My name is Sunny Lim and I am 63 years old this year. In April of 2016, I lifted something heavy and hurt my back. The pain persisted until one day in November 2016, I could hardly walk at all. I went for an X-ray and found that I had 2 fractures in my spine and one of the columns of my backbone has been totally crushed to bits. All my bones in my whole body is full of holes like a sponge. I was refered to a specialist center to go through a series of scans and more X-rays to find out what had caused it. Then the shocking news struck me ……… I had Cancer!

I was told that I had a blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma which was eating at my bones. The only way to treat it was Chemotherapy. I asked my doctor what would happen if I opt not to do chemotherapy. She said, “ You will die!”. It was a very curt reply which sent shock waves through my mind, soul and body. I had the choice of a second opinion, but decided to let this arogant, but confident doctor handle my case. It is a decision I would not regret as she proved to be one of the best.

Chemotherapy affects each and every indidvidual differently. My immune system was very badly and quickly reduced. After just a few doses, my heart, lungs and kidneys had all been infected and failed to function. I could’nt breathe and had to be put on oxygen and tranferred to the High Dependency Unit (HDU), and then to Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I was hooked on to a Life Support Machine to keep me alive and given a lot of medication. My family was told to expect the worst as there was nothing more that they could do for me and it was now up tp me and God to see if I would live or die.

The heart specialist gave me medication. The kidney specialist gave me medication and 7 times dialysis. The lung specialist put me on a life support system to keep me alive. I was still concious the whole time and I prayed and meditated. I was very negative and blamed everything and everyone, but when friends and relatives found out, they all sent well wishes and prayed for me. I asked the hospital assistants how the machine that was keeping me alive functioned and I trained myself to breath in sync with it. I was afraid that I would be a Human Vegetable and depend on machine to be kept alive. It would be no point in merely existing that way.

 Then, one day, I told the assistant to switch off the machine. They were all panic stickened and called for my doctor who had already gone home by then. They were told to monitor me very closely throughout the night. I did not sleep that night, fighting to make my body take back control of what the machines were doing for me artificially. In the morning, the doctor examined me and proclaimed that I will not be needing the machine again as I was well enough to function on my own.

My recovery from the backache was truly a miracle. I also did not want to be dependant on pain killers. My doctor even prescribed Morphine for me, besides others. One by one, I told the nurses to stop giving me. Not even Panadol. My doctor was astounded to find me walking about on my own one day, without any assistance. She checked with the nurses who told her it was me who had overruled her prescriptions and stopped the pain killers. I was discharged after spending 3 weeks in hospital including 1 week in HDU and ICU. I went back to continue the chemotherapy treatment at the Daycare and later, I did an Autologos Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant.

I am very eager to share my experience and other success stories with all cancer patients and/or care givers to give support, motivation, inspiration and advice as I have a very positive outlook since, “ If I can make it, everyone can too”.

At the time when I needed a Cancer Support Group the most for consultation, I did not know where to go or who to look for. I have searched for sometime for a suitable platform to do this as when I needed a Cancer Support group desperately, I was not aware of any. I realised that cancer patients are most vulnerable when they are first diagnosed and would benefit greatly if there was someone who had gone through a similar situation could be there for them.

MAKNA has got a very diversified network to provide assistance to cancer patients and I am very glad to be a volunteer. It would be advisable to check out their website. You will find that MAKNA provides financial aid, and many other forms of aid to many cancer patients who are not able, financially, to even seek treatment for something that nobody should go through, and that is to have cancer.  We have many survivors, volunteers and staff who are dedicated to bring some form of relieve to those in need of such.

In this world, nothing can be done without money. As such, we are desperately seeking your kindness and generosity to sponsor our cause to help Cancer Patients who are in need. Many of us have been lucky to survive it and some are fit enough to motivate and inspire others by climbing Mount Kinabalu to show the world that “IT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER!”

In today’s advance medical advancement and expertise, there is HOPE!

NEVER GIVE UP!