Cancer is a very hot topic among people, especially so with health newsletters, and I suspect, even more so with the drug companies. On the other hand, there are people who are opposed to drugs and they have turned to nature and other sources to prevent or cure cancers.
Treating cancer is a very complicated matter. It depends on a lot of things and not just some anti-cancer stuff. Our lifestyle - diet, mindset, environment, everything about ourselves and around us play a part. One of my friend's husband said it is 'karma'. If it is 'karma', I hope to have paid my dues.
I think cancer is the ultimate disease. The cost of treatment is very expensive and the treatment itself is not so simple. A combination of sorts may help.
A word of caution, it is not advisable to jump at anything that is recommended. Always bear in mind that what works for some does not necessarily mean that it works for all. Sometimes we have to consider the long term effects of some of the products on our systems.
As for nuts, although it is good, I have now become allergic to practically all nuts. It is not recommended to consume too much nuts everyday.
I find it ridiculous that some research teams have made their claims public when all they have done is conducted the test on mice in the laboratory. Common on, how to compare lab mice to humans. Lab mice, all they do is eat, sleep, play all day without a care and their world is the lab. Humans are complicated beings and we never run out of things to be concerned about.
Instead of subjecting mice to all these tests, I think it would be more realistic if the researchers used cultured cancer cells.
The following is a list of products which have been claimed to be able to prevent or cure cancer.
1. Graviola (Also commonly known as the soursop tree)
My comment : I am currently taking this in capsule form. My supplier has cautioned that the effects may be different after chemo. So only time will tell if it really works for me. So far, I am fine.
2. Venus fly-trap
My comment : I am also currently taking this in capsule form and liquid extract. This is from the same supplier as graviola.
3. Acai berry (sold through multi-level-marketing)
Claim : antioxidant and cancer fighting
My comment : I have never tried it.
4. Enoki Mushroom
This was from an email sent by a friend :
Research done by Singapore U shows that eating this mushroom can destroy 95% of cancer cells in our body by boosting our immune system.
Professor Phan Hwai Chong of Yang Ming Research Centre in Taiwan told Reporter that consuming this kind of mushroom, one of the ingredients in the mushroom can trigger the multiplication of our healthy "defensive" cells. By out-numbering the cancer cells, healthy cells help eradicate cancer cells.
American scientists have since run tests on this particular type of mushroom extract with blood, done outside human body. Results show that mushroom extract is able to destroy cancer cells.
According to Taiwan professor, since healthy "fighting" cells can be multiplied to tens & thousands of times, it can either be used as drip or just by eating mushroom.
The mushroom is most frequently taken with steam boat. Cooking time should be less than 3 minutes, or the healing property would greatly diminish.
My comment : Mushroom is nice, but eating too much of it, especially if it is not thoroughly cooked may cause indigestion and gas reflux.
About 2 years ago, I had a bowl of Japanese noodles with a mixture of mushrooms which were partially cooked. Not long after, I had severe chest pain. I thought it was heart attack. I went to my family doctor who did an ECG for me. The ECG was fine and my doctor attributed the chest pain to gastritis and gas reflux. I was given pain killers and gastric pills with advice that if my condition did not improve, I was to go to the hospital A and E. The pain did not ease off and I felt like my chest was exploding, so I was rushed to A and E.
A more detailed ECG was done and the hospital also said it could not be a heart attack. I was given more painkillers and gastric pills and sent home. After some time the pain subsided, but my chest muscles were very sore the next day. After doing some research and deduction, I realisd that the bowl of noodles with mushrooms was the culprit.
5. Figs
My comment : I have taken figs, more as a healthy snack than for cancer fighting.
6. Garlic - this other site says otherwise
Claim : generally accepted as a natural antibiotic and thought to be able to prevent cancer
My comment : One school of thought said that garlic and red dates should never be consumed together as this combination can cause cancer. Another said garlic should not be taken raw and should be fried lightly to get rid of toxins. I don't eat that much garlic, so I don't really know.
7. Goji berry juice (or Chinese wolfberry - sold through multi-level-marketing)
Claim : improves immune system, has some anti-cancer properties
My comment : I have never tried it.
8. Green Tea
Claim : Supposed to prevent cancer
My comment : I have drank a fair amount of this before and yet I was still hit by cancer.
