Khin is a 28-year-old woman who lives with her parents and three elder sisters in Burma. She is unemployed, but her family runs a small grocery store. Her elder brother works in a chicken factory across the border in Mae Sot, Thailand.
In April, 2020, Khin started to feel dizziness, headache, and nausea. She also developed blurred vision and her eyes became more sensitive to light. At first, she thought she just needed eyeglasses, and went to an eye clinic in Yangon. The ophthalmologist tested her eye and suspected that her symptoms might be due to a brain tumour. She received multiple CT scans at hospitals in Yangon and she was diagnosed with a brain tumour, but her surgery kept being postponed due to COVID-19 and later the country’s military coup.
By late 2022, Khin’s family were in debt and could no longer afford to pay for her surgery. Eventually, Khin decided to seek treatment at Mae Tao Clinic in Thailand, where she was told she may be able to receive free treatment. A medic from the clinic referred her to Mae Sot Hospital, where with the help of Watsi donors and BCMF, she received a CT scan. She was diagnosed with possible pituitary macroadenoma, and was told she would need surgery to remove the tumour. However, she would need to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in preparation for the surgery and to plan the best treatment plan.
Currently, Khin’s blurred vision is worsening. She can no longer see well, even during the day when it is bright outside. She also has pain in both of her eyes and sometimes around her eyes. She has a headache, which is more severe on the right side, dizziness, weakness and nausea. She has lost two kilograms within the past two weeks.
Khin said, “I feel really sad as my vision is worsening with time. One time, I could not see my sister who was standing close to me. Thank you for supporting me. I believe they my vision will surely be fully treated. I am trying to encourage myself and stay positive amongst all of my difficulties.”
