Breast Cancer 2023
Category
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NewsTranscript
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:09 I Can Serve Foundation Inc. is an advocacy group of breast cancer survivors
00:16 empowering themselves of information of what we have and what we can do about it.
00:22 I Can Serve is an acronym for Information for Cancer Services.
00:27 Now, in our cancer journey, we have abused I Can Serve.
00:34 In the sense that we already say I can eat, I can dance, I can shop.
00:40 What else can we do?
00:42 Oh, I can TikTok.
00:44 I can TikTok.
00:45 I can cook.
00:47 I can what?
00:48 Cook.
00:49 Oh, I can cook.
00:50 I heard different.
00:51 Okay, I can cook.
00:52 I can eat is the best part.
00:54 Also, I would like to add more about what I Can Serve Foundation does.
01:02 So we empower women with breast cancer or women-related cancer information
01:09 so that they can make informed decisions about their healthcare.
01:13 Or, you know, because we are advocating scientific-based evidence type of treatment,
01:21 so we would like to inform them about what they can do and what they cannot.
01:28 Good point.
01:29 In fact, mentioning about scientific, tried and tested,
01:33 we are one with the doctors not to entertain alternative medicines.
01:41 Why is that?
01:42 If you look at the bottle or the label, it has a disclaimer, "No therapeutic claim."
01:49 So please adhere or listen to your doctors.
01:53 Your doctors are your friends.
01:55 They will give you scientific and tried and tested medications and treatments.
02:01 I'd like to mention that I Can Serve will turn 25 years next year.
02:12 I Can Serve Cebu will have its debut this year.
02:16 So we're celebrating our 18th anniversary in I Can Serve Cebu.
02:21 I'd like to say--
02:25 Actually, it's the whole year.
02:30 We want to start at the first day of the year, celebrating 18th year.
02:37 But to put a specific date, since we started it, maybe September 2 of 2005.
02:47 We were only four.
02:57 The story behind that was when I was diagnosed,
03:00 and I had my surgery right after my diagnosis,
03:05 my doctor, my beloved Dr. Chris D., one of the best surgeons in Cebu City,
03:11 said, "Knowing you, Me-An, because I'm in marketing,
03:14 I'd like you to meet some survivors because Ms. Cara Alipala will be in town
03:20 to do some sharing to inspire newly diagnosed breast patients."
03:26 So she registered me.
03:29 I attended and I saw Cara.
03:31 I said, "This is the advocacy group I'd like.
03:34 It's not that you just sit down to be supported.
03:38 You support others."
03:40 So that's the advocacy group.
03:42 That's the difference between advocacy group and the support group.
03:45 And that's when, out of the group of survivors,
03:49 three of them, we shared the same vision to advocate,
03:53 and namely Nelia Navarro.
03:55 She was then with DTI, Department of Trade.
03:58 - She was also a branch of the branch. - Yes, she was.
04:01 And then we also had Chica Ferraron, and then we had--
04:05 - Tingting. - Tingting Caballero,
04:08 and then Feli Atienza.
04:10 We also had Feli C. during the onset,
04:14 but then she belonged to another support group.
04:18 Chica also belonged to another support group.
04:21 So ang natira na lang sa I Can Serve, Solid I Can Serve,
04:25 were Nelia, myself, and Feli.
04:28 But then it's nice that Chica's coming back again,
04:31 and we have more members now in I Can Serve.
04:35 So can you imagine from four--we can't count.
04:38 We're more than 100 now.
04:40 Some are quiet, though, but we know they're there
04:44 because they like our posts and they share our posts,
04:48 which actually is also scientific and tried-and-tested news.
04:52 I think that's one reason why I'm here right in front of you, Mildred,
04:55 because it's my way of paying it forward.
04:57 Kasi during the time I was diagnosed, like, I was really down.
05:01 These women, like the Tamean and the rest of I Can Serve family,
05:05 they were really there and pushing me on to go on with my treatment.
05:08 So that's what I'm doing right now.
05:10 I want to be there, too, for other women and do what they did for me.
05:14 Yes. So pushing, pushing.
05:16 I think a good word for that also, we are cheerleaders for life.
05:21 So we cheer, cheer, cheer. We can do it.
05:23 If we did it, you can.
05:25 [Music]
05:31 Is this going to be answered according to seniority or beauty?
