Old update 19 Feb-23 Feb 2009

Adventure for 19 Feb to 23 Feb 2009

Got the X-ray done and it was not good. Saw a lung specialist and did blood and PET scans. Got the result the next day and did a biopsy of the lung cells. Friday result came out and confirm that I have stage 4 lung cancer (Adenocarcinoma, typical of non-smokers, female. Past large majority of males smoke and women don’t).

It is limited to the lung and no other organs or bones. (as this can be transmitted in the blood, there are 2 small cells in the right side of my brain, which don’t look active, no swelling around it., what the doctor termed you have a gangster in your neighborhood but he is co-existing)
This Adenocarcinoma reacts well with oral medication base on studies especially for Asian and women. Tissue samples taken will be tested in the NUS lab for study and if this oral medication will work well. .Doctor recommend that do chemotherapy first and then follow up with Oral. Shrink the cell first. Beside knowing the reason for the cough I am still quite healthy, there isn’t any recognizable difference today or some months ago. . There isn't any loss of energy, appetite or weight loss. I believe that God has put many good doctors in my way to treat me. They are confident that treatment will work.

I started Chemo yesterday afternoon(on my 47 birthday). I will be doing Chemo for the next 18 weeks, one cycle is 3 weeks and total of 6 cycles, monitor progress at end of cycle 2. Then either tweak the medicine, stay or do head radiation if the ‘gangsters ‘ start misbehaving. There will be regular blood test and CT scans in between the cycles. I feel fine today(Thank You Lord).
I am alright, still hopeful, know that God is the all power healer and he will be with me. I have a strong faith community, like last Sunday’s Gospel the 4 men that went through much difficulty to lower the paralytic man stretcher from the roof, done out of faith and love. And the first reading on Sunday really hit me in the face; Thus says the Lord: Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? (Is 43: 18-19)

As all the 4 doctors in their interviews ask me if there were any symptom or reason I did the X-ray that led to this finding, I mentioned that an office colleague was sick/coughing and X-ray found micro plasma infection in his lungs & he suggested I go do an X-ray, Doctors were all very surprised and concluded that I have done everything in my power to do regular screening. It was just something that could not be explained.
I don’t intent to be defeated and will plan to continue working. My oncologist is a very sharp guy HL Kong(teaches at NUS, consults, was deputy director at AStar and has many publications and studies in cancer especially lungs.) He was a Youth award winner some years back. He is 43 years old but hard to tell that is, anyway many papers written about him tell that is a 'doctor with a heart'

I also like to thank my wife Jo (I love her very much) for being a pillar of strength and taking the endless sms and calls.