http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2008/10/12/health/2093664&sec=health Healing in giving By LIM WEY WEN
*A breast cancer survivor finds herself healed of fourth-stage cancer after setting out on a mission to help other cancer survivors cope with the disease.* ON a beautiful day in August, cancer survivor Shery Lim received the best news of her life - she was healed of fourth stage cancer. She recounts the day when the miracle happened: “On Aug 12, 2008, the day of my CT scan, before I went under the scan machine, somehow my heart had great peace. It was as though a still, small voice within assured me not to be afraid and to trust God for complete healing. On Aug 12, 2008, cancer survivor Shery Lim received the best news of her life - she was healed of fourth stage cancer. - Courtesy of Shery Lim “Everything was so smooth during this scan; the needle (used to inject the dye) went in without the usual pain and everything seemed so simple and finished so fast. It was not a dreadful scan but a soothing, peaceful one compared to the rest I had in the past. “When the report did not mention any cancer but only a residual fibriotic (scar) tissue, my heart cried to god for his unending love and amazing grace. I was extremely joyful that he is faithful to his word as I cling on to his word for life. No wonder god says, ‘The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life’.” Now, Lim still feels this joy deep in her heart with every passing day. And she intends to dedicate the rest of her life to support other patients afflicted with cancer, and her personal motto will be €“ regardless of the stage of cancer you are in, there is still hope. * Fighting cancer * At age 52, Lim survived not one, but two battles against cancer. In year 1994, Lim was 38 and at the height of her advertising career when she first noticed something amiss with one of her breasts. “My right breast was in pain for a week, and I thought it was only the normal pain before a period. But the pain continued after one week, and blood oozed out from my right nipple,” Lim says. An ultrasound, a CT scan and a biopsy then confirmed that it was third stage breast cancer. Despite the pain and suffering, Shery Lim's positive mindset and fighting spirit had seen her through fourth stage cancer. - Courtesy of Shery Lim “I removed my right breast and 11 lymph nodes near my right armpit, went for all the treatments and went back to work,” she says. Having won the first battle, Lim went back to work as client service director and later on, human resource director with international advertising firm Ogilvy and Mather. Four years later, she quit and started her own advertising training company, where she trained six international advertising agencies for two years. In year 2000, she went back to her advertising career when she joined Naga DDB as head of brand planning. Soon she became the corporate director of the company. “When I was back in advertising, it was hard work,” Lim says. Late nights, lack of sleep and demanding business presentations had taken a toll on her. “I became very tired and exhausted. I guess if you put work first instead of a balanced life and lose your focus in life, somehow, it is not good for the body.” Alas, after 12 years in remission, Lim was faced with yet another battle with cancer, this time in fourth stage cancer, in year 2006. A CT scan located a tumour the size of a fist lodged between her heart and lungs. A bone scan found her sternum (breastbone) ravaged by cancerous cells. Unfortunately, as the tumour was too close to a major blood vessel in her heart, it could not be removed by surgery. Shery Lim (left) shows her appreciation to her husband Geoffrey Ho (right) on his birthday. Lim’s husband, Geoffrey Ho, could still remember the horror. “I saw her life ebbing away just like a tide €“ going up and down. It was a harrowing experience, but thank God she came through it alive,” Ho says. “At that time, I couldn’t lift my handbag, I could not carry a one-month-old baby, and I couldn’t even lift a glass of water to my lips,” Lim says. Even bathing was an excruciating experience. “When I showered, droplets of water will hit my breastbone and it was very painful. I couldn’t bathe standing up because I would be very tired. Geoffrey Ho... I saw her life ebbing away just like a tide - going up and down. It was a harrowing experience, but thank God she came through it alive. “For one and a half years, I sat on a small stool with a ladle and a pail of warm water beside me every time I bathe, and poured the water slowly to control the flow,” she says. “I took very long to bathe, but I had no choice. Now, I still cry whenever I am in the bathroom because I remember the experience. However, now it is not so much tears of sorrow, but rather, tears of thankfulness.” On top of that, chemotherapy and radiotherapy had left her with nine ulcers in the mouth and she was on six painkillers a day. Even then, the pain due to the tumour caused her to scream and yell at night, and she was forced to ask her husband to sleep in a separate room to avoid disturbing him. After seven months of treatment, Lim’s hope was dashed when her scans did not show any signs of improvement. “The doctor told me to just go home, take one day at a time and enjoy life,” she says. But Lim