True life story of Suwimon Panyangarm

A living testimony

by Vachiravan Vanlaeiad

Suwimon (nicknamed Keng) was born in 1945 in Bangkok’s Chinatown, Thailand. Her father, Dr. So, was a medical doctor and her mother, Hong-yu, a midwife. They had migrated from China to Thailand long before her birth. She had 2 older brothers, 3 elder sisters, and 2 younger brothers (unfortunately one of her little brothers was dead when he was small). Her ancestors were devout Christians. Her grandfather was one of the first veteran Christians of Maitrichit Church, which is the world’s first Overseas Chinese Baptist Church (established in 1837) located in Chinatown. Her parents were highly competent and hard-working, resulting in owning a gigantic mansion in the nation’s largest Chinese community. They had divided their residence into two parts: a clinic with full facilities and living quarters. They were highly loved and respected both in their community and at church. Her father was a highly-effective and extremely-active member of Maitrichit Church, thus having been elected, on various occasions, the church’s deacon chairman.



Suwimon had perfectly copied her father, not only features and characteristics, but also his fervency and zealousness in God’s services. She was the only daughter whom Dr. So had always taken to church with him, especially during weekly prayer sessions on Thursday evenings. As a result, all of her young adult life had only revolved around her church, schools, and residence.



She was not beautiful. Yet her always cheerful temper plus genial disposition and leadership personality, had made her an attractive girl. She had served God since her young age, from interpreting for Chinese missionaries and visiting speakers to leading the church’s youth group. Her love for God has been her first and foremost for all of her life.



However, when she was a young teen (approx. 15-16 years old), her father, only 53, had died of gullet cancer. She was extremely distressed since her loss had deprived her not only of her most beloved dad, but her education. She had to finish school to render help in the family’s clinic. However, never once she blamed God, because for her God has never, ever done anything wrong.

Pancreatic Cancer - Living From Diagnosis to Death - The Diary of a Cancer Patient's Daughter By Deneene A. Collins

One of the hardest things to do in life is to live once you've been told you are going to die. It's as if life speeds up after you receive knowledge that your days are ticking away on a finite clock that you have no control over. One important thing that I learned while experiencing the devastating affects of Pancreatic Cancer with my mother as she fought this distressing disease is that it is crucial to focus on the time that you have rather than on the time you don't have. To me this article is a condensed version of the Diary of Cancer Patient's Daughter as I explain what living with Pancreatic Cancer is like from diagnosis to death as I framed the picture of my mother's experience in my mind.
I hope and pray that you receive something out of these words birthed out of pain that will bring you peace and help you or your loved one with a Cancer diagnosis live a little longer and happier in spite of the sad reality you are facing. There are 7 D's in this Cancer Diary that can help you manage the physical and mental aspects of this awful disease. Remember that what you don't do in the Cancer Crisis is just as important as what you do.
Entry # 1: The Diagnosis:
My mother Joyce was 66 years old when she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer during the summer of 2008. Though all Cancer is bad, Pancreatic Cancer is considered one of the worst because it is the most difficult to diagnose. The reason is that the symptoms mirror digestive problems as the disease hides in the depths of the digestive system. My mother had chronic pain in her stomach and though she went to the emergency room several times receiving numerous tests and ultra sounds the doctors kept telling her nothing was wrong with her and sent her home every time. Initially they thought it was a problem with her gal bladder which is a common misdiagnosis in the case of Pancreatic Cancer.
Her Father Boyce whom she was named after died of Pancreatic Cancer 20 years earlier but the chance that she could have that very same thing never occurred to her or anyone else in our family. If Cancer runs in your family, especially Pancreatic Cancer I would advise you to have regular screenings for this disease as early diagnosis is a key to survival. One of the most deadly things about Pancreatic Cancer is that because it is so hard to diagnose most patients don't receive their diagnosis until they are already in Stage 4 of the Cancer when there is practically no hope.