Pete is weak again

Sorry have not updated for a few days. Pete was doing well until yesterday. He came home from radiotherapy but had no appetite. Dr lee had suggested stepping down the steroids slowly so we started on one dose instead of two yesterday. Unfortunately, Pete is reacting to it, it caused vomitting all over again. Last night, Pete vomitted 3 times over and was very weak. We took him this morning to Dr Wong for a sodium drip, sodium is low again. We will put back the steroids and monitor. He is running a slight fever now. Please pray

All glory and praise to God!

Dear Prayer Warriors, Our Saints and Angels

Pete is doing very well, drawing strength from the Lord each passing day.

Yesterday we went for evening Mass and managed to climb up the stairs all the way to the second level and again up the highest pews on the second level.

Today, we went for the 3rd Radiotherapy session after doing blood test and removing stitches. Then we had lunch at Paragon and headed back to see Dr Kong. It must be tiring for Pete who has not walked so far in the last 2 weeks but he managed very well.

Dr Kong is, of course very happy with Pete's progress. Blood test readings are good, best part is the cancer markers are down to 11.4 from 12.9
This is good news indeed and we thank you once again for all your prayers and masses offered for Pete.

I want to express our sincere appreciation to Angie who has provided transport for our trips to the hospital. Thanks Angie!

I am waiting for Pete to update you, meanwhile, please continue to pray that Pete will not suffer any side effects and that the treatment will be effective.
By the way, Pete has not taken any pain-killers for the last 2 nights! Alleluia!

God is good ... ALL the TIME

Pete had a good sleep last night

Thank you for your night prayers for Pete. He had a good sleep last night. Only got up at 2am for pee then slept right through till 7am.

He ate Koo chye kway and soon kway for breakfast. Has been sitting up and watching tv all morning.

We have been really pampered by our cousins, especially Catherine & Murthi, Kathleen&Albert and Ramona. We thank them for going across the island to get food just to excite Pete. Also, thank you Angie for the char kway teow earlier this week. Thank you to Nancy & Stephen for breakfast at the hospital and for coming over to check on Nicole every night. Thanks to Jo, my Neighbour for providing food, Mag for sending Nicole to catechism and tuition and the surprises this morning. Thank you Norbet for sending me every morning and picking me up every night. Thanks Daniel, Esther n Karen for helping with transport yesterday.
There is an endless list of people we are grateful to. We thank you so much. Those who have not called but are with us in prayer, we thank you so much too, I know you all have been praying and not smsing does not mean you don't care, it in fact helps greatly since I cannot answer everyone's call / sms or email.
Please continue to pray for us.

He has been sleeping lots

Dear Prayer Warriors

Pete was discharged this afternoon. He had lunch at the hospital so when we came back, he headed straight for his bed. Has been sleeping lots, did not get up till half hour ago to have his dinner. Ate porridge (delivered by Nancy, our dearest Neighbour)with rendang ( delivered by Catherine, my dearest cousin). Enjoyed it. He has gone back to sleep again.
Please pray that he has restful night.

We continue to ask for your prayers for Pete total and complete recovery. Good night

Pete is home

Still in the car on the way home.

Thank you for your prayers. We request no visitors for the time being. Thanks

Pete is sleeping now

Dear Prayer Warriors
thank you so much for your prayers once again. Pete had his second radiotherapy treatment today. Was able to take his dinner. Resting much. He just asked for a second pain killer, sleeping soundly now. Please pray that he gets a restful night.

We thank and praise God for you, our prayer community. Without your prayers we would not have be able to overcome this ordeal. The boys and I have definitely felt the power of your prayers carrying through. Without your prayers, Pete would not have received the grace and healing that you have stormed heaven for. This is truly our Faith! Faith and Love that binds us together.

We would like to thank the so many people who have rendered practical help; taking care of Nicole, ferrying her for classes, taking care of her meals, and so many other needs. Norbet, who has been driving me to and from the hospital, cousins who have delivered food and everything else, Ramona, who is doing night duty again tonight, Mike n Gillian who have brought Jesus to Pete,
AND the countless number of people whom I have so boldly called upon to help, thank you so much!

Thank you so much for showing us the unconditional love of Our heavenly Father. God bless each and everyone of you.

Pete is feeling much better this morning

Thank you for your prayers last night.