was not about to give up without a fight. A devout Christian, Lim sought refuge in her faith and the strong support from her husband and son. “From the moment I was diagnosed with fourth-stage cancer, I told God that I didn’t want to die, and I want to believe that he will heal me. But if I’m going to get healing, it should not be for me only. To explain her journey through cancer, Shery Lim made three boxes to depict the shrinking of her tumour: when it was the size of a fist (right), when it was reduced to 70% (left) and at last, when it was the size of a hazelnut (held by hand). “I feel that when I am healed, I don’t want to live a life for myself. I want to live a life for others by reaching out to others,” she says. * Reaching out* With that aspiration in mind, Lim went on to write a faith-based book titled *There is Hope* even when she was undergoing treatment. The book, launched in June 2007, chronicles Lim’s personal journey through cancer and provides information about cancer along with tips for caregivers of cancer patients. “There are some testimonials of other patients as well. It is a book of encouragement and comfort,” Lim says. One month later, Lim set up the Elpizo (the Greek word for hope) cancer support group. “We share our experiences, and we will invite professional doctors to give talks about topics like ‘cancer and diet’ or ‘how to fight depression’,” she says. “We also have pastors coming in to give us a word of encouragement for healing,” she added. In between her treatments and support group sessions, Lim visited cancer patients in the hospital to cheer them up. She was quick to note that not every cancer patient goes through the same agony. “I don’t want to scare people, because no two cancer patients go through the same experience,” she says. “But I want them to know that even with fourth stage cancer, never give up, because there is still hope.” “Sometimes, when some patients tell me they want to give up due to the pain and suffering, I told them about my suffering. Suddenly their pain didn’t seem so painful, and I can see their face brighten up,” Lim says. Miraculously, only two months after setting up the cancer support group, Lim’s tumour had reduced to 70% its initial size. “When I focused on others and helped them, the pain started to disappear and the tumour started to become smaller. This year in February, although the tumour was as small as a hazelnut, it was still not free from cancer. But in August, this hazelnut-sized tumour was pronounced as residual fibriotic tissue. It is no longer cancerous!” she beams. “Little did I know that when I was encouraging others and delivering hope to them, healing actually occurred within me. “That’s why God says that ‘those who comfort others, he himself will be comforted. Those who refresh others, he himself will be refreshed.’ That is the energy that has kept me going!” she says. Now, Lim is in the process of writing the second edition of her book, and producing a DVD based on her story of recovery with the help of two friends. “We are targeting to distribute the DVD in Malaysia by November. However, we need funds to make them available to everyone free or at an affordable price,” she says. * Letting go* When asked whether she would have chosen not to go through cancer if she were given a choice, Lim laughs. “People may think I am crazy when I say that it is okay to have had cancer. As a result of this experience, I had a value change in my life, and I had tremendous joy in serving God and serving people,” she says. Many adjustments had to be made. Lim shifted to a more healthy diet. “Now, my food is very simple. I only take a few things: fish, vegetables, a little bit of tofu, lots of fruit juice and lots of vegetable juice,” says Lim. “When I was first diagnosed with cancer at age 38, I returned to work because I had not earned enough to quit my job. But when I relapsed in 2006, I stopped work and started to sell things. We used to stay in a bigger house, now we stay in a small place. “I used to do a lot of shopping but now I don’t shop. I used to buy expensive clothes because I needed them for work, but now I buy simple T-shirts and still look good. It is a matter of adjusting and humbling yourself,” she says. “You have to ask yourself, what is the point of gaining the whole world but lose your soul or lose your life?” she says. Does she miss the adrenaline rush of chasing deadlines and achieving goals in the rat race? Not surprisingly, she does not miss it all that much. “Last time, it is all about work, work and work. Now I have time to help others, and this is the most beautiful part of life. The joy comes with serving God and serving others, especially those who are sick and dying. When you see them improving, that’s when you say, ‘Oh, life is worth living’,” says Lim. >* Shery Lim can be contacted at [email protected]. ‘There Is Hope’ is available at MPH bookstores, Canaan Land, Glad Sounds and Salvation Book Centre.* *Related Stories:* Spreading the message<http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2008/10/12/health/2239601&sec=health> A special mission<http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2008/10/12/health/1985617&sec=health> Know your breasts<http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2008/10/12/health/2236178&sec=health>
