Since becoming aware of “Quality of Life,” I have learned to value the fundamentals of living — clothing, food, and shelter.
My day begins quietly, with a bowl of matcha in a room filled with soft morning light.
When I left for overseas, my mother handed me matcha powder and a tea bowl, telling me it had antibacterial properties and could support my immune system.
That simple ritual has stayed with me ever since.
I have become especially mindful about food.
Because my cancer is hormone-based, my weight can fluctuate easily if I am not careful.
I now try to eat a wide variety of vegetables in small portions and maintain a balanced intake of the five essential nutrients.
During treatment, I lost 7 kilograms (about 15 pounds) in just one week.
Cancer in younger patients tends to progress more aggressively, and as a result, the chemotherapy is often stronger.
It is a harsh reality — but the younger the body, the faster cancer can spread.
At the time, I became extremely sensitive to smells.
The scent of hospital meals alone would make me nauseous.
The only thing I could manage to eat was vanilla ice cream given to me by a fellow patient.
Cold. Soft. Gentle.
It felt like a small thread connecting me to life.
Despite carrying fluid in her abdomen, she would slowly make her way to my ward during her hospital visits just to bring me that ice cream.
I will never forget her kindness.
Since then, I have believed that when we are healthy, we must nourish ourselves well —
to build resilience and support our immune system before illness ever returns.
Clothing, food, and shelter are not merely practical necessities.
They are the foundation that steadies the heart.
After countless sleepless nights, I now prioritize feeling safe above all else.
Deep sleep, I believe, is the cornerstone of health.
I choose quiet, secure living spaces, and I prefer calming tones such as beige that bring a sense of peace.
What surrounds us shapes our quality of life more than we realize.
Clothing carries meaning for me as well.
During chemotherapy, I lost my hair and often avoided looking in the mirror.
Each morning after washing my face, I would see my reflection and feel the weight of reality — and the uncertainty of a future I could not yet imagine.
Today, I have recovered enough to enjoy my hairstyle and fashion again.
Because of what I went through, I no longer try to impress or overreach.
I choose simple, comfortable clothing that feels honest to who I am now.
Above all, I value spaciousness in time.
Time to eat slowly.
Time to walk and notice the filtered sunlight through the trees.
Time to see the quiet beauty of seasonal flowers.
My days are not extraordinary.
But protecting this “ordinary” life —
that is my Quality of Life.
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