Dr. Lim told me that the chances of relapse for NKT cell lymphoma is 50%. I am considered fully recover if there is no relapse within 2 years. If there is a relapse, it will be better to occur as late as possible so that the cancerous cells will not remember the effect of chemotherapy, then chemotherapy can be used again. If relapse occurs very soon, that means the cancerous cells have overcome the chemotherapy, then the only treatment available will be stem cell transplant. He said that I have already gone through vigorous chemotherapy because ” ICE” are very strong chemo drugs and hopefully, the cancerous cells are killed. All the necessary has been done so whether will there be a relapse will depend on my destiny.
During the 2 years monitoring period, I will see Dr. Lim once every 3 months and do a CT scan once every 6 months. To me, 50% is just a number and I won’t bother about it as I believe everything is fated. For now, it is the start of a new life for me and I will make sure I enjoy it 
I will return to work next Monday and at the same time, will start to look for a new job. I believe the future will be better tomorrow.
Cherine,
So happy to hear of your great news. 明天会更好! Yeah, life is now – be in it! Hope to catch you with the rest of the gang soon.
Cheers,
James/still hanging out in KL
By: James Lau on March 9, 2009
at 2:12 am
Good to hear Cherine and very happy for you. Hope to see you soon.
By: Steve on March 9, 2009
at 5:03 pm
Hi Cherine,
Congrats to your new life! Yes! Life is not a matter of long you live but how well and meaingful you want it to be. Is not too late to realise that.
Take care.
May you be well and happy.
With love,
Jacey – NZ 2008
By: Jacey Chang on March 10, 2009
at 12:42 pm
Hi Cherine,
I´m so glad to read that good news and I strongly wish that I do not hear any bad news from your side for the next two years! It´s time for a change now, we both have to find a new job and as you are so qualified and good in your job there should be no problem at all.
Best wishes
Hanni
By: Hanni on March 10, 2009
at 2:53 pm
Hi Jen,
Did you happen to read this from The New Paper today? I admire her spirit throughout her fight and her passion in continuous learning.
Also this makes me more curious of starting another course
Cancer didn’t stop her
SHE wanted to give up her fight against cancer after suffering a relapse in 2004.
But a near-death experience changed Miss Renganathan Balasaraswathi’s attitude towards life.
Not only did she continue battling cancer, she went back to school the following year while holding down a full-time job.
She enrolled in SIM University (UniSIM), which was then known as the SIM Open University Centre, to pursue a diploma in mathematics.
Miss Bala, as she prefers to be known, said: ‘I decided to go back to school because I needed to move on.
‘It’s also for ’survival’ as having A-level qualifications alone aren’t enough.’
But it was not easy. The former finance assistant worked from 8am to 5.30pm, Mondays to Fridays. Two to three days a week, she attended classes after work at 7.30pm.
She wore a baseball cap to class as she had lost all her hair due to chemotherapy.
Miss Bala, who was diagnosed in 2003 with B-cell lymphoma, was also going for cancer treatment twice a week.
Her older sister helped carry her schoolbag to class as it was too heavy for the patient, who was left feeling ‘very weak’ by her treatment.
Miss Bala, now 39 and a statistics assistant, said: ‘Sometimes, I couldn’t attend class if I had to be in the hospital the whole day for blood transfusions or CT scans.
‘At times, it was difficult to write due to the pain from having needles inserted in my hand during treatment.’
But she said her classmates were always more than willing to lend her their notes.
She said: ‘The lecturers also told me to approach them if I didn’t understand anything. Some gave me extra lessons and told me to e-mail them if I had any questions.’
In 2006, her cancer went into remission and she obtained her diploma. ‘I felt very happy then because I’d achieved something in my life,’ she said.
Miss Bala’s diploma exempted her from the first year of the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics programme.
She said she found the Financial Mathematics course the most useful.
‘I didn’t know how the banks did the calculations for bonds and so on, but now I do,’ she said, her eyes lighting up. ‘And I can even predict what’ll happen when interest rates go down.’
But Miss Bala said she enjoyed all the courses, even the one on linear statistic modelling.
She said: ‘It was the hardest topic for me, but I enjoyed it because it is very unique and it taught me how to calculate and analyse data.
‘I also found it interesting because one of the examples we did was finding out what percentage of a population has a disease, like cancer.’
HER DREAM
Miss Bala earned her degree in two years, and did well enough to be invited to do her honours.
She plans to enrol in the National Institute of Education upon her graduation. She said: ‘It’s always been my dream to be a mathematics teacher.
‘Whatever I’ve learnt, I want to be able to pass on to the younger generation.’
Miss Bala said that before she started working full-time, she used to tutor primary and secondary school students to earn pocket money.
She said: ‘My students would improve after I taught them. I’d be so happy when they came back to thank me.’
But Miss Bala said she could not have completed her studies without all the help she has received over the years.
She said since 2006, she has received a $1,000 annual study award from UniSIM.
From 2006 to 2009, she received a total of $16,000 from the Lee Foundation, a sum which covered half her school fees.
While she was undergoing cancer treatment, her colleagues from the Singapore Prison Service visited her in hospital. They also passed the hat around and collected $10,000 towards her medical bills.
And when she was struggling to keep up with her studies, she went to a tuition agency to hire a tutor.
But the tutor refused any payment upon learning of her student’s background.
Miss Bala’s eyes welled up with tears as she listed the family members, colleagues, classmates, lecturers and strangers who have helped her in one way or another.
‘During my difficult times, they really pulled me up,’ she said.
By: Irene on March 10, 2009
at 11:01 pm
Dear Jen,
She still talks about her dream too. What about ours? You should not stop but continue pursuing your longer term dream in this new pasture.
Meanwhile, lets enjoy first for this special event now!
Cheers,
Irene
By: Irene on March 10, 2009
at 11:50 pm
Hi Cherine,
It’s good and happy to learn that you have successfully completed your treatment. The past 6 months have not been easy for you. I hope you will find a new job soon and on track back to a happy normal life. Hopefully, you will be well enough to travel again soon.
Best regards
See Fong
By: See Fong on March 13, 2009
at 7:16 pm
Cherine,
I know you will be strong and win the war. Stay happy.
cheers,
Derrick
By: Derrick on March 16, 2009
at 1:25 pm