Pete and Gerard had a good sleep last night after the steroids. Pete looks better this morning,vision is also better.
We are just out in the sun for some fresh air. Culture which they have taken is not growing bacteria so that is good news.

Thank you all for your unceasing intercession for Pete. We ask that you pray that the next 9 days of treatment will be tolerated well, with no side effects and pain and that it will be very effective in treating the disease.

God bless you all.

Pete is on pain again

Dear prayer warriors

Pete is in pain again. The doctor stepped down on steroids and I guess that is the reason for the pain again. Tonight he had taken the 2 types of painkillers and it has not solved the pain problem. They are giving him more steroids so he can rest. The headache is also the side effects of the radiotherapy. Please pray that he can rest tonight.
Thank you FLM families for praying for Pete at the Padre Pio Mass tonight.

Pete went for his 1st RT today

There seemed to be a big mixup but they sent for Pete about 4.30 and said he was going for radio therapy. The session lasted 10 min. Pete is resting now. Tomorrow, we will have another 10 min. This will carry on for the next 10 days ending on Oct 6.

We still do not have the culture results for the lumbar puncture but expect it soon.

Dear Prayer Warriors, we know that you are just storming heaven for Pete's recovery. Please pray tonight for him to rest well and not to have any side effects. They say he may have some headache but please pray against it. Please pray that Pete will have a restful night with no side effects from RT and that Pete will respond well to the treatment.

Thank you all for the prayers for Pete and the family. Pete will have Gerard as night nurse tonight.

Pete had his char kway teow!

Wow, delivered hot, Pete had his char kway teow for lunch! It was a huge packet but he finished 3/4 of it! Thanks a million Angie!
You should have seen the way he was eating, not fast enough for him.

We have 3 more packets left! Please tell the others DO NOT bring any char kway teow tonight!
Thank you all for your love and concern for Pete.

Thanks Rose for doing the night duty last night.

Pete had good sleep last night

Except for a slight stiff neck, Pete is ok.

Had his chee cheong fun and bee hoon from Shunfu Mart.
Please pray that his stiff neck does not come back as they may have to step up steroids if it does.

Tomorrow, he will start his radiotherapy. Please continue to storm heaven.

Pete resting well

Pete had the lumbar puncture at 3pm to check on the CSF to see if the infection is all gone.

We probably will have the results tomorrow. He had his dinner in bed. Kath and Bert brought minestrone soup for him which he enjoyed very much since he had been fasting since 10am. He is yearning to eat Zion Road Char Kway Teow! Which kind soul will buy for him?
Tomorrow, he wants chee cheong fun for breakfast! I will tar pow that for him.

Once again we thank and praise God for his healing. We thank you prayer warriors for your prayers. Please continue to pray that the results will be good and that the coming radiotherapy treatment will be effective. God bless you all.

Doc says Pete can go home if results are ok

Dear Prayer Warriors

Brian did night duty again last night. Pete says he was great. Dr Lam is happy with Pete's progress and expect him to be discharged soon if the lumbar test results confirm that infection is well under control. He may go home with just oral antibiotics.

Radiotherapy will likely start on Friday and if all goes well, Pete can go home on Saturday.

He is fasting now for lumbar procedure at 2 pm.

Please pray that the procedure will not cause pain and reaction.

We continue to thank and praise God the Almighty for granting Healing to Pete.

Peter is well and doing fine!

Praise the Lord for His Mercy and Healing. Pete is doing very well. We had just come back from one hour of fresh air and sunshine in the garden. It was good. Pete just finished his dinner. We had the honour of having Fr Frans who spent some time with us in the afternoon. We also had good laughs with relatives.

Thank you so much for your prayers. Please continue to pray for his speedy recovery.
Last night we met Dr Lee who explained radiotherapy treatment to us. He will treat the brain first then do the spine later. We have felt much peace listening to him. Mike and Gillian who had come to bring Holy Communion to Pete listened in and felt the same peace. We thank you for your prayers in asking the Lord to guide us in our decision.

We cannot thank you enough for your prayers. We know that you will continue to support us in prayer as Pete goes through his treatment.

God bless you abundantly!

Pete is sitting up and just gone for sunshine

Dear Prayers Warriors

God is great and he has shown his mercy! Pete has been sitting up and watching tv, talking to Anne, Gerard n Brian's Godma.
He is so much better, asked for coffee, finished his apple tart.

