Broadcaster Lee Sol-yi revealed her thoughts after confessing her battle with women's cancer.
On the 6th, a video titled 'The feelings of that day when everything was revealed, daily life afterward' was uploaded to Lee Sol-yi's YouTube channel.
On that day, Lee Sol-yi prepared a healthy breakfast with broccoli, cherry tomatoes, paprika, yogurt, and more. She noted, 'I recently opened up about my illness. I have a lot to say, but initially, I didn't want to reveal this. Anyway, when it comes to women's cancer, I think there will be many questions like, can I eat something like yogurt? Because I have shown that I eat yogurt a lot during this time. However, it seems that everyone has slightly different opinions. But I believe there is no problem eating it twice a week, so I am receiving various consultations and continuing to eat it.'
She explained, 'They say that dairy products are bad because of the casein or gluten they contain. So, I am relatively making a vegan product, and I think I will settle on this soy yogurt if I find it okay after trying it out. I usually try to eat a lot of legumes. Those who follow an anti-cancer diet struggle to cook various dishes, but I thought I wouldn't be able to manage that, so I have been consistently doing these three things for over three years.'
In particular, Lee Sol-yi said that her impulsive confession of her battle with cancer was prompted by recent negative comments directed at her. 'There was originally a scheduled video. However, I felt uncomfortable posting it. I actually wanted to share this with my Brawly (subscribers) friends first, so I was wondering how I could convey my feelings sincerely and authentically. This was such a significant event for me, and my reasons for managing my health and weight are all tied to this. But I ended up opening up emotionally. I felt unfair about it,' she revealed.
She said, 'The situation was that when the article came out, it often sensationalized aspects that were visually striking rather than focusing on what I had said. There are those who do not do that, but I assumed the articles wouldn't be favorable. I recently saw an article that I clicked because there was nothing about it. They wrote an article about me wearing a hat, which was not something to criticize at all, so I clicked it without great fear. But I found that so many people dislike me for no reason. The comments on the screenshot I posted were entirely negative. 100% of them were insults that poured indiscriminately like a trash can of emotional garbage,' she expressed her disappointment.
Lee Sol-yi stated, 'Of course, I know that ignoring it is the best response. However, I have repeatedly explained that it is not that I do not want to have a child, but that I cannot have one, yet that part is not reflected in articles. I feel a strong sense of injustice. The story is too long. If I talk about my resignation, does that mean I am being criticized for resigning and for not having a child? But I have very valid reasons for that. It's fine to criticize. Those who want to keep throwing negative comments will continue to do so. However, I should let people know that I am in this situation. Otherwise, I will be stigmatized as someone who is not having a child while being sick. If this continues to delay, I feel that I might end up being labeled unfairly as someone who resigned just to use her husband. I was afraid that the people looking at me would come to recognize me in that way due to those comments.'
She continued, 'So, I thought I needed to share that reality. After watching the article at around 9 a.m., I wrote it while crying for an hour and a half. It was a time filled with much unfairness. My husband tried to dissuade me, but I believe that the burden of unfair emotions can kill a person, so I have truly been making an effort to avoid speculation, preconceptions, or any backbiting. My brother knows that too. So, I posted it. After that, I had a live commerce event that day, then filming the next day, and the atmosphere felt uncomfortable. Therefore, I wanted to communicate with everyone quickly and created a short vlog to convey my feelings to my Brawly friends.'
She added, 'In fact, I felt guilty for not having mentioned this space earlier. It wasn't calculated or intentional, but something that happened suddenly. Many people sent messages to me through direct messaging because they felt they couldn't leave comments. Although there were over 1,000 comments, so many direct messages came in. However, they all wrote over 20 lines, and it still hurts my heart to reflect on what that feels like. There are so many suffering and struggling people in the world. They share their pains with me and encourage me, and that makes me so sad. I just wish for a beautiful world where everyone is happy. Seeing someone else's pain and reflecting it as 'I'm fortunate' is an emotion I want to guard against, and it makes me uncomfortable.'
