Pink Spartans.

A lot has been going on at home for the past month or so.

Mama J found white spots on her breast a few months ago and the doctor confirmed they contained cancer cells. She went through two surgeries to try to remove them but there were always more - like specks of salt and pepper - so her surgeon suggested a final surgery to remove her entire breast. If you are a woman, you can probably imagine how she was feeling. And if you are a man, just imagine having your balls removed.

I flew home just a day before she was admitted into the hospital for her third operation, leaving behind my exams and assignments. Thank God my uni advisor was really understanding and supportive, helping me with all the paperwork to excuse my attendance for the exam and extend my essay deadlines.

For about a week, I slept over in the hospital ward with Mama J. I sat by her while she cried, because she was afraid of going for the surgery. I held her hand while they wheeled her into the operating theatre. I heard her croak her first words when she woke up after the surgery. I memorized her wince of pain, every time she would move her body, even in the slightest. I received blows of her tantrums that stemmed from pain and discomfort. I smelled the food she had absolutely no appetite for. And I saw how she would deliberately avoid looking at the wounds from the surgery.

Every single day, I was there...but I wasn't there. While I could pick up her phone calls for her, feed her water from a straw, and hold her as she tries to stand up, I never felt like I have done enough. I can never do enough for my mum, especially when I know the part she needs the most fixing, is her heart. Mama J is the strongest woman I know, but this battle has depleted her confidence and will. I know it's gonna be a long road to recovery. Her wounds will heal, her scars will lighten, and I can only hope that Mama J will be Mama J again eventually.

I'm not the first person going through something like this, and I know I won't be the last. If you are (or know of anyone who is) a girl/woman, please go for regular check-ups. It doesn't cost much to just get a mammogram at a government clinic. The good thing about my mum's case is that it was found out early, before the cancer cells had a chance to spread. Also, guys get breast cancer too.