Food He Ate December 19, 2008
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December 19th, 2008
There are a number of you who asked me what VFui ate during his weeks of radiotherapy. I decided to take pics earlier on for his cancer-mates at the hospital because it was difficult for me to translate every kind of food into cantonese – a language that I understand a little but cannot speak very well. I mean, “raw vegetable juices” and biter gourd and carrots and apples are ok for me. But when it comes to organic and beetroot and olive oil, I’m pretty much stumped.
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But here’s list of the pics I took, though. Just in case it can be a help to any of you…
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Other than that, VFui also drank coconut water almost every other day to cool his system down after the therapy.
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Hope this list helps, Folks!
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So Thankful For So Much… December 18, 2008
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December 18th, 2008
This post is late. I know. I tried writing it up a few times but quit after typing and deleting too many times
every session. My heart is so full. Brimming. Overflowing. With what I really cannot say. How can one describe a sensation like that?
Well, I’m giving it a try again today. Let’s hope it works this time.
We’ve so much to be thankful for.
December 3rd, 2008 was the last day. For our RT sessions, that is. We’d come for 35 times already!
Did time fly? Well, not for us. It was grueling – everyday we prayed for continued healing, for accuracy of the rays on the malignant cells, for journey mercy, for preservation of good, operational cells, and for cool weather.
Did our prayers work?? Most definitely they did! And we’ve not got only our prayers with us, but also all the prayers of all the members of our families and our church. We’re truly living in a caring community. Wouldn’t exchange it for anything in the world!!
So much to be thankful for. As the weeks passed, we found more and more evidences of the Hand of God in our 
situation. First, the articles we’ve been given to read have been a tremendous help to us – in deciding what VFui can and cannot eat. The articles all came in from different sources all over the world at just the right time when we needed it. As a result, VFui had almost a perfect diet all through the RT sessions.
Then there were the evidences of the side effects of the radiotherapy – or rather the lack of evidences….you see, we’ve been warned by at least two GPs, one ENT specialist and two oncologists, not to mention countless internet articles
Beautiful Greenery at TungShin amidst Shabby City Buildings
about the rather morbid side-effects that RT will bring. They are 1) the dryness of mouth cause by the destruction of the salivary glands by the radiation; 2) the difficulty in swallowing solid food due to the total dryness of the mouth; 3) the white spots (fungus?) and painful ulcers that are bound to appear in the mouth and throat due to the lack of saliva; 4) the destruction of the taste buds by the radiation; 5) the slight loss of hearing due to the same; 6) the burning of the skin by the same radiation heat; 7) nausea, the loss of appetite, weakness and general health deterioration, as well as others.
While VFui did not escape all these side-effects, what he has aren’t full-blown either. He feels a distinct dryness in his mouth, and quite a number of foodstuff is distinctly bland for him but he does not have any trouble eating at all. In fact, he is often hungry and takes a regular 4-meals a day! He still has saliva and he is not on liquid diet, as many of his nose-cancer-mates are experiencing. Thus, we can safely conclude that his salivary glands are still functional.
En coming along for the ride - she slept all the way to TungShin
Also, he has had on only one occasion two white spots and an ulcer in his mouth and tongue – on no other instance did he develop any other white spots inside of his mouth. His mouth remained beautifully healthy throughout his radiotherapy sessions and the onco did not even need to give him the medication (mycostatin?) that he prescribes to every other nose-cancer patient to help reduce the white spots in the mouth.
While he experienced nausea and sleepiness sporadically throughout his radiation, his hearing is totally fine up to today, he is healthy and generally well enough to laugh, joke, hold a conversation for hours on end. Why, he can even scold En for neglecting to do her holiday homework!
And his skin? It is superbly smooth. Believe me, in the hospital, I’ve had every opportunity to observe cancer patients and the effects of the therapy sessions. I’ve seen those who had gone before us, and those who are undergoing radiation after us. The skin is the one that is most visibly affected. They burn
En's 1st view of the KL Tower - behind TungShin
and blacken and scale and get infected and generally cause great discomfort. But looking at VFui, one would never know by the skin of his neck that he is undergoing radiation. No ugly lesions or disfiguring scaling on his skin at all. Praise the Lord!!!
