At the age of 32, Ms Joanna Poon thought she led a perfect life. Read more at stomp.straitstimes.com
At the age of 32, Ms Joanna Poon thought she led a perfect life.
It took two months before Ms Poon consulted a general practitioner. That same afternoon, she was referred to a surgeon who specialises in breast cancer at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital for further examination. “We advised her to think carefully. At that point of time, I felt that other things could take a back seat and the focus should be on treating her. But ultimately, we accepted her decision,” says the 70-year-old retiree, who used to work in information technology project management.
It was an ischaemic stroke, caused by reduced blood flow to a part of the brain due to a blood clot in an artery. Her stroke was followed by a two-month stay in the hospital, which she now jokingly describes as “a staycation”.“I felt confined, like an elderly person, relying on adult diapers and grappling with limited mobility. It was already tough to know I had breast cancer and then the stroke hit so soon after,” she says.
The side effects of chemotherapy also caused her to lose her appetite, which led to a 10kg weight loss in six months. She started off seeing a psychiatrist once a week and now goes every two months. She also no longer takes medication for depression. In January, she got a tattoo of a sakura, her favourite flower, on her left hand to remind herself of renewal and optimism.
Her father adds: “We didn’t expect to hear one piece of bad news after another. Joanna was a fighter through it all, she never gave up and she always looked forward to good things coming her way.”. People can pay what they want above a minimum of $5. It is a recognised fact that cancer increases the clotting potential of blood, says Dr Siow. “It is not a common occurrence, although it is thought that up to 15 per cent of cancer patients will get strokes. Some of these are minor and the patient may have no symptoms. I have seen this in fewer than 10 patients in the past 15 years.”“I have a few patients in similar situations, but it’s in the single digits. I would say about five patients over more than 15 years of practice,” she says.
“The first week after a stroke can be life-threatening and strokes can recur. The treatment and stabilisation of her stroke took precedence over the cancer treatment. At that point, the side effects of chemotherapy and immunotherapy would cause more harm than benefit,” says Dr Ngo.
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