9. Lemon Grass
Claim : consuming the drink causes cancer cells to commit suicide
My comment : This seems to be quite popular. I have drank it myself and found it pleasant. I have sometimes added it to soups. This is one where there is no harm in consuming, but I cannot comment on the cancer cells committing suicide part, unless I can see with my own eyes cancer cells dying when lemon grass drink is added to it.
10. Mangosteen Juice - (sold through multi-level-marketing)
Claim : support immune system
My comment : I have not tried this.
11. Walnuts, Brazil nuts
This was from an email by another friend :
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - By eating walnuts, women could reduce their risk of breast cancer, researchers said on Tuesday.
Researchers at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia, found that lab mice bred to develop breast cancer had a significantly lower risk of breast cancer if fed the human equivalent of a handful of walnuts a day.
"Walnuts are better than cookies, french fries or potato chips when you need a snack," Elaine Hardman, one of the researchers working on the study, said in a statement.
"We know that a healthy diet overall prevents all manner of chronic diseases," she said.
Hardman said while the study was done with laboratory animals, likely the same mechanism would be at work in people.
"Walnuts contain multiple ingredients that, individually, have been shown to slow cancer growth including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols," Hardman's team wrote in a summary presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's annual meeting in Denver.
The researchers used specially bred mice that normally always develop breast cancer. Half got the human equivalent of two ounces of walnuts per day and half got a normal diet.
The mice eating the walnuts had fewer and smaller breast tumors and those that did get them got them later than the other mice.
"These laboratory mice typically have 100 percent tumor incidence at five months; walnut consumption delayed those tumors by at least three weeks,"
Hardman said in a statement. "It is clear that walnuts contribute to a healthy diet that can reduce breast cancer."
The study adds to evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can provide a range of health benefits, from preventing heart disease to lowering cancer risks.
Scientists have been unsure whether the types found in nuts and leafy green vegetables work as well as the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil.
(Reporting by Deborah Charles; Editing by Maggie Fox and Paul Simao)
My comment : I believed most nuts are good, especially walnuts and Brazil nuts, with the exception of peanuts. But how much nuts can we eat in a day?
12. Detox
Claim : clean your system to get rid of toxins and you are fine
My comment : Detox is not for everybody and cannot be done too often. My health condition now is not suitable for detoxing.
There are others, but I think that is all for now.
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Cervical cancer vaccine - Gardasil
This is another article from Health Sciences Institute (HSI) about the new drug for cervical cancer. I have 2 young girls and personally, I would never allow them to take this vaccine. It is still too premature to conclude that it will really work, but in the meantime, according to HSI, the vaccine comes with a lot of serious side effects.
The drug companies are always coming out with new drugs and with all kinds of claims. I hate the idea of being a guinea pig to all these.
=> from HSI :
The drug companies are always coming out with new drugs and with all kinds of claims. I hate the idea of being a guinea pig to all these.
=> from HSI :
32 Girls Have Died
11,916 adverse events already reported to the CDC… and counting.
Pain and swelling. Life-threatening muscle weakness. Blood clots in the heart and lungs.
And the deaths of 32 innocent girls and young women.
You might think I’m talking about a deadly new disease or a global epidemic…
I’m not.
Sadly, it’s more sinister than that. The health threats listed above have all been linked with Gardasil, the so-called “cervical cancer vaccine.” And thanks to Pharma giant Merck, desperate parents and naive young women believe this vaccine saves lives… they couldn’t be more wrong.
That’s why HSI’s Jenny Thompson has released a new video in which she exposes the deception for what it is…and reveals some truly shocking information no one else is talking about.
And you are the very first to see it.
Please, if you have daughters, granddaughters or friends who might be considering this terrible vaccine, you must watch this video. And please forward it to anyone you think would benefit from the vital information it contains.
If you think you know the whole story on Gardasil, I think you’ll be shocked by what you’re about to see. Just click here to start watching the video. It’s just a few minutes long…and those few minutes might just save a young girl’s life.
'Swine flu' - facts from HSI
The following report just came in my inbox and I thought I would just share it here. It is from Health Sciences Institute (HSI). I had also received another similar but more detailed article from another source.