So much more to be thankful for. Through the hours we spent talking to cancer-mates while we were at the hospital, we become more and more thankful and we see God’s hand upon our situation:
There’s Thong’s story – he didn’t discover his nose cancer until he woke up one day and found that his eyes had swelled up so much that he could not open them. And then there’s Chan – he went to the general hospital when he felt a lump on his neck, but was told by the doc that there was nothing wrong – and didn’t suspect that he was actually in Stage 3 until 5 months later when the lump grew too big to ignore. He had nose cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes. Then there’s Mun – a regular good guy, non-smoker and non-drinker – he found he had cancer a little too late and now has to spend money going both to the Chinese Medical Hall as well as the Western Cancer Unit in TungShin hospital. And then there’s Belinda – who found out a coupla days after she had her ear operated on that she has cancer. And then there’s this other lady who is just 33 yrs of age, undergoing therapy for stage 4 cancer.
En making herself at home at TungShin
For every story we hear, we say a prayer for the person and give God thanks for our lives and our circs. He quickened VFui’s heart to go check out the blood in his sputum. He brought people into our lives so that we did not need to wait too long for the start of our RT sessions. He guided us, and kept us from all those morbid side-effects we read so much about in the net and through friends.
So much to be thankful for. God gave us friends who took care of even my own needs at the very time when I needed it.
While I usually think nothing of getting up daily before dawn, I did feel the strain of having to get on the road for KL, undergo a certain amount of heavy traffic and then driving all the way back to Sbn before 10am, so that I can make it to the office before 10.15am. I don’t hit 10.15am at the office all the time, I’m afraid. Thank God for an understanding boss. He not only hadn’t uttered a single word of reproach, he actually lent VFui some good, inspirational DVDs to watch to while his time during the day.
Anyway, the pressure of driving daily as well as having fuller days during this season took its toll on me. However, at almost every breaking point, God provided a friend who offered to take VFui to the hospital and relieve me. There was BroLim and AlbertWang and my dad. They are really the best support I received. Thank you so much!
God also sent countless individuals who came calling and visiting and encouraging us in so many ways. Eddie, Philip, Steven, Mctc, Albert and JohnLaw were one of the very first to visit with us. And then there was PasBen and PasSally and SisPang and ChooiYee and KimTong who also came to visit. And calls/cards /visits from Fen, Neela/Jason, and all the cousins and aunties and uncles; and from SisLindaWong and Lucy and BroLionel & Sis Lynda Louis and everyone from the YC CellGroup as well as from the YCYC Group. And from FSChew and Jeslyn and YeeWan. Not forgetting Matt&Minch. The list goes on and on and on…. God really, really showed us His love and care through all of you! Thank you, thank you, a thousand thank you’s!
So much to be thankful for…most of all, God gave us Family – who cared for us, who prayed for us daily, who fasted for us, who visited us, who bought stuff for us, for cooked for us, who loved us and met our every need, physical, financial as well as emotional.
Can I ever stop this blog? I don’t ever think so. The list of things to be thankful for goes on and on and on and on…Indeed my heart is totally brimming even as I write all these down.
So thankful for so much… So little words to express it.
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Errrr….Wrong Calculation November 10, 2008
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November 10th, 2008
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Over the weekend, many people asked me about how VFui was faring and how many more RT sessions he has to go. My usual reply was that he was half-way through – 18 down, 17 to go.
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Well, it turned out I was wrong! RD pointed out to me last night that I neglected to minus Deepavali Day, which was a holiday for the RT machines as well as their workers….which meant that over the weekend, VFui actually completed only 17 sessions, and NOT 18.
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Sigh….maybe it’s my over-eagerness to get the whole thing done with that is causing me to count off the days quicker than I should…
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For all of you who had thoughtfully asked in the last day or two, I’m sorry I gave out the wrong info…
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In any case, we’ve corrected the “calculation” problem when we went for the RT session this morning.