05:35 [Laughter]
05:36 According to both.
05:38 So I think I will go first.
05:40 [Laughter]
05:41 I'll go first.
05:42 I'll go first. Okay, no.
05:44 I was diagnosed September 2 of 2004, so this is my 19th year.
05:51 And I had no history of cancer.
05:55 I was just a woman growing older.
05:58 So one basic risk factor for breast cancer is being a woman.
06:03 I was not high risk.
06:06 Maybe I had early exposure to estrogen because I had my menstruation earlier.
06:13 I was 9 years old compared to others who would have it at 11.
06:18 And I don't know why.
06:22 That's a question why I had it.
06:24 But the answer is just being a woman.
06:26 And I had so many activities.
06:29 Maybe I was stressed out. Maybe.
06:33 But then I'm a very good patient.
06:36 I see my doctor annually.
06:37 I have my regular checkup.
06:39 So it was an early detection of my lump in my breast.
06:44 [Music]
06:46 Yes. And I had my treatment, by the way.
06:48 So what you see in the movies, it's correct.
06:51 When you have your chemotherapy, you lose your hair.
06:54 But, yes.
06:56 Yes, that location.
06:57 Yeah. But I didn't lose my faith.
07:00 So even if I lost my hair, I was still fashionista.
07:05 Where my mask were embellished with decoration,
07:09 courtesy of my supporters, my best friends from high school who did that for me,
07:16 and some of my Rotarian friends.
07:19 And I also had beautiful bandanas and wigs I wore of different styles.
07:26 I'd have Afro. I'd have F4.
07:29 F4 was popular at that time.
07:31 Three Flowers was the title of the K.
07:35 Maybe Three Flowers, Paul Maynard, I'm sorry.
07:39 Are there three flowers and white flowers?
07:41 Boys over Flowers.
07:46 Yeah. So I had an F4 hairstyle, and I had colorful hairstyles.
07:51 So my journey was not really perfect.
07:54 It was a rollercoaster ride of emotions as well.
07:59 Fear, denial, and anger to begin with.
08:02 And when I saw my loved ones being affected,
08:05 then it was easy for me to surrender and to accept.
08:09 And this was just one of my philosophy of life was this will pass.
08:14 Nothing is permanent in life.
08:17 So my baldness was just that.
08:20 I did that. I've done that.
08:23 And my being nauseated most of the time, I did that. I've done that.
08:30 So I have now long hair. This is real, by the way.
08:33 And my kilai for life is real also.
08:37 So it passed. I'm back to a better me.
08:42 I don't want to interrupt. How was the journey?
08:44 I was diagnosed with breast cancer stage one in February 2017.
08:49 So like what I always say, don't normally do breast self-examination.
08:53 And I guess it was divine intervention when I felt the lump on my right breast.
08:58 So I went through a series of tests.
09:00 So it was finally confirmed that it was invasive ductal carcinoma.
09:04 So somehow I was expecting I'd get cancer because it runs in the family.
09:09 So my mom died from ovarian cancer, my mom from lung cancer.
09:13 I mean, all types of cancer.
09:15 So unlike the tamean, my family has a history of the disease.
09:22 So I think the toughest part of my journey was during chemo.
09:25 So it was tough on my body and even tougher on the pocket.
09:30 Imagine spending a lot of money for your treatment like surgery, mastectomy.
09:35 And then I lost my hair.
09:37 But I told myself that time, if losing my hair would mean saving my life, I'll do it all over again.
09:44 Sometimes I would go to the mall.
09:46 I never used bandana or, you know, a wig.
09:50 Sometimes people stare.
09:52 But I would always tell myself that they don't know what I'm going through.
09:56 So it's like I'm showing them my warrior spirit that I can really do it.
10:02 So six years after, here I am.
10:04 I'm sharing my cancer journey and we're really helping other women who are going through the same journey
10:09 so that we could guide them with what to do and be there for them
10:13 so that they will know that they will never be alone in this journey.
10:18 When I met her, she was bald.
10:22 And the partner, the husband, was also bald.
10:25 Yes.
10:26 Yes?
10:27 Oh, it was a passionate statement with her.
10:29 Actually, I met her online.
10:32 I have not met Tita Mae Ann yet, but I'm really, really thankful with iConspiracy Foundation
10:36 because that time I was really down, depressed.
