You must remember that you are not alone in suffering from cancer. There are at least 100,000 cancer patients in Singapore. My mother always felt sad when she saw young cancer patients and would sympathize with their plight.

Open your heart and share your experience with other cancer patients. It is good to talk honestly about your feelings, anxieties and fears with others in similar circumstances.

Cancer evokes powerful negative thoughts and emotions such as fear, anger and depression. You must not let these negative feelings destroy your immune system.

During each visit to the hospital, my mother would chat with other cancer patients and they would exchange their experiences on matters such as side effects after chemotherapy treatment and discuss complementary treatments. However I observed that the majority of cancer patients do not "socialize" and they look moody and solemn.

If you choose not to share and network with other cancer patients, you can try reading books on the experiences of cancer survivors. This will offer inspiration and positive visualization.

One doctor advocates the following faiths that are crucial to recovery from serious illness :

Faith in oneself
Faith in one's doctor
Faith in one's treatment
Faith in one's spiritual faith