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And now, I can correctly say “18 Down, 17 to Go.”
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Yayyyy!!!
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More Than Half-way Through November 7, 2008
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November 7th, 2008
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Today marks Day18 of our 35-session radiotherapy. VFui is more than half-way done!!
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The onco told us yesterday that he can almost not see any swelling anymore. Praise the Lord!!
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The onco had also warned that VFui would be feeling some effects of the radiotherapy by now. Which is pretty true. VFui has white spots appearing on his tongue, and an ulcer as well. They can be painful, especially towards the evening. He also has the occasional headache and nausea from the 200Watt-per-session blasts from the radiation machine.
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Praying Hard that those painful white spots which the onco predicts will not come true and that the ones that VFui has now will disappear quickly…
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18 Down, 17 To Go.
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Thank You, Lord!
Fresh Green Plants at the Tung Shin Hospital
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Better Now October 30, 2008
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October 30th, 2008
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It was incredible. Right after I decided to shake off my mad, and step up, I felt immediately better. Things actually started looking up! We went in to see the onco after the radiation treatment. He checked VFui, smiled and said that the tumor is almost gone now – only a few more days of radiation before it goes off completely. Wow! How cool is that? Why then should he go for the rest of the 35 sessions? I’m thinking that those remaining shoots are to totally eradicate any lingering traces of carcinoma. If that is so, I’d say “shoot off.”
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So anyway, here’s to a brighter Today, and an even more fulfilling Pasar Malam time tonight. Hehehe!
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Moral of the story: The attitude determines the altitude.
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The Maybank Building Rising Up To The Sky - Seen From Tung Shin
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2 Down, 6 To Go… October 24, 2008
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October 24th, 2008
View Of A Church In The Middle Of KL Where TungShin Is Located
TWO DOWN, SIX TO GO
I’m referring to the weeks that we have remaining for our radio-therapy sessions. Today marks the close of our second week. It had been hectic, to say the least, what with work, studies and all. But it is also surprisingly uplifting. VFui woke up to a bleeding nose yesterday morning. It troubled us at first. But our worries were laid to rest when the Sr Radiotherapist said that it was normal, and then later, the onco explained that it was the result of the radiation slicing through the tumor [ I'm guessing that this must be a very layman version of the actual cause of the nosebleed! ]. The onco also checked VFui physically, and pronounced that all is looking good. Thank God for that!
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Apart from that, VFui is also eating very well [ healthy appetite ], and is able to do most things, although he tires quite easily these days. We are warned to stay away from large crowds as his body resistance to virus and diseases may be low. He’s heeding the warning, with the only exception of church attendance.
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Two weeks done, six more to go. Thank You, LORD!
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Guess Who Came To Tung Shin Hospital As Well? October 16, 2008
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October 16th, 2008
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Yup. The parents came, just to lend us moral support. Ain’t they great???
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And there were also lots of friends in the past week who called up to encourage us and who came visiting and praying. And yesterday, the first day of our RT, we received many sms’s asking us how the RT went. Wow! We were MUCH encouraged by so much support. Thank God for Friends and Family!
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And if you’re one of them who called up, visited, bought herbs for us, called us, emailed us, sms’d us, talked to us, listened to us, prayed for us, fasted for us, and have in one way or another brought comfort and peace to our lives these last few weeks, here’s a very big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I don’t think I can ever repay the kindness you’ve shown. I hope to God the compassion and thoughtfulness you’ve shown will be returned one day to you a hundred fold.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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At the Tung Shin Hospital October 15, 2008
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October 15th, 2008
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It’s our first day of Radiotherapy. We started off at about 6.32am, dropped En off at school and made our way to downtown KL, where the hospital is. Were we nervous? You bet!
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We arrived at 8.01am and waited 29 minutes before the doors of the Cancer Section opened its doors. They are very punctual here, thank God.
