for my
anxiety.” — Th e Health
Mandy now
laughs with a
new fi ghting
spirit ready
to take on
whatever is
next.
brought her a new fi ghting spirit.
“No one in the hospital believed i would
make it out alive. i was 35 kilos at that point.
it took me a whole month to stand up. i didn’t
have the strength.”
But slowly her white blood cells stabilised
and Mandy recovered. She is now 26 years old.
Taking on a new challenge
“Now i only go back to University Malaya for
follow ups. When i went back a year later, my
professor was so surprised to see me doing
so well. Th ey did a PET scan in early 2019 and
Primary
mediastinal
B-cell lymphoma
is basically the
cancer of the
lymph nodes. It
can develop in
any part of the
lymph nodes
throughout the
body.