I am starting a list of women in waiting for Nokor Tep. Their stories are simply told and their own diagnoses – what has me so upset is the number of women who are so very desperate that they want pictures taken of where they hurt. This is Cambodia where women are naturally shy and inhibited – it is the nature of their pain that results in foregoing dignity for a chance to be heard. These are some of their stories:
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Chan Saran is 63 years old and gave birth to 4 children. Her husband is still living. Four and half years ago, she suffered from a prolapsed uterus. She went to a doctor who told her to get an operation but she had no money and so never went. For the past 4.5 years, Chan Saran has walked in pain – when the pain is too great – she takes local herbal medicines to help. Her desperation is great. She is waiting. -----------------------------------------------------------------
Poun Roeung is 39 years old and has given birth to six children. Poun’s breast began hurting 5 years ago – once, a long time ago she went to seek medical help. It cost a lot of money and the medicine she got didn’t work. She and her family are very poor. She can no longer work very hard – when she works hard her breast and her arm hurt very much. This makes her husband very angry. When he comes home from the fields he expects his rice ready – when it isn’t he beats her severely. He refuses to allow her to go and look for help. She is desperate and waiting.
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Hak Own is 16 years old. For the past three years, Hak has had a breast lump that has grown in size and causes her much pain. She has never gone to a doctor because her father is blind and cannot work and her mother is too busy because she needs to earn enough for all her seven children. Hak is afraid she is dying – she often faints now – the breast is heavy and she can’t sleep from the pain and the fear. Hak is so afraid – so very afraid. She is waiting.
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Chat Toll is a 42 year old woman who suffers from a vaginal discharge tinged with blood. She went a doctor who told her she had lumps in her uterus and she needed an operation but she had no money for such things and so didn’t go. She is a widow and has a fear for death which she believes is near. She used a Cambodian saying to explain her great fear –“I will die but with my eyes open”. This expresses her fear for her children who will be orphaned with no one to care for them and her soul will not rest as she must watch her children from the other side.
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Cheong Sophea is 39 years of age. She has had a breast lump that has hurt for years. More significantly is the constant discharges that she has – they are smelly and her belly hurts. A doctor told her she had cysts in her uterus which should be removed. He gave her medicine but the medicine didn’t work and she is getting worse. She believes that she is dying and that there will be no one to take care of her children. She is sad and waiting.
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Ad Neoun is 30 years old with 4 children. Her belly has pained for the past four years but she has never gone to a doctor because it’s too far and costs too much. Ad Neoun has been abandoned by her husband who is angry with her for being sick and no longer willing to have sex with him. She is very tired and in pain. She is waiting.
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Khuen Somally is 26 years old with 3 children. She has painful breast lumps that keep growing. She has never gone to a doctor because there is no money and it’s too far. Somally believes that she is dying – she cries that she is too young to die – she is afraid and waiting.
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Ouk Na is 42 years old and has given birth to four children. Ok Na has a breast lump which in her mind means that she is dying. Ok Na’s two sisters both died of breast lumps – she believes that no one can help her. She says it’s no use going to a hospital – it will cost too much and she will have to sell everything and she will die anyway. She is waiting.
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Sous Chea is 52 years old and gave birth to 6 children – 1 of whom remains at home to take care of her. She has a breast lump and a doctor says she needs an operation but that costs too much money and it probably won’t help – besides she is too old and doesn’t want to burden her children. She has lost hope and is waiting.
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Hien Phun is 40 years old and has 7 children. Hien has suffered for many years with a white discharge that is now turned red. Her belly and her back hurt all the time. She doesn’t have the money to go to a doctor. She says she ignores her pain because she has the children to raise. She is afraid that she is dying – but she can’t die yet – because there will be no one to take care of her children. Her husband abandoned her several years ago. She is waiting.
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Ouk Chin is 55 years old and gave birth to 7 children. Her sister Ouk Na is 45 years old with 2 children. Both women have suffered for years from vaginal discharges that are smelly and hurtful. Both women were abandoned by their husbands because of the constant problems. Ouk Chin’’s pain is quite severe both in her belly and her back but her sister’s pain is starting to move from her belly to her back as well. They are alone and afraid – there is no one to help them. They are waiting.
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Thoy Pich is 43 years old with 5 children. She believes that she has both uterine and breast cancer but she doesn’t know for sure because she is too poor to go to a doctor. She has only bought medicines “to interrupt the pain” as she says. She says she is responsible for feeding her children. She cries as she tells us she can’t work anymore because the pain is too much – yet I struggle to work because my children only have me to take care of them. Thoy Pich is desperate and waiting.
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“I am Nheb Tan. I have 5 sons. I am a farmer. My husband died 8 years ago. I have illness like this: itching burning pain cervixitis, bacteria vagina candidacies, cervical metritis, and yeast vagina. When I have money I go to the hospital. I take medicine and I feel better. My body is always itching. I am sad. Sometimes I don’t want to go on living because there is no money to take care of myself. My sons because I am sick cannot continue to study. They must to find money for the medicine and for the family. The end I hope has the hospital can help poor people like me. ” Nheb Than is waiting.
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Hak Own is 16 years old. For the past three years, Hak has had a breast lump that has grown in size and causes her much pain. She has never gone to a doctor because her father is blind and cannot work and her mother is too busy because she needs to earn enough for all her seven children. Hak is afraid she is dying – she often faints now – the breast is heavy and she can’t sleep from the pain and the fear. Hak is so afraid – so very afraid. She is waiting.
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