Has been awake since 1pm.
Let's hope we get good sleep tonite.

We are waiting to meet Dr Lee, radiologist to understand how he can help.

Please pray for the Lord to guide us in our decision

Dear prayer warriors
Thank God Pete is eating well again. This morning he sat up on a chair to eat his breakfast and he finished all ! He even finished the 2 small soft boiled eggs and a butter roll. We had a wild night again, he was hallucinating again the entire and did not get rest till 2am. This morning he had slight hallucination and managed to read the papers.

Managed to sit up for a while, had planned to go out into the garden for some sunshine but had to do antibiotic drip, will do it this evening.

Dr Wong is amazed at the recovery on the left eye nerve. However since we are not doing anything to manage the brain disease, she is asking the Radiologist to relook at doing radiology, an option which was considered bad since it has many side effects. Dr Lee did not advise using radiology because it involves the entire brain and his spine may collapse.

Please pray for me, pray for the Lord to guide me to make a decision that is according to His plan and will. It is very painful to see him suffer the pain, I am not sure if he can take the radiology. Please join me in prayer and intercession to the Lord.

Please pray over our decision

Dear Prayer Warriors

My sister, Jean in Auckland NZ, has been encouraging me to try intravenous Vitamin C for Pete. There is a video attached. I cannot get any doctor to approve it here while Pete is still in hospital but I do know of someone who will administer it in his clinic.

We hope the IV Vit C will support Pete's immune system through the necessary procedures, chemo and radiotherapy which he may have to do in order to rid the cancer.

I ask that you all pray for us, That if this is what the Lord wants us to do, to give me courage to approach the Doctors and achieve success in convincing them to do it for me. This may be God's miracle for us. Please read the attached links.

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/52580/60_min_NZ_Living_Proof__Man_Cured_by_Vitamin_C/
 
http://integrativemed.kumc.edu/ivvitaminc.htm
http://www.avianweb.com/vitaminccancertreatment.html
http://www.riordanclinic.org/chronic/chronic.shtml
 
See if you can watch this too.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Vitamin-C-debate-continues/tabid/367/articleID/176688/Default.aspx

Alleluia! Praise the Lord!

Ramona, my cousin did night duty for me last night. We are grateful for the sleep we had.

Pete is looking and doing so much better this morning. He actually asked for food! Ate birds nest that Kathleen made, then a beverage drink, then bee tai mak. Then ate a piece of butter roll. He is talking n chatting. Eye can open but I guess it takes a while before he can see clearly. The steroids are helping him feel comfortable. No pain this morning and did not need pain killers!

Oh my dear prayer warriors, we thank you for all your prayers! Please continue to storm heaven that the antibiotics will work fast and effectively so that we can get out soon. They expect to keep Pete for a week.
Please also pray that the disease is not aggressive and will not complicate matters while we clear the infection.

Please pray

Pete is not doing well, please pray. His eye nerve seems affected, he can't see. Bp is high. They are giving him steroids to stablize him. Please please pray

Pete went through the op

Dear Prayer Warriors
thank you so much for your prayers and intercession, Pete is doing well after the operation. He is alert and lucid, able to tell us how he feels. Last night, he had a male nurse, our son Gerard, who did not sleep at all but kept a good watch on him.

Pete is still experiencing some pain from his shoulders from lying down so much. Appetite is not great but managed to get something.

The infection that Pete has caught is MRSA, bug from the hospital. We are down under another Doc who is tasked to treat the infection aggressively. She thinks the infection is in its early stages and is straight forward. We have been moved to a single bedded room. Hopefully, Pete is able to rest better in the quiet.

I thank God for my children; they have been a great encouragement and strength for me. Brian keeps counting our blessings saying that We. Should thank God because we found out early about the infection.

We had our Family prayer tonight at the hospital. We prayed for Pete's healing and recovery. We also offered a decade of the rosary for your intentions, for the people who have supported us in prayer, for all who have helped us in so many ways. We asked the Lord to grant you blessings and Grace.

Please continue to storm heaven, for the Lord 's Power to rid the infection and the cancer, for the antibiotics to work effectively. 'with the Lord, nothing is impossible!

