'My Baby And I Nearly Lost Our Lives To A Series Of Medical Complications'

Beth Diana Samuel shares about her traumatic journey from being diagnosed with hypercalcaemia during pregnancy to finding out she had thyroid cancer.

- Poon Li-Wei

“I was at my first advertising job when I collapsed at work due to kidney stones. Little did I know that it would be the beginning of eight painful years, reoccurring annually, and that it would lead to more critical health problems. The doctors found it peculiar as I was so young – I turn 29 this year – and I was constantly told I wasn’t drinking enough water. For years, I was downing four to five litres of water a day and going to the toilet plenty!

A Downhill Turn

When I got married three years ago, the planning of the wedding was a complete blur and I didn’t feel any excitement – at one point, I didn’t even care that I was going to get married. These were all signs of depression, which I had been brushing off until my sister, who is a child therapist, picked up that I wasn’t really myself. She scheduled me for an appointment with a renowned psychiatrist, who diagnosed me with major depressive disorder. He even tested me to see if I had a thyroid problem as depression could sometimes be a side effect of hormonal imbalances, but my results came back clear.

All-Time Low