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Anyway, while waiting, I went around the grounds and took a good look at the building. Or rather, buildings. There were two of them – the newer one for traditional treatment. They look something like this….
Tung Shin Hospital
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Looks like a hotel doesn’t it?
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Anyway, the Cancer section is in the basement, so down, down, down we went…
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We registered at the counter, and sat for a few minutes before VFui’s name was called. The Sr Radiotherapist explained that the mask will take 15 minutes to make, and it would be a painless process. She was true to her words, for VFui was out of the place within 15 minutes. We were then told to wait for our name to be called for the RT session. While waiting, I walked around (as usual), and came across this…
This is the kind of mask that VFui has to wear. And here I was thinking that it would look like something Zorro wears – except that it is white in color instead of black and made of plastic instead of cloth…LOL.
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Anyway, VFui came out within 7 short minutes. His first session is done.
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One down, thirty-four to go. May God help us!
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Switching Over… October 13, 2008
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October 13th, 2008
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Our week was turbulent, to say the least. VFui had a molar extracted and another tooth threatened to act up. On top of that, the gum wasn’t healing as quickly as we hoped it would, and the onco at the Nilai Cancer Institute (NCI) was insistent that everything must be totally healthy before simulation can begin. Simulation, according to NCI, is a process in which a mask is made for VFui, the markings on which state the exact location of radiation during the therapy. NCI requires about a week to get the mask readied. After which, VFui can start going for his 36 sessions of radio-therapy.
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So, okay, here we are, worried to death. It has been about 2 months since VFui had his first symptom – blood in his phlegm. What if while waiting for VFui’s gums to heal [will they ever??], the cancer may spread downwards to the neck area? After all, the onco did say that there is a possibility that it would happen, especially if the malignant cells are aggressive.
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We were feeling somewhat helpless when AWang, VFui’s good friend, called to say that he fixed VFui an appointment with a counterpart of theirs, on Saturday [two days back]. Apparently, this counterpart, EChew, is also diagnosed with NCP (nose cancer), and he is undergoing RT at the moment. He only had one more session to go.
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So they met up on Saturday evening. VFui could not believe his eyes when he saw EChew. He was a tall, robust, friendly, smiling person – the picture of excellent health! Can it be that he really has NCP? Yes, he said. He has. In fact, his had spread down to his lymph nodes and there was a small lump on each side of his neck.
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He shared his testimony – how he discovered his NCP, how he went to NCI and then to another hospital, and then started his RT sessions immediately after that. The side-effects of the RT were extremely minimal for him, and he was able to enjoy general well-being for the entire duration of his sessions. He was extremely encouraging, and VFui decided that he wanted to go to this other hospital, TungShin, for a second opinion about his condition. It was to be EChew’s last RT session on Monday [i.e., today], and he generously invited the both of us to go together with him and his wife to TungShin in KL on Monday, where he would introduce us to the onco there.
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Today came. We met up with EChew and his wife ATheoh and they drove us to the hospital. There we met another couple, the husband of which was also undergoing RT, for the very same disease – NCP. We chatted while waiting for our names to be called. Eddie’s name was called first. Within a few minutes of going in, he came right back out! I thought he came back for something he forgot to take. But he said no, he’s done! Meaning he’s had his last session completed. Wow. That fast? In mere minutes?
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They called our name. We went in. The onco is an ordinary-looking man. His desk sports pics of many family members, several of which are grandkids. He checked VFui’s mouth and nose. Then he reassured us that the tumor had not only not migrated, it was very tiny still. There was to be no problem, and VFui can go and get his mask done immediately, and the RT can start today itself!! Wha…!! We were so unready for this! We asked if we had to wait for about a week after the mask is done to start RT, like we were told at NCI. The onco says no. Of course not. Those “waiting” times were for dramatizations. The mask will only take about ½ hour to make, and the RT session will take less than 10 minutes [compare this with the 40 minutes of positioning and shooting estimated by NCI].
