"I really hated being me"; breast cancer survivors tell their stories

PETALING JAYA: A secondary school teacher and an entrepreneur all have one thing in common -- breast cancer.

The two Malaysian women and members of Breast Cancer Welfare Association Malaysia (BCWA) shared their experiences dealing with breast cancer with lingerie brand Neubodi for a breast cancer monologue on Wednesday.

This monologue was reenacted at Neubodi Bra Drive charity launch in conjunction with International Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Chu San recalls being so groggy due to chemotherapy.

"I wasn’t throwing up constantly, but I was in the most severe pain I’ve ever had," said Chu San.

"I couldn’t see my family and friends because I had to avoid germs. At that point, I really hated being me," she said.

Jenny, who is another breast cancer survivor, described her breasts as her "sisters".

"I was proud of my breasts. I am always wearing bustiers to enhance them," she said.

But when she had to remove her breasts and got the TRAM flap, where they would use the tissue and skin from the stomach to create a new breast, she broke down after taking off her bandages.

"I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror. My body looked so scarred," said Jenny. 

"I was calling myself the Corpse Bride Boobster."

From dealing with chemotherapy, a proud "sisters" lover losing her breasts, and having their cancer relapsing, here are their stories.

CHU SAN, 52, was a secondary school teacher when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. She has been cancer free until she relapsed last year. She is now past the critical stages and is now going through her 18-cycle treatment scheme.

"I had been having some minor discomfort and it was time for my routine mammogram checkup and I thought it was just stress—I was busy with my students’ exam preparations and debate team competitions.

A routine physical revealed that the lump in my breast had somewhat enlarged, but after the doctor took a look into my medical reports, he said, “There is a lump. It’s not shrinking. I think it’s time you had them looked at.”

To find out more about Neubodi's Bra Drive, visit Neubodi's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/neubodi) or check out Neubodi's website (http://www.neubodi.com/).