According to Power Over Cervical Cancer (POCC), “Cervical Cancer is the 2nd most common female cancer worldwide with 500,000 women diagnosed every year!” In Singapore, about 200 women are detected with cervical cancer and about 100 die from the disease every year, according to Health Promotion Board of Singapore. According to the American Cancer Society estimates for cervical cancer in the United States for 2010, “there would be about 12,200 new cases of invasive cervical and about 4,210 will die from cervical cancer.” It can happen to any women around us!

I believe each and everyone of us can play a vital role in bringing down the numbers by sharing information of cervical cancer with family, friends, associates, colleagues and, as in my case, to strangers as what I am doing through this post.

Cervical cancer is caused by several types of a virus called human papillomaviruses (HPV), which is normally spread through sexual activity. “Most women bodies are able to fight HPV infection. But sometimes the virus leads to cancer,” according to National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH also states, “Cervical cancer may not cause any symptoms at first, but later, you may have pelvic pain or bleeding from the vagina.” According to the HPB of Singapore, signs or symptoms of cervical cancer may include:

Unusual or foul-smelling discharge from the vagina

Blood spots or light bleeding when you are not having your period or after menopause

Bleeding or pain during sex

And HPB of Singapore also mentioned that it is possible to have cervical cancer even if you do not experience any of these signs or symptoms.

Who are at risk? According to the HPB FAQ section for cervical cancer,

All women aged between 25 and 69 who:

Ever had sex

Had multiple sexual partners

Had sexually transmitted infections (STI) e.g. genital warts, genital herpes and HPV infection

Smoke

As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure!” A woman’s risk of developing cervical cancer can be reduced by having regular pap smears/tests which is an early detection screening program. According to the American Cancer Society,

“Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. Then, between 1955 and 1992, the cervical cancer death rate declined by almost 70%. The main reason for this change was the increased use of the Pap test. This screening procedure can find changes in the cervix before cancer develops. It can also find cervical cancer early — in its most curable stage.“

Although HPB of Singapore states in their FAQ section that pap smears should be done every 3 years, two of the most important women in my life, my mother and sister, are having their pap smears done almost on a yearly basis. Are the important women in your life having their pap smears done regularly already? Have you done yours?

Regardless of where you are in the world, together, we can empower the important and special women in our life over cervical cancer! Just simply by sharing information on cervical cancer, We Have the Power to Save Lives! You can find out more on how to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer from the website of POCC.

Or was it taken in California, the largest wine-producing area in the US?

Or was it taken in the Hunter Valley, which is just two-hours north of Sydney and seemed like the more possible location for a short weekend getaway from Singapore?

Sad to say, it was not taken at any of the vineyards in any of the above locations. I was surprised and also delighted to find this growing in Singapore. Yes, you heard me right! This is grown by Wine Culture, which is one of the premier fine and rare wines boutiques and distributors in Singapore and the region.

According to a report from AFP, “At least 73 people were killed and more than 330,000 others displaced after the heaviest rain in more than four decades plunged the Philippine capital into turmoil…

The nine-hour deluge across Manila on Saturday submerged houses, washed away shanties and turned roads into raging rivers, forcing terrified residents to seek refuge on top of homes or cars where they waited for more than 24 hours.”

It is the worst extensive flooding that he has seen, according to Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. The rainfall sets a record high of 41.6 centimetres (16 inches), over the previous single-day record of 33.4 centimetres in July 1967.

Philippine Red Cross chairwoman Gwendolyn Pang said rescuers were struggling to reach many areas, with highways rendered impassable.

“This has never happened before. Almost 80 percent of metropolitan Manila is underwater,” Pang told AFP.

For those of you who are reading this and want to make a donation whether in term of money or relief goods, you can do it through:

1. Philippines National Red Cross, PNRC or through their online form: PNRC and choose ‘Typhoon Ondoy.’

2. And if you are in the Philippines, you can also access this list for all the locations where you can drop off relief goods for people affected by Ketsana (Ondoy).

3. If you are in Cebu: Victory Cebu at 3/F Dacay Building, 72 Escario St., Cebu City. Operation: 10am – 6pm, Monday – Sunday.

4. If you are in Bacolod: Victory Bacolod at 3/L Robinsons Place – Bacolod. They are accepting donations in cash and relief goods (bread, “mamon” brownies, cookies/biscuits, juice, energy drink, bottled water, medication, clothing, slippers, blankets,etc.). Contact no. 441-0703.

Update:

The Filipino Association in Singapore (FAS) also announced that it is accepting donations in kind for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. Donations may be dropped off at:

A-Freight Cargo
304 Orchard Road
#03-19 Lucky Plaza
Singapore 238863
Contact Maureen Schepers: 6235-1011.

i-Remit Singapore announced that it will waive remittance charges for donations to the Philippine National Red Cross. Remittances to the Philippine National Red Cross may be sent through:

i-Remit Singapore
304 Orchard Road
#03-69 Lucky Plaza
Singapore 238863

LBC announced that it will waive remittance charges for donations made to the following organizations: ABS-CBN Foundation, GMA Foundation, Philippine National Red Cross, and the National Disaster Coordinating Center. Remittances to these organizations may be sent through:

LBC Singapore
304 Orchard Road
#04-77 Lucky Plaza
Singapore 238863

Wishing everyone a bless week ahead!

I would have gotten mine done too if it was partially erupted at that time; it didn’t. But I always believe that everything happened for a reason. If I had mine extracted then, I wouldn’t have the chance to help others who are going through or will be going through similar situation. All prices stated hereafter are in Singapore dollar. This may not be applicable to you especially if you are not in Singapore. However, if you know of any affordable ways for wisdom tooth surgery in your country, do feel free to share in the comment area with all of us.

As most of you know, wisdom tooth extraction can be pretty expensive; especially when it needs to be surgically removed. One of my friends had a wisdom tooth surgically removed, in a private practice, for $600. Yes, you read right, just one wisdom tooth.

If a wisdom tooth needs to be surgically removed, the cost for extraction in private practices can vary from as low as $400 to as high as $800. Heard anything higher? That was why I felt helpless since I had to have mine removed.

What I did first was to check with friends who might have good and most importantly – reasonably priced – dentist. That didn’t help much; most have good dentists to recommend but the costs of surgery were almost the same. Next I turned to Googling for extraction that can be done using Medisave. Yes, wisdom tooth surgery can be covered by Medisave now. That can be good news especially if you are a working Singapore citizen. If you are not, you can still use your parents’ Medisave.

If you want to do your wisdom tooth extraction in private practices and want to pay for it using Medisave, you must make sure that the dental clinic is participating in the Medisave Scheme. One private practice which I called does participate in the scheme but it would still cost me around $600-$800.

I have read in one of the forums that the cheapest way is to get a referral letter from Polyclinic (see list of polyclinics with dental facilities near the bottom of the page) to the National Dental Centre (NDC). When you are booking your appointment with the polyclinic, do let them know that you want to get a referral letter to the NDC under subsidised rate.

During the first visit to the NDC, X-ray will be done to see if your wisdom tooth needs to be surgically removed. If it does, they will advice you what to do and do feel free to ask them any questions. “Only day surgery procedures (eg. surgical removal of wisdom teeth) will be covered by Medisave,” according to NDC.