10:38 I was looking for a support group, yes, like women who went through the same journey.
10:43 So I met Tita Mae Ann not personally, but she would text me from time to time
10:48 encouraging me to go on with my treatment, you know, giving me tips and advices.
10:53 And I think that really helped a lot because I met people, they were like saying,
10:57 "You go for an alternative type of treatment. You do this and you do that."
11:01 So when I met her and the women of iConspiracy Foundation, I took the right path.
11:06 So I opted for the scientific way.
11:09 You know what they say, people meet each other at the right time.
11:13 For a purpose.
11:15 For a purpose.
11:16 So she has so much drive. That's why we're so blessed that she is with us.
11:22 Again, it's a bittersweet feeling.
11:24 We don't want to wish it to anyone to have breast cancer.
11:28 But then it becomes sweeter when you come out in the open and share your story.
11:35 [Music]
11:40 Now it's true that it's hard on the pocket to have chemo, especially if it's the later stage.
11:48 Early stage of chemo, it's not as expensive as those detected in the later stage.
11:55 That's why we encourage early detection.
11:57 It helps also if one is a PhilHealth member because PhilHealth offers the Z-benefit.
12:05 I believe they give 100,000 pesos for breast cancer treatment at the start.
12:12 And also, if you are an HMO member, if you believe in HMO and you didn't have this breast cancer as pre-existing,
12:24 you had that early on, it really helped.
12:27 Actually, I didn't pay for any of my treatment.
12:30 It was taken care of by PhilHealth and my HMO.
12:35 And also, they have the PWD card.
12:38 Oh, my God.
12:39 Yeah, we're being used with PWD cards now.
12:42 So it's a big help for us women with maintenance meds because we really get the discount.
12:47 Yes, we get first discount in our medicine.
12:51 Because this is a lifetime of medication.
12:55 It's a maintenance drug already.
12:57 And we always tell ourselves, because when you go out to public, when they see PWD, they expect you to limp or to be in a wheelchair, right?
13:06 Or you have your glasses and all.
13:09 But we look like this.
13:10 So they'll ask, "What's PWD?"
13:13 Person without baby.
13:15 [laughter]
13:16 Person without baby.
13:18 Two grams.
13:20 Ating dibdibdib is the banner project of I Can Serve.
13:24 So every October, we say, "Check yourself."
13:28 October, we do that.
13:30 October, check yourself.
13:31 Or Kamay sa dibdib is a reminder that you have to check on yourself.
13:37 So we're praying that our local governments will set aside a budget for screening of patients through the Barangay Health Workers.
13:46 And I Can Serve plays a role by going around, creating and raising awareness for this.
13:52 And since the LGU cannot do it yet for breast cancer awareness, we at the foundation, we're doing it for the people.
13:59 So we do come up with breast cancer lay form or pre-breast screening to indigent patients or other women who really want to have their breasts checked.
14:10 Okay.
14:11 Both of us, I just want to show off.
14:13 Yeah, me too.
14:14 I want to show you.
14:16 We are a wife, a mom, and a fighter.
14:21 So because of early detection, we want to save your mom, your sister, your aunt, or even your girlfriend.
14:30 That's why early detection is the best prevention.
14:34 This month of October, where to go for early detection?
14:38 Go to your doctor's first for their orders if you need to have a mammogram or breast ultrasound.
14:46 And the hospitals and diagnostic centers are giving discounts for these services.
14:52 So there's no reason why you can't have yourself checked.
14:56 See your doctor today.
14:58 And now we're lighting the whole city pink.
15:00 So when people see the color pink, it's not like for aesthetic purposes.
15:05 So it's a reminder for people to see your doctors today, have your breasts checked, and checking your breasts, make it a lifelong commitment for yourself and your loved ones.
15:15 Because like what Tita Ma'am said, early detection is your best protection.
15:20 Early detection saves lives the way it saved ours.
15:25 Yes.
15:26 Well said, my dear.
15:28 We always say that every morning we wake up, it's already a miracle for us.
15:33 It's a miracle.
15:35 And if God made a miracle out of our circumstance, He will do the same for you.
15:40 So keep your faith.
15:42 See, I'm speechless now.
15:44 I used to be as talkative as her, but now I'm the one speechless.
15:48 She said it well.
15:49 Mm-hmm.
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