R. (14) I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living.

Pete has to go for another operation to remove the Omaya reservoir

Dr Ho, our neurosurgeon thinks there may be an infection in the omaya. As such he is recommending that we remove the omaya instead of running the risks of further infection. The operation is schedule for first thing tmr morning, hopefully before 8am.
Dear friends, prayer warriors, please pray for the success of this operation. Pray that the antibiotics given now will kill off the
infection if any.
Most of all, please pray for an increase in our faith as we continue to implore the Lord for His healing touch on Pete. We beileve that our prayers will be answered.
May the precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ cover Pete from head to toe and protect him from all infection and harm, may His Blood cleanse Pete from every cancer cell.
Amen

Pete not going home today

Pete is feeling drowsy and has been sleeping lots again after the MTX yesterday. Blood pressure is high and the doctor thinks it is due to the steroids. But she attributes the fast recovery to the steroids so we have to stay on them for a while and take them off in stages. Some of you may be wondering why I am referring to Pete onco as 'she'. Dr Kong's partner, Dr Wong Zee Wan, has been taking good care of Pete.
Please pray that Pete will be well enough for discharge tomorrow. We also do the PET scan after the discharge. Please continue tonpray that all will be fine.

Pete is much better now

I am happy to report that Pete is much better this morning, after half a scare early this morning.
The Doctors had ordered some steroids to speed up his recovery. Late yesterday afternoon, he was developing a reaction towards it. He was hallucinating and seeing agonizing images every time he closes his eyes. It became so bad that he could not sleep at all. Only after sedating him could he sleep. He slept well after 3.45am.
Dr Wong administered the chemo MTX for him at 11.00. She has also taken some fluid samples for testing. He needs to lie down for the next 4 hours.

He is off drip now and we will monitor for a day. If all is well, Pete can go home tomorrow. Please continue to pray for his recovery.

Oh, another piece of good news, the CEA markers have come down to 12. This is fantastic news, it means the chemo is working. He had 2 earlier doses of MTX.
Alleluia and thanks be to God.

We would like to record our sincere and deepest apreciation to Nancy
& Stephen,Eileen &Norbert, Mike&Gillian, Tai Tee& Angie, for all the practical help rendered.
We continue to request no visitors as he is now on chemo. We thank all for your understanding. We draw strength knowing that many have been storming heaven for Pete.
The Lord has indeed answered your prayers and granted Pete a speedy recovery. Please continue to pray that the chemo will be very effective in destroying all the cancer cells.
To God be the Glory!

Had to admit Pete

I had a frightening night the previous night. Pete had been vomitting as you all know, but on Sunday night, he suddenly began to sound scary. He kept asking what time his scan was and was not coordinated. He seemed disoriented and did not remember our friends' name. On Monday morning, he did not even react to Nicole when she said goodbye to him just before school. We brought him to Mt E and he did not recognize our friends Stephen and Nancy, Eileen , Brian and myself!
At the A&E, he said he was 23 and couldn't recognize his friend Dr Euan. They immediately put him on sodium drip. He seemed a little better after that.They also did a brain scan, thankfully, no bleeding or clots.
His condition is Hyponatremia, where the sodium level is abnormally low.
The Doctors want to keep him in for a while, likely only out on Thursday. Hopefully, they can give him another dose of MTX and monitor his reaction before he goes home.
He is stable now, sodium level creeping up. Nonetheless, still sleeping lots and can't stay awake.
We thank you for your continued prayers for his recovery. We request that you do not visit as he is still very drowsy. Also the chemo brings down his immunity and he cannot afford to catch anything.

Pete is eating slightly more

Yesterday, we took Pete to see the Onco. They gave him a drip with an anti-nausea medication Kytril.

No more throwing up yesterday except when he got choked with the skin of the plum.
Eating a little more but energy level is still low, sleeping a lot.

This morning we made it to Mass but he was feeling drowsy and giddy. Guess the body is still adjusting to the lack of food for so many days.

Please pray that his appetite picks up and that he will be well enough for the PET scan and chemo on Monday.

Dear Friends, please storm heaven, that the PET scan will be ok. Also that he does not suffer too much after chemo again on Monday.

We thank and praise God, our loving Father for you, our prayer community, who have supported us in prayer all this time, for my cousins, Albert and Kath, Cat and Murthi who have brought us food and provided transport, for Mike for bringing Jesus in Holy Communion and the many who have shown care and love to Pete and our family.