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Apparently, we had since heard that many private hospitals thrive on “dramatization,” for it will induce the patients to part with more of their money. A full RT [35 sessions] typically costs between RM50K – 80K. Tung Shin Hospital’s cancer treatment center is run by the National Cancer Society and it is a non-profit organization, which means the cost is really minimal.
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Anyway, we were stunned. And unprepared. I mean, we did not come for an RT session today. We came for a consultation – the proverbial “second opinion”, you know?
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Do we want to go ahead with this hospital? It will mean travelling to KL every single day for the RT session. Should we do it?
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We considered several factors before we made our decision.
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- The distance and the time – according to EChew, he sometimes arrives back home at around 9.30am, since he is usually the 1st patient. That’s not bad. NCI asks for at least 2 hours [9-11am], and majority of the time is spent registering and waiting
- The costs – yes, it would cost more [for NCI’s fees is being borne by GH], but Tung Shin’s cost is rather within our means
- Confidence level – felt very strongly that the onco at TungShin was much more experienced than the onco at NCI. With this knowing came a great peace of mind.
- The start of the RT – TungShin starts immediately. NCI waits until everything is perfect before starting
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It was really the last two factors that decided for us. We felt peace going to this onco, and we also need the RT not to be delayed any further. Moreover, the onco at TungShin assured us that the gum issues will not be a problem, as the radiation will not shoot directly into them.
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So, we made the decision to switch over. From NCI to TungShin. The sessions will begin on Wednesday – we decided on that, because it was just too, too soon to do it today, our hearts weren’t ready.
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We went back together with an extremely happy and liberated EChew and ATheoh. They’ve completed.
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So starting Wednesday, for the next 7 weeks, we will be starting out to KL at 6.30am in the morning, and hopefully, returning to Seremban by 10am, where after I can immediately head off to work.
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We’re feeling very much at peace now. Thank you, Lord!
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Events in the Last Week October 7, 2008
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October 7th, 2008
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It’s been an eventful 10 days, each playing out its own drama on us. VFui went for his tooth-and-gums examination last Monday and was pronounced OK for RT. Then he went for blood tests & ECG, the usual requirements for pre-RT sessions. On Tuesday itself, the doc called him up and told him that the Nilai Cancer Institute (NCI) has scheduled him with an oncologist on Monday, Oct 6th. That was really, really fast! So we praised the Lord for answering this particular prayer.
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However, Wednesday came and he felt the pain in his left jaw. It didn’t abate on Thursday, and so on Friday, he went and saw Dr Louis the dentist. Dr Louis checked, gave him some medication, and told him to come back the next day if the tooth still hurt after taking the medication. It did. And he went. The X-rays showed that his wisdom tooth was impacted and he had to undergo minor surgery to get it out. This needed to be done before radio-therapy starts…the GH specialist was off for the week, and so we had to wait till Monday to get anything done to the tooth.
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Monday came – we went to NCI for the very first time. It was an austere, unassuming building on the outside…
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But inside, it was cool and inviting. The comfortable blend of colors was reassuring…
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Relaxing Lobby
The Onco examined our CT Scans, pointed out the location of the tumor, studied the pained tooth, proclaimed that nothing can be done until the sore gum has been settled and made us another appointment for next Tuesday, Oct 14th. If the gum problem is resolved satisfactorily by then, he will start the simulation process, in which a mask will be made for VFui, to be used throughout his RT sessions.
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So we headed back to GH. On the way back, VFui said he was hungry. We made a detour to the FS Food Court, where he ate to his heart’s content, knowing that the next few hours would be gruesome, and the next few months may see him without taste buds.
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He got a molar extracted that day, and was told the wound would take two weeks to heal. Which may prolong the start of his RT session…
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I have a feeling that we will be seeing a LOT of this building in the next coupla months…
But if it means total recovery for VFui, I’m prepared to walk backwards doing it…
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Today’s Tuesday. I wonder what it would bring. Whatever it is, I’m convinced that God knows about it, and He’s in control. So I will rest trustingly.
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