■Maiaa Iona(吉里巴斯在台學生 游麥亞)
International College of Ming Chuan University
Department of Applied Computing Science
銘傳大學國際學院 資訊科技應用學程
Recently years, there have been great numbers of people who have experienced thymic carcinoma world widely, and I am one amongst those people. This disease is the most feared and deadly sickness and people who live in certain areas like my beloved country Kiribati, in which cancer treatment is one hundred percent poor, may easily suffer from it. Although the equipments of cancer treatment is deprived, but instead Kiribati’s government does its best to send I-Kiribati for better treatment in such countries where their medical treatment for cancerous is more advanced than us such as New Zealand and Australia. Fortunately, I am not under this scheme, because my thymic carcinoma has been discovered in an area (Taiwan) where it can easily treat.
近年來，世界上有許多人罹患胸腺癌，我就是其中的一位。這是一種可怕而且致命的疾病，而它也似乎喜歡侵襲某些特定的地區，如癌症治療極度匱乏同時是我所生長，貧窮的吉里巴斯。吉里巴斯雖然治療的設備不足，但吉國政府盡可能將罹病在當地無法治療的國民送到那些癌症治療先進的國家，如紐西蘭與澳洲等國。而我很幸運的是在如此高醫療水準的台灣被診斷治療。
With insufficient and ambiguous understandings of what is thymic carcinoma is, what are the suitable treatments for it and what are the consequences caused by its treatments, I therefore inquire doctors for further details. The response to my inquisitiveness is highly satisfactory, because doctors have told me the entire details of my cancer conditions. Additionally, doctors fully elucidate that the cancer I have, is extremely huge and it is situated in an area where it almost impossible for an immediate surgery. For the sake of my life however, doctors strongly suggest me to accept radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgical operation if the chance of respectability is possible. With the robust level of confidence, I agree to undergo both of radiation therapy and chemotherapy and ready to face up tremendous damages caused by them and allow surgical operation if it is possible…
由於對於胸腺癌的認識不足，所以請主治醫師詳細說明胸腺癌的成因、治療方式及癒後的情況。而我所罹患的惡性腫瘤相當巨大，且是長在一個無法進行手術的危險位置。然而為了爭取可以開刀的希望，醫生建議我先接受放射治療及化療。在醫師的解釋和心理建設下，我同意接受前述二種治療，並且準備面對未來尚不知是否可執行的外科手術。
Indeed, natural disturbances caused by both radiation therapy and chemotherapy are highly suffered but because I haven’t attained my objective goal, nevertheless it is the right moment to face up any serious consequences. The first treatment I have taken is radiation therapy. This kind of treatment has regarded as the most risky treatment for cancer because it can cause several of discomfort to the patient such as lungs inflammation and so forth. In this treatment, radiation rays have penetrated through my body and directly go straight to my tumor. Its focus direction is to decrease the size of the tumor I have. Because of its ineffectiveness in reducing the actual size of the tumor, oncology doctors suggest me to receive an intensive chemotherapy. Again this treatment is also dangerous because it also generate more discomfort to my physical health but because of my determination in wanting to be healed from this dummy sickness, I have to go through it, regardless of its consequences it may bring in my future life. I have gone through this treatment for several times while my doctor for chemotherapy briefly tells that my tumor becomes smaller and perhaps ready for operation. For instance, I take a silent moment and praise the lord. I have filled with glorious joyful and start thinking of the next stage. Surgical operation is the next level which frightens me mostly but because I leave all my life through God’s hand I completely fearless.
經過實際治療後，卻未能達到預期的目標，也讓我警覺到必須正視這個癌症可能帶來的嚴重後果。首先，我接受的是放射治療，這是被視為具風險的療程，輻射通過我的身體並且攻擊我的腫瘤細胞，透過這種治療方式，破壞我的腫瘤細胞，其目的在於縮小腫瘤的大小，因會造成病患的極度不適例如肺部發炎等等，然而這種治療方式效果對我並不顯著。腫瘤科醫師建議我接受密集的化療，同樣也是有危險性的，亦會造成生理更多不適。但是我已經下定決心戰勝病魔，所以必須面對它，無論它會對我的未來造成何種後果。經歷了多次化療後，負責化療的主治醫師告訴我，我體內的腫瘤已逐漸變小，也許可以進行手術。當下，我沉默了片刻並開始讚美主，此刻的我充滿了喜樂，但我也開始思考後續的手術可能帶來的風險。面對手術這個難關，我把我的生命完全交給上帝的手，我已無所畏懼了。
For my next appointment, I have tried to convince my doctor about the exact date for surgical operation. He refuses to disclose the exact date but only ask me to wait for the final analysis from those doctors who are responsible for chest operation. I have kept waiting for several days, till I have got full information about my cancer condition. I can’t wait for the final judgment (surgical operation) but when it comes I therefore go through it and fortunately the tumor inside my body had removed clearly and the scar remains on my body obviously who cares much about that, the most significant thing to get healthy first. Now I am back to the right track, both of my energy level and my concentration are back to normal and because it is the new beginning of my era, I therefore willing to seek again for the new beginning.
我的外科主治醫師必須等待其他醫生最後的報告才能決定手術何時進行，經過數日等待，在會診其他醫師以及檢驗報告出爐後，終於可以明確知道我的情況，並安排進行手術，我等不及要面對及克服這個手術。所幸手術成功，我體內的腫瘤已經被完整的清除，雖然手術的疤痕十分明顯，但這已不重要了，因為我已得到健康。現在我的生活已回到正軌，我的身體狀況已恢復正常水準，現在的我是一個新時代的開始，因此我必須重新找尋新的起點。
To conclude, I warmly thank doctors and nurses at Mackay Memorial Hospital for their outstanding assistance I received when I was under treatments. The victory in removing my tumor within a short period of time signifies the outstanding of Mackay Memorial Hospital in treating cancer and creates the good reputation of Mackay Memorial Hospital as one of the best hospital in Taiwan. My special thankfulness to Vanessa, Yi-Yin Lin and Clark, Chi-Feng Lin (International Medical Service Center’ Staff) also, for being updating Taiwan Embassy with my specific health condition to Taiwan embassy and my relatives as well. Lastly but not at least, I personally thank the government of Taiwan (MOFA) for allowing me to pursue my study for undergraduate here. With this offer, I am able to grant the new beginning. Thank you all of you, and May God bless us all.
最後我由衷感謝馬偕紀念醫院的醫生與護士，在我接受治療期間所給予的協助。在極短的時間內除去我的腫瘤，顯示馬偕紀念醫院具有高超的腫瘤治療技術以及其在台灣醫療院所中的領先地位。另外特別感謝國際醫療中心的怡吟和其鋒的照料，時常協助向遠在吉里巴斯的家人以及大使館回報我的健康狀況。最後，還要感謝臺灣的外交部，允許我在此在台灣求學攻讀學位。有了這個機會，讓我得以重新展開新生活，感謝你們，願上帝祝福大家。