\n<\/p>\n
She wanted to capture the fleeting moments and anchor herself in gratitude.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMortality is very real. It\u2019s staring at me in the face,\u201d reflected Wong, who has three adult sons aged 30, 28 and 21.<\/span><\/p>\n It began in 2015 with\u00a0persistent joint pain in her shoulder, back and knees, as well as chronic fatigue.<\/span><\/p>\n Wong was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a usually benign condition where the body makes an abnormal protein in the blood. However, MGUS patients have about a 1 per cent yearly risk of developing multiple myeloma.<\/span><\/p>\n She was scheduled for regular blood tests to monitor her condition, and put on painkillers.<\/span><\/p>\n Two years later, however, she started to have daily nose bleeds, which led to a bone marrow biopsy to check if her MGUS had progressed into multiple myeloma or other plasma-cell disorders.<\/span><\/p>\n The call from the hospital came just as she boarded a cruise to Hong Kong. She went to the hospital after the trip.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was expecting bad news but I did not expect cancer,\u201d she told CNA Women. \u201cIn fact, when they told me I had multiple myeloma, I asked them what it was. Could they spell it out for me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nAN ILLNESS SHE HAD NEVER HEARD OF<\/span><\/h2>\n