She continued, 'I heard that a lot. It felt like what they were saying came from themselves. It resonated with the feelings of hurting people and seemed to represent their feelings very well. That means there must be so many who are having a tough time. Now, three years in, I sought care and spent a week crying during my checkup. I felt very anxious and scared. However, I have this space where I can speak, which gives me strength. Even forcing myself to muster up energy to live in any form has helped me. People ask me why I haven't quit social media. I survived thanks to that space. That's why it is so precious to me, and I cherish it even more than my Brawly friends realize. So, I don't want to disappear from that space.'
Lee Sol-yi expressed, 'I want to keep communicating and sharing my thoughts and good information I have. I have studied so much. After overcoming it and feeling well, my hair falls out during treatment. My skin darkens, and my nails also become dark. Nothing can match the beauty I want to cultivate as a woman. To turn that around, I have had to put in so much effort, studying, researching, spending money, and even failing. I want to share those experiences as well. It's a hope for those in pain that one can go on social media casually while forgetting their struggles. I want to let them know that is possible.'
He said, 'But it's never light, so when I think back on those times, I still get chills. I receive chemotherapy IV. My veins aren't good; they often dissolve. My veins have been ruined due to chemotherapy. When that red chemotherapy drug enters my body, I can taste the chemicals almost immediately in my mouth, which feels like an overwhelming sensation to kill all the cells in my body. I still remember the taste that feels incredibly harsh, and sitting there, it's chaotic. But that's not the only pain. There's also a cycle that comes afterward. It's a topic that I can never talk about casually. It's not something that can be discussed lightly. I try to speak while smiling because I don't want to feel depressed, but it's not something I can say lightly. I think that discussing it lightly could wound someone, so I'm careful.'
She continued, 'The process of treatment, how I changed and improved afterward, even hearing that I got perfect marks during regular checkups, though not everything was like that. I also manage my weight because the fat influences estrogen hormone levels. There are people who view that from a bad angle, but I believe I can share everything honestly now. In the past, I might have seemed like someone who just cared about appearance. But it's deeper than that; I genuinely wanted to focus on health and management. I appreciate that understanding their thoughts might give more weight to my words.'
Lee Sol-yi stated, 'I'm not an expert, but I'm someone who has gone through these experiences. I've studied for a long time since I used to work in a pharmaceutical company, and now I'm even studying nutritional impacts at graduate school, so I must have a lot of information. I've experienced it and overcome it. I wonder if there could be anything more meaningful to me than sharing that with others. Helping them brings me such relief, and I'm really grateful for the overwhelming support I received. Looking back, my mother had this dream that aligned with mine. She was terrified when I was sick and undergoing the chemotherapy, and she couldn't even sleep a wink, worried she might have bad dreams. My mother lost a lot of weight during that time, and reflecting on it makes me feel I was not a good daughter.'
She remarked, 'While anyone cannot avoid cancer, it feels comparable to a traffic accident. I believe I have a clear reason, but for those who don't, it's probably something like a traffic accident. However, it is easy to maintain health when one is well. When you are healthy, please don't be arrogant; be thankful for your health and take good care of it. I hope none of my Brawly friends get sick. I want them to have an indirect experience from me and genuinely never have to suffer. I often tell my friends, 'I've suffered enough for everyone.' I'm sincerely thankful that I can now share this while smiling, but I cannot let my guard down; I must continue to take care of myself. I am truly grateful to those who supported me, and I will make sure to pass that gratitude on.'
Meanwhile, Lee Sol-yi married comedian Park Seong-gwang in 2020. On the 2nd, she revealed her cancer battle late via her social account, shocking many. She confessed, 'After resigning, I was naturally preparing to have children, but after five months, I received a cancer diagnosis. Due to the nature of women's cancer, I could not conceive, and as the nature of the cancer was not good, I faced significant despair, uncertain if I could live for another year or three.'
She continued, 'I underwent surgery and cytotoxic chemotherapy for six months, had to be cautious when going out, couldn't eat certain foods, vomited daily, lost weight, my skin deteriorated, and my hair fell out. I endured a very challenging time visiting the emergency room repeatedly. I am still undergoing treatment while taking medication. Therefore, I could not conceive, and that situation continues even now. I ask every time during checkups, 'Will I be able to have children?' but the doctors always respond, 'Your health comes first.' Since it will take a long time until complete recovery, I am still in treatment for cancer.'
[Photo] OSEN DB, Lee Sol-yi's YouTube
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