I’ve always been someone who benefited from good health and naturally made no great effort to live a healthy lifestyle. My husband often jokes that it’s easier for me to stay fit, since I usually crave kiwis and vegetables rather than cheese, cakes, and chocolate bars, as he does. As a former gymnast, I exercise regularly and am disciplined in many aspects of my life, including going for annual medical check‑ups. After more than a year of avoiding hospitals because of the Covid‑19 pandemic, I booked a standard health screening with a gynaecologist in March 2021. I often suffer from painful periods, but in all honesty, I thought nothing of it because I always assumed that it was normal for women to experience menstrual pain. I was not prepared for what came next.
My screening revealed that I had a very large endometriotic cyst on my right ovary. I was advised to get it removed to avoid any complications. Never having had any surgery before, the idea of going into an operation theatre terrified me. I was only 42.
I work at the National University of Singapore (NUS), handling international partnerships between France and Singapore, and have many ongoing collaborations with the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. So I consulted with Dr Ma Li, an endometriosis specialist at the National University Hospital (NUH). She suggested I get a hysterectomy, an invasive procedure that removes the womb but keeps the ovaries, so that I could still benefit from a good source of oestrogens for a few more years. I had no plans to have more kids; my kids were 13 and 6.
Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av ELLE Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av ELLE Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Just A Hint
Conspicuously More Understated Than Their Gem-set Cousins, These Subtle Rainbow-coloured Watches Are No Less Defiant In Their Insistence On Optimism And Style.
A cultural Conversation
With its Made of Makers programme, JAEGER-LECOULTRE has built a community of like-minded creatives who place innovation, craftsmanship and precision at the heart of all they do.
The Inner Lives Of Clothes
Compelling Fashion Doesn't Have To Be Ostentatious Or Overtly Conceptual, But It Does Need A Clear Identity And Character Of Its Own.
Journey to the WEST
Time to slip into some chaps and saddle up. Fashion's biggest brands are taking a turn at the rodeo.
The Mai Effect
Fresh off her cover shoot for ELLE Singapore-draped in head-turning Bvlgari jewels-Davika Hoorne radiates the charm and allure of a woman who's both wildly ambitious and perfectly content in her own skin. Here, the 32-year-old Thai-Belgian star reflects on two decades in the spotlight, and why she's not done dreaming just yet.
in Conversation
Cartier creative director MARIE-LAURE CÉRÈDE delves into the Maison’s haute joaillerie timepieces, while highlighting the importance of creativity and a happy team in her chat with CHARMAINE HO.
SPIRIT OF Samba
ENJOY A RIOTOUS NIGHT OUT WITH YOUR WELL-HEELED FRIENDS AT SUSHISAMBA SINGAPORE. COME FOR THE DRINKS AND STAY FOR THE REVELRYBUT DON'T FORGET TO DRESS THE PART.
What dreams May Come
Life as an actress can be an emotional roller coaster. Crazy Rich Asians star CONSTANCE LAU shares the highs, the lows, and everything else in between.
OF WOMEN & SINGAPORE
From fashion trends that capture the cultural zeitgeist, to introspective opinion pieces about a life best lived, fashion historian NADYA WANG charts 31 years of ELLE Singapore history through its pages.
SPA AWARDS 2024
50 WINNING BEAUTY TREATMENTS TO GET YOU LOOKING FABULOUS FROM TOP TO TOE.