5 per cent

18 February 2009, Wednesday

I have been geting complaints that I am not updating my blogs as regularly as I should. Sorry for the laziness.

The 5th chemo cycle goes through smoothly (fingers crossed) and now I am in my rest week, before starting the 6th cycle on 25 Feb. Got a scare on Sunday when there were rashes developed on both thighs. There were numerous red spots, but were not itchy. On Monday, the spots were still there. So I asked the Chinese sinseh when I saw her at night. She was a bit concerned initially, as the red spots could mean that my platetet count is in dangerously low level. However, the blood test results that I took just a few days ago showed that the platetet was in the normal range (actually just pass the minimum level), so she doubt that could be the reason. She modified the medication and does wonder with her medicine. After taking the medicine for one day, the rashes are gone. So, it is worth it to take her medicine, even though it means 34 sachets of chinese herbs powder.

I had read in the internet sometime ago, that only 5% of patients with bile duct cancer can survive more than 5 years. Same statistics as pancreatic cancer. Not sure if I can break that statistic, as it means that there are only 5 out of every 100 patients. A friend told me that the statistics to me should be 50%. Either make it or not. So this is a higher probablility.

I was reading Shin's blog just now and one of the follower commented that her husband passed on 2 months after the diagnosis and he first knew the illness in mid Oct, which was the same time as me. I guess I am much luckier than him that I can still try and respond well to the chemo treatments. I am really grateful to my religion that I have survived this far. I guess it also helps that I am on the heavy side. So, there are more buffer for any weight loss, if any. I have more or less maintained the same weight since I started chemo. It fluctuates within 2 kg range, but nevertheless, I am still heavier than before starting chemo.

While waiting for my chemo treatment at NCC last Thursday, I saw a patient who was frail and sitting on a wheelchair. I started a conversation with him and asked him to consider TCM. He was initially resisitant about it. He was 41 years old with 3 kids, cancer at the liver and small intestines. He insisted on chemo, even though his oncologist did not recommend it. I told him that TCM helps to provide the immunity and base to tolerate the chemo. He looked stubborn, but his sister was telling me that they had try to talk to him and he refused to listen. She hoped that when he saw my physical look, he will give it a try. Eventually, he asked for the name card of my Chinese sinseh. I really hope that he will see the TCM doctor, and not just to get rid of me by taking the namecard.