Many cancer awareness campaigns focus on symptoms and early detection, but what we don’t talk about enough is how fear of the cost can stop people from even getting checked. When I first felt a small lump on my breast in early 2023, my biggest worry wasn’t what it might be, it was how much it would cost to find out. Like many Filipinos, I assumed that everything about cancer care in the Philippines was expensive, from consultations to hospital tests. That belief made me delay getting checked for months. I wish I had found something then that explained the real costs of breast cancer diagnostics, not to scare me, but to prepare me. To show that while treatment can be costly, getting checked and diagnosed doesn’t have to be out of reach. For over a year, I tried to ignore the lump, convincing myself it was probably just a cyst. I didn’t have pain or any other symptoms, so I waited, until one day, I noticed nipple bleeding. That was when I finally saw a doctor and learned that I had a rar...
With all the things that have been happening lately, it's not unusual to feel anxious and/or depressed. Self-care reminders abound on social media for a reason- more people have become self-aware and are being honest about the state of their mental and emotional health. When I was younger this was something people don't talk about much, I still tiptoe on the topic when discussing with family and friends. You weren't depressed, you were just sad. Truly, our generation and those before us were left to sink or swim, and sadly I've had friends who've sunk and I almost did too. To be honest, there are still times I feel like sinking but I've come up with things to get me out of that mindset whenever it creeps on me. I've listed things that work for me but these are like band aid solutions and not real solutions to treat depression. If you think you need help, please visit the link for a list of helplines to call for free: https://www.therapyroute.com/article/suic...