Now that mum’s Stage 4 Colon Cancer is in remission with her PET-CT scan showing resolved metabolic activity and her CEA markers consistently in normal range, there are days even I tend to forget the details of this blessed journey we have been on this year. It has really been a very epic year from being told my mum had stage 4 cancer in February when all she had was irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, to being told in March she only had 6 months to live if she didn’t do chemotherapy, to her being in remission by Jun and now even healthier than before, without having to take her high blood pressure medication she was taking for 20 years before this. ALL in the same year!
Hence, I decided I will be slowly write on our journey to capture God’s blessings every step of the way, to remind us to be thankful for everyday and also to let all of you out there who might be going through similar struggles to know that you are not alone, and you too can overcome cancer.
—
Following from Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5,
On Mar 21, I decided to seek a second opinion with a colorectal doctor who was recommended by a friend. After a chat with her, she recommended me to her oncologist friend within the same building in Mount Elizabeth hospital, Novena to get a more thorough discussion. They were both incredibly nice people, and they both gave the exact same treatment plan/prognosis as the TTSH oncologist. The private oncologist told me at the end of the consult that “it is better for you to accept there is no hope and just move on with the treatment”.
On Mar 22, I decided going to Bangkok was the right decision. I told my dad that I was bringing my mum to Bangkok as soon as possible. It was a stressful time as I knew the whole weight and responsibility of the decision lie with me. If anything happened to mum in Bangkok, I was going to be guilty for the rest of my life. But I decided to spend the time productively that week rushing around getting flights, visas, accommodation confirmed, and picking up all the medical reports to bring to Bangkok.
On Mar 26, I went to pick up mum’s chest X-ray that the oncologists did for her on Mar 20.There were no lesions. If we didn’t have the Thorax CT scan before, there doesn’t look like there is anything in the lungs. After hearing all the horrid news so far, it was nice to know there were no lesions or that the cancer was growing so quickly. Thank God for his mercy.
During our devotion that week, there was one particular devotion that shared about a story – “We believe God spared your life because He wants to use you. We’ve been praying for you.” Indeed, God can use us mightily for His glory when mum is healed.
On Mar 29, we made the trip to Bangkok. The night before, I had family members message me to ask me to still consider sending my mum for chemo. I know I must seem so crazy and stubborn to them, but I felt this was the right decision after so much prayer. My husband accompanied mum and I to Bangkok to do a series of blood tests, mediport operation and Pet CT scan over the next couple of days.
On Apr 1, we had a consult with Dr Lodi and a panel of doctors. Surprisingly, the PET CT scan showed that the node in lung already shrank slightly over the past few weeks. This meant that the negative ion clothes, negative air machine coupled with TCM herbs was working! Slowly but surely!
On Apr 8, the clinic took blood for testing. I was super nervous as I know my parents especially my dad would want to know if the cancer markers have dropped. The feeling while waiting for the lab test result is worst than the pre-exam feelings I ever got in my life! On Apr 9 morning, we got to know that mum’s CEA markers are down from 16.5 (Mar 29) to 13.9 (Apr 8) after 5 days of treatment. WOW. Praying it will continue to drop week after week. Goal is to be <3.8.
On Apr 14 – Mum is on the treadmill for the first time in 2 months! So happy to see her being able to exercise in the serviced apartment gym. But a few days later, there was a low. It was one of the worst days over the period of healing because on April 17, this week, my mum’s cancer markers didn’t drop. The doctors explained that as the cancer cells start to die in large quantity, they remain in the blood stream for a while which might register as a higher reading for a while. On top of that, mum threw up for the first time on High Dose 75g Vitamin C. It was so difficult seeing her so low, weak and nausea L
For the 6 weeks since Mar 29, every day was a day for me to learn to be still. To enjoy everyday. To enjoy waking up to mum still alive, taking the bus to the clinic, sitting with mum through all the treatments, making new friends with the staff in the clinic, relishing every conversation, appreciating the quiet moments every evening in the apartment as mum doesn’t want to go out in case she catches any viruses. It was also during this season that as I saw my mum’s cancer markers dropped week on week after April 17, that I decided to start penning down her treatments for more to know.
On May 13, we got mum’s latest CEA results and it was down to 8.1. However, her PET CT scan showed similar nodes and activity as 6 weeks before. The doctors explained that it might be due to inflammation as the treatments are working on the cancer cells. By now, mum is very home sick after being away from home for 6 weeks already. So we spoke to the doctors and they agreed to let her go home for a short 1 week break to be reunited with my family. So on May 13 night, we came home after 6 weeks. It was really home sweet home! And mum may not know, but when I saw her do laundry for her negative ion clothes for the first time that week at home, I was so glad! I knew she was on the route to recovery and regaining her self confidence to be able to do the things she used to do again…
(to be continued)
Mum’s Stage 4 Colon Cancer Recovery Journey Series:
–
The complementary treatments my mum underwent to put her cancer into remission:
- Raw Diet, Vegan Diet and Juice Fast
- Electro Lymphatic Therapy (ELT)
- Colon Hydrotherapy (Colonics)
- Nefful Negative Ion Clothings from Japan
- Saline Flush, Coffee Enema, Wheatgrass Implant, Probiotic Implant
- Vitamin C High Dose IV
- Vitamin B17
- Ozone Therapy
- Insulin Potentiated Therapy (IPT)
- Exercise with Oxygen Therapy (EWOT)
- Breathing and Pilates Classes
The doctor (who lives what he preaches on 100% raw, vegan diet) who treated my mum, and health educator who transformed the way I look at a “healthy” lifestyle:
–