World Reverse Cancer Day. I seriously just did a Google search about it to write this post because I’ve heard about it way too many times in the past 2 weeks! I first saw it on Jinnyboy’s Instagram when he posted a #reverseforcancer video. Then I realized a couple other social media influencers released their own #reverseforcancer videos too. I then received an email at work, learning that this initiative is a brainchild of my colleagues for Cancer Research Malaysia! A couple of hours ago, I received an email from Nuffnang about #reverseforcancer.
So what exactly is World Reverse Cancer Day?
World Cancer Day happens on 4 Feb every year. Cancer Research Malaysia is reversing the date to 2 Apr and calling it World Reverse Cancer Day with hope to reverse cancer (find a cure) by raising awareness and fund for more cancer research. This is the first World Reverse Cancer Day yo!
Apparently, there are already 7 cancers with cures (out of 200+ cancers)! I’d need to do more research about this because as a cancer survivor, all I typically hear is: “it’s hard to find doctors who would call you cured even 10, 20 years after last cancer activity.” I am often confused as well if I should say “I am sick” or “I was sick”.
I mean I have completed all treatments 1.5 years ago but no one calls me cured. I am technically in remission. According to Google, remission is “a temporary diminution of the severity of disease or pain.” This means that I am waiting for cancer to come back to kill me if I do not die of another cause.
Sounds brutal? That’s the reality of surviving cancer.
The fear of cancer coming back is always at the back of my mind, no matter how positive I can get or I appear to be. I trust that it is true for many cancer survivors out there too. It gets easier as time goes so that’s good. And it is a blessing to be able to survive cancer so no complaint.
Frankly, I’ve been hearing too many sad cancer news that is close to my heart in the past 2 weeks. Firstly, a friend’s father passed away from terminal liver cancer. Then, a much-loved stranger boy named Lucas whose aggressive terminal brain cancer journey I have been following on Facebook for about a year passed away too. On the same day, Jared the YouTuber on Grim Film announced that he has testicular cancer. Fingers crossed that his early diagnosis will give him a very good prognosis.
Cancer sucks. Critical illness sucks. Get yourself insured no matter how young or healthy you are. I’m super thankful that my RM100k medical bill was covered by 2 medical insurance policies — corporate and personal combined because neither had enough coverage. And for the record, my quarterly oncologist visits, quarterly chemo port maintenance, half-yearly multiple specialist visits, annual colonoscopies, and other routine nuclear scans are all covered by the medical plan.
Can’t imagine cancer fight without insurance. Can’t imagine the future of cancer treatment without the continuous cancer research. I hope one day, doctors would be confident to announce me and many other cancer survivors cured of cancer.
Drop by at APW Bangsar on 31 Mar – 1 Apr. Find out more about how Cancer Research Malaysia is reversing cancer with vaccines, genetics and mobile innovations! Spread awareness about cancer research by sharing about #reverseforcancer on social media. One interesting way is to share a reversed video with #reverseforcancer! I thought this campaign is brilliant and absolutely loved the idea (before finding out it’s my colleagues’ work).