=> from HSI:
Don't Panic: 7 FACTS About 'Swine Flu'
With all the sensationalized news about the so-called swine flu flying around, I figured we'd better set all the facts straight.- So far, only 82 cases of so-called swine flu have been definitively identified worldwide, mostly in Mexico (26 confirmed, 7 deaths) and the U.S.(with 40 confirmed, no deaths). (Though about 1600 suspected cases, including 159 deaths, are reported in Mexico.) That does not add up to a pandemic swine flu outbreak.
- This virus has nothing to do with swine. In fact, it hasn't been seen in a single animal. And you can't possibly get it from eating pork.
- No existing vaccines can prevent this new flu strain. So no matter what you hear – even if it comes from your doctor – don't get a regular flu shot. They rarely work against seasonal flu…and certainly can't offer protection from a never-before- seen strain.
- Speaking of this strain, it doesn't seem to have come on naturally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this particular strain has never before been seen in pigs or people. And according to Reuters, the strain is a 'genetic mix' of swine, avian and human flu. Was it created in a lab? We don't know yet.
- The drug companies are getting excited…and that's never a good thing. According to the Associated Press at least one financial analyst estimates up to $388 million worth of Tamiflu sales in the near future – and that's without a pandemic outbreak.
- Let's not forget that Tamiflu comes with its own problems, including side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, fatigue, cough…the very symptoms you're trying to avoid. And let's not forget that Japan banned this drug for children back in 2007, after links to suicidal behavior.
- Vaccines for this flu strain probably won't have to jump through all those annoying hurdles like clinical trials for safety and effectiveness. That won't, however, stop the government from mandating the vaccine for all of us – a very likely scenario. And if the vaccines are actually harmful…killing people, for example…the vaccine makers will be immune from lawsuits.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Last moments of a cancer patient
In Shin's blog, she had mentioned that she could not find any information detailing the last moments of a cancer patient.
I had posted a brief account of a cancer patient's last moments when I was warded in the oncology ward. I have copied that brief post here and will try to put in more details as best as I can recall.
With due respects to her and her family members, my description of her last moments is for information only and no other intentions whatsoever. In fact, I admired her fighting spirit and I hope she rests in peace.
I was transferred to the 6-bedded room on 16 Feb 2008, and this patient was in a corner bed, just next to mine. I could not see her, except for the occasional glimpses, but could only hear her, as the curtain between us was constantly kept drawn, for her privacy and probably out of consideration for the other patients.
Among the six of us in the room, the patient in bed 3 was the most critical. She was on oxygen (with a mask and not the nasal prongs).
She couldn't eat - I did not see this, but when the nurses collected the food trays, I could hear the exchange between her husband and the nurses. The nurses thought she ate, but her husband said it was the children who finished the food.
Usually during the day, she seemed better, because I did not hear any sound coming from her. But by nighttime, she would be throwing up - I could hear the retching and the commotion. This was the situation for a couple of days and nights since I was first transferred there.
On the night of 18 Feb, her condition took a turn for the worst. I heard her said she could not breathe. She was on oxygen and the ceiling fan above her head was already on full blast, but she still had problem breathing. Her husband, who happened to be with her that night, was at wits end, and asked the nurses to do something. They brought in a stand fan, but I could still hear her breathing heavily and gasping for breath.
Her struggles with her breathing went on through the night, though I did not hear her complain of pain. I assumed she was on pain killers.
Once, I had to charge my mobile phone and some of the power points near my bedhead were not working. Her husband saw this and taking my phone's charger, plugged it into one near her bedhead. Nurse saw and asked us to remove the charger, explaining that she is being monitored and has a lot of equipment and stuff being plugged in and they did not want to run the risk of having one of the plugs knocked loose.
Her relatives came to pray for her and kept advising her to 'let go'. She struggled and hung on till dawn. As the curtain was drawn, I couldn't see but I could hear her. Sometimes, there would be moments of silence, and then it would be followed by heavy breathing again. By morning, her family and relatives were all there, and her breathing had gone weaker but she was still hanging on. I was aware that she was still conscious.
Then I heard one of her male visitors telling another, that 'she's a fighter, but now, we don't want her to fight anymore.' A few minutes after this comment was made, she was gone.
In fact, when the nurses came to clean her later, I heard one of them commenting that 'she's still asphyxiating'.
I had spoken to one of her relatives and learnt that she had received treatments, but that she also had had relapses and the cancer had spread all over her body. They told me that she was also wearing a bag for her wastes. They couldn't bear to see her suffering and wanted her to let go. I also learnt that she had been warded for the last 3 weeks.
