51 year-old Elaine walked out of the hospital after 57 days, much of which was spent in an isolation ward to fight the infection caused by the rupture of her 20cm tumour. Dr Lynette Ngo, her principal physician, celebrated the victory with the medical team as the tumour was contained at 3.5cm in preparation for surgery. Truly, a stitch in time saves nine!

I am a cancer survivor. I am telling my story because the illness taught me a reality -- the fragility of life. I’m beholden to share what I have learnt as I’ve been given the gift of life. And, I must give credit to the healthcare professionals who cared for me; professionals who are honestly doing their best to relieve suffering.

It would be ideal to have Singaporean doctors’ diagnosis and surgery – even if they were straightforward and simple – for every major ailment. I wouldn’t need to undergo unnecessary pain and operations if I had my first diagnosis in Singapore