We know that many of you read this blog and are interceeding unceasingly for us. Your prayers mean a lot to us and we believe that our Father in heaven will relent and show mercy and deliver Pete from this suffering. Today's first reading speaks of God's mercy when Abraham pleaded to God. We believe He will do the same for Pete.

Please pray for Pete to recover

Our dear Saints and Angels
You have supported us in prayer and once again we ask you to interceed for us. Since his discharge, Pete has not been eating much. Today is bad, he threw up many times and unable to retain the food he eats.
We are not sure if it is the side effects of this new chemo. We had another dose of chemo yesterday, the first one on Monday, done in the OT itself. His energy level is low and has been sleeping. Of course, he is feeling really low too.

Please storm heaven to get him out of this situation. It is very painful to see him throw up. Also we need your continued prayers for the chemo to work very effectively so that we can get off this chemo. Most of all, Pete is doing a PET scan on Monday at 10.30am. Please pray that the cancer is only in the lungs.

Please pray that the Lord increase and deepen our faith in this time of trial.

Pete is going home!

Alleluia ! Praise be to God! Pete is going home now. Thank you all for your prayers, support and love. Please continue to storm heaven fir the chemo to work. Next dose of chemo is thursday. Then again next Monday and Thursday.

update

Had talk with Dr Kong this morning. Plan is to inject MVT twice a week for 4 weeks, reduce to once a week for another 4 then once a fortnight. This will be the regime for the cranial spinal fluid. Will do the fluid test on a periodic basis to assess.will continue with Iressa for now. Will do a PET scan and blood test on Monday. This will determine the state of the lungs and any other development. Options stay on Iressa, switch to tarciva or chemotherapy. I will remain positive open. God has been good!

Update 6 sept-thank God, Pete is fine

Pete is going well after the procedure. He just had his dinner. Lousy! Tks Euan for the fruits! He had some from the basket already since dinner was bad. If all goes well, may be able to go home tomorrow if all goes well. Looks pretty sexy with spiky hair. They had to gel
it in the op. Thank you all for prayers. We ask that you continue to storm heaven for the chemo to be very effective to rid all the cancer cells.

We thank all who have joined us in prayer, offered help, housed my daughter, thanks Joyce n Rachel, Bert for sending us, Catherine for spending the entire day with me, Ramona who kept us company. Everyone else who have supported us in love and concern.

Next Steps - 2 Sept 2010

Dear friend and all, Thank You for your prayers. I have some new, which took Jo and myself by surprise yesterday and we are still adjusting, coping. I went for a Head and Spine MRI on 1 September. The findings from the MRI was not the usual findings I was expecting and hoping. It showed leptomeningeal spread, indication is that there are cancer cell in the cranial spinal fluid. Chemotherapy will be the course of action, however the chemo drug has to be injected directly into the cranial fluid, oral or injected medicine will not be able to penetrate the membrane that protect/isolate the cranial fluid. Met with a neurosurgeon today, he will have to create a opening and place an Omaya port on my head. He will lift a small portion of scalp, drill a small hole in the skull, insert a catheter to reach the cranial fluid and place a port, connect it to the catheter, on the skull and pull the scalp over it and stitch. Surgery scheduled about noon on Monday, will be about an hour, under GA. Will have to stay in hospital for few days for observation and likely a week medical leave at home. This port will be where the Chemo medication will be injected twice a week for now. The first dose be be given in the operating theater when the port is being placed.

I am bit anxious this round as it involves an operation on the skull and putting a tube pass the brain, blood vessel to reach the cranial fluid membrane. I ask for your prayers to guide the neurosurgeon.

Yesterday and today has been trying, we are still adapting to the news and at the same time talking to the surgeon. Many things are going through or over the head and we are trying our best to Trust God and that He will protect and guide us in the decisions we made.

I ask you for your generous prayer for my family and myself to Trust fully in God and that He will guide us and watch over us. I understand what needs to be done, I know what will happen, I believe that God is with me now, during the operation and after. But at moments of weakness I feel overwhelmed with what's happening and can't understand why ?

I am not shy to ask people to pray for us and many have already, my fellow Holy Land Pilgrim, friend from Christ the King and Holy Spirit Church and old school buddies. Can't express enough thanks to Euan for him being there for Jo and I, taught me what a true friend really means and does for you.

We are uncertain what happens after Monday but Jo and I will hold on to our Faith and trust that God will be there guiding us.