SUSS graduate persists through 14 surgeries to gain Master’s degree
The path to graduation at a university is rarely ever easy, full of assignments and sleepless nights.
For one graduate at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), however, the road she powered through included a severe injury, 14 surgeries, and struggles with depression.
38-year-old Gem is one of the pioneer graduates of the university’s Master of Digital Marketing Programme who attended their convocation at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on Tuesday (8 Oct).
She presently works as a Senior Manager for Group PR and Corporate Communications at Eurokars Group.
In a previous life, she was an ambitious cabin crew — until a workplace injury turned her life upside down.
Suffered misdiagnosed injury as a cabin crew in 2013
Gem’s injury occurred over a decade ago in 2013, back when she worked onboard a plane.
That fateful day, she noticed a passenger struggling to get her bag into the plane’s overhead compartment and went over to help.
As Gem was shifting the bag in, the passenger struck it hard, trapping Gem’s hand between the bag and the overhead compartment.
The force of the strike caused Gem to be lifted off the floor.
After returning to Singapore, Gem saw an orthopaedic doctor only for her injury to be dismissed.
She was prescribed two steroid jabs and some painkillers before being sent on her way.
At the time, Gem did not know that she had been misdiagnosed.
Despite living every day in constant agony, she continued to pursue a degree and attained a sommelier certification — all while working full-time as a cabin crew.
Assuming that the pain came from the stress of juggling studies and work, Gem brushed aside the severity of her injury.
Instead, to deal with the pain, she took the highest possible painkiller dose for her weight daily.
In the end, she resigned from her role as cabin crew in 2017, taking a sabbatical for three years and 10 months.
Underwent 14 surgeries in over a year
Gem’s general practitioner (GP) felt that something was wrong during this period as she continued purchasing painkillers.
After sending her for an MRI, it turned out that Gem had torn her shoulder muscles in the 2013 accident.
She told MS News that her muscles and tissue had become frayed in the area as her injury had not properly healed.
In 2019, Gem went for her first surgery since the accident six years prior. This would be the first of 14 surgeries in a period of over a year.
The surgeon had to cut away the frayed tissue before sewing her shoulder muscles back together.
Image courtesy of Gem
Gem’s road to recuperation was anything but straightforward.
She could not sleep lying down due to the pain, resorting to prescribed sleeping pills.
Her mental condition also worsened, and she fell into depression.
As her agony persisted, Gem underwent numerous pain management surgeries, where doctors attempted to find the source of her pain to treat it.
SUSS graduate affected by financial burden of surgeries
Even then, complications arose.
She said to MS News that one time after being discharged, she unexpectedly fainted and collapsed face-first to the ground.
The fall broke her teeth and nose, resulting in her needing surgeries for both.
After that, she still had to do physiotherapy thrice a week for a year.
Furthermore, the 14 surgeries put immense pressure on Gem and her husband’s finances. They had insurance to help, but a nearly four-year period of medical expenses was still a huge drain.
Image courtesy of Gem
Gem said she forked out all her money while her husband shouldered all their household expenses. They also had to sell their house to pay for her medical fees.
She estimated the total costs to be over S$300,000.
Wake up call pushed her to further her studies
Despite her financial and physical struggles, Gem had kept her problems from her loved ones — even her parents.
They had known she was injured but not the extent of it. Gem said her parents broke down after learning the truth.
“They cooked a lot of good food for me so that I’d be fatter,” she laughed.
She said Covid-19 worsened the situation since it became difficult to meet people and create a support network.
However, things took a turn for the better in mid-2020 after Gem penned a viral Facebook post sharing her story.
She received an outpouring of support from netizens and realised she was wrong to keep her troubles to herself.
“I decided that I cannot be so down and depressed all the time,” she said, describing the moment as a wake-up call.
It was then that she decided to improve herself and further her studies at SUSS.
Courses helped SUSS graduate deal with recovery from surgeries
At the university, Gem embarked on a year-long postgraduate diploma in digital marketing — rekindling her love for the field.
She had previously graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, having also studied the subject at Temasek Polytechnic.
As she was still recovering from her surgeries at the time, Gem attended Zoom classes while in hospital. In a way, the courses helped improve her mental state.
“Studies took my mind off all the negative thoughts,” said Gem, who jokingly added that the “many assignments” kept her busy.
Hungry to learn more, Gem enrolled in the new Master of Digital Marketing programme at SUSS in 2022.
Gem is now a pioneer graduate of the new course. Amongst the 3,200 graduates at the SUSS Convocation 2024, she was one of just 12 in the inaugural cohort for the Master of Digital Marketing programme.
She told MS News that the course had many modules like data visualisation, coding, and social media analytics — equipping her with skills that can add value to the industry.
“I can differentiate myself as compared to my peers, who are traditional marketers,” said Gem.
Encourages others to open up to loved ones in tough times
That said, Gem’s battle with pain is still ongoing. Even today, her shoulder is still affecting her.
“I’m still in pain, always in pain, [there is] never a pain-free day,” she said.
However, her situation has improved. She now deals with the pain using massages and stretching, leaving the painkillers only as a last resort.
With a new career and bright future ahead of her, Gem is in a better mental state compared to before.
Gem pointed to her graduate cap and told MS News that even something as light as that carries emotional weight.
For those suffering through tough times, Gem had encouraging words.
“Not everybody’s life is as smooth as they want it to be. There are ups and downs but never give up, because there are actually many people who love you and cherish you,” she said.
“They will be there for you.”
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Featured image by MS News.
