My name is Trần Thị Thu, I am 38 years old and I am an English teacher at a middle school in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. My life is simple and fulfilling - I stand on the podium every day to teach children to describe the world in English, go cycling in the suburbs with my husband and two daughters on weekends, and occasionally volunteer for the community orphanage. I thought such days would continue peacefully until last summer, when the gears of fate suddenly got stuck.
“Don’t let fear and distance stop you from seeking help. Somewhere in the world, there may be a light that will bring you back to life. Be brave, you deserve to live a healthy life!” - Tran Thi Thuy
"Stone in the Throat": From Ignorance to Diagnosis
At first, my throat was just slightly tight, and I thought it was because I overused my voice. But as the difficulty in swallowing worsened, even drinking water felt like swallowing a razor blade, and my voice became hoarse. My husband forced me to go to the hospital for a check-up. The CT scan showed a 2.8 cm tumor on the thyroid gland, and a biopsy confirmed thyroid cancer. At that moment, my palms were full of cold sweat, and my mind was filled with the cries of the children: "Will Mom die?"
The dilemma of treatment in Vietnam: surgical risks and side effects
The doctor in Ho Chi Minh City recommended immediate surgery to remove the tumor, but the surgery required cutting open the neck, which might damage the vocal cords and parathyroid glands. "You should be prepared to lose your voice or take medication for life." The doctor's words made me retreat. I chose conservative radioactive iodine treatment, but after three months, not only did the tumor not shrink, but the side effects of the medication also made my whole body swollen, my joints painful, and I couldn't even hold a piece of chalk. Looking at my haggard self in the mirror, I broke down and cried in the bathroom.
Turning point of fate: the courage to go to China
When I was volunteering at the orphanage, a volunteer who had worked in China told me: "Guangzhou R&F Hospital uses 'Kanbo Knife' and 'Microwave Ablation' to treat thyroid cancer, without surgery and without hurting the vocal cords!" She flipped through the treatment video on her phone: the doctor accurately "melted" the tumor under ultrasound guidance, and the patient was able to get out of bed on the same day. That night, my husband and I stared at the ticket page and trembled as we pressed "Pay".
At Guangzhou R&F Hospital: The miracle of non-invasive technology
When I walked into the International Cancer Center of Guangzhou R&F Hospital, the nurse greeted me in Vietnamese, and the coordinator of the International Department accompanied me throughout the whole process. Dr. Zhang from the Oncology Department pointed to the three-dimensional image and explained: "The Kangbo Knife uses low-temperature freezing to cause tumor cells to die, and microwave ablation and heat to completely remove the lesions. The whole process is minimally invasive and will not damage normal tissues." I lay on the treatment table and only felt the slight alternation of coolness and warmth on my skin, just like a physical therapy.
New Student: From a Voiceless Teacher to Returning to the Podium
The day after the treatment, I could speak and eat normally. After a checkup a week later, the tumor shrank to 0.5 cm. What surprised me most was that my voice was as clear as before, and there was not even a scar on my neck! Before returning to China, Dr. Zhang told me: "Keep regular checkups, you can still teach English for decades." Now, I am standing on the podium again, and the children are surrounding me and asking: "Teacher, you have become more beautiful after your 'travel' to China!"
Guangzhou R&F Hospital Cancer Center opens the era of "survival without chemotherapy" for cancer patients and wins a lasting victory for life. If you or your family are facing difficulties in cancer treatment, please contact Guangzhou R&F Hospital Cancer Center. We provide multilingual medical record consultation, contact us immediately to get an assessment of treatment qualifications.
Contact us:
email: rfcancercenter@gmail.com |
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