It was the first time that I had witnessed (though not by sight but by hearing) the passing of a cancer patient, and hearing her struggles throughout, I must admit that I found it very traumatic. It was also the first time that I learnt that when a cancer patient dies, no attempt at resuscitation would be made, as that would be pointless because the vital organs are all damaged.
Comparing this patient's last moments and Shin's, I would say that Shin had it easier, because her husband and other caregivers were well-prepared and well-informed. They practically had the situation under control. Perhaps, we could all learn something from that.
I had posted a brief account of a cancer patient's last moments when I was warded in the oncology ward. I have copied that brief post here and will try to put in more details as best as I can recall.
With due respects to her and her family members, my description of her last moments is for information only and no other intentions whatsoever. In fact, I admired her fighting spirit and I hope she rests in peace.
I was transferred to the 6-bedded room on 16 Feb 2008, and this patient was in a corner bed, just next to mine. I could not see her, except for the occasional glimpses, but could only hear her, as the curtain between us was constantly kept drawn, for her privacy and probably out of consideration for the other patients.
Among the six of us in the room, the patient in bed 3 was the most critical. She was on oxygen (with a mask and not the nasal prongs).
She couldn't eat - I did not see this, but when the nurses collected the food trays, I could hear the exchange between her husband and the nurses. The nurses thought she ate, but her husband said it was the children who finished the food.
Usually during the day, she seemed better, because I did not hear any sound coming from her. But by nighttime, she would be throwing up - I could hear the retching and the commotion. This was the situation for a couple of days and nights since I was first transferred there.
On the night of 18 Feb, her condition took a turn for the worst. I heard her said she could not breathe. She was on oxygen and the ceiling fan above her head was already on full blast, but she still had problem breathing. Her husband, who happened to be with her that night, was at wits end, and asked the nurses to do something. They brought in a stand fan, but I could still hear her breathing heavily and gasping for breath.
Her struggles with her breathing went on through the night, though I did not hear her complain of pain. I assumed she was on pain killers.
Once, I had to charge my mobile phone and some of the power points near my bedhead were not working. Her husband saw this and taking my phone's charger, plugged it into one near her bedhead. Nurse saw and asked us to remove the charger, explaining that she is being monitored and has a lot of equipment and stuff being plugged in and they did not want to run the risk of having one of the plugs knocked loose.
Her relatives came to pray for her and kept advising her to 'let go'. She struggled and hung on till dawn. As the curtain was drawn, I couldn't see but I could hear her. Sometimes, there would be moments of silence, and then it would be followed by heavy breathing again. By morning, her family and relatives were all there, and her breathing had gone weaker but she was still hanging on. I was aware that she was still conscious.
Then I heard one of her male visitors telling another, that 'she's a fighter, but now, we don't want her to fight anymore.' A few minutes after this comment was made, she was gone.
In fact, when the nurses came to clean her later, I heard one of them commenting that 'she's still asphyxiating'.
I had spoken to one of her relatives and learnt that she had received treatments, but that she also had had relapses and the cancer had spread all over her body. They told me that she was also wearing a bag for her wastes. They couldn't bear to see her suffering and wanted her to let go. I also learnt that she had been warded for the last 3 weeks.
It was the first time that I had witnessed (though not by sight but by hearing) the passing of a cancer patient, and hearing her struggles throughout, I must admit that I found it very traumatic. It was also the first time that I learnt that when a cancer patient dies, no attempt at resuscitation would be made, as that would be pointless because the vital organs are all damaged.
Comparing this patient's last moments and Shin's, I would say that Shin had it easier, because her husband and other caregivers were well-prepared and well-informed. They practically had the situation under control. Perhaps, we could all learn something from that.
Friday, 24 April 2009
Seen and not heard
My kids are in their teens now and I thought I would just share some of the things they expect out of me, their mama.
It is always said that children should be seen and not heard. Well, when the children grow into teens, you will find the roles reversed - meaning, parents should be seen and not heard. Papas and mamas, don't open our mouths unnecessarily when we are with our teens' teachers, schoolmates or peers.
I had an impromptu lesson on this when I accompanied my son to the hospital for a follow-up checkup concerning his broken little finger a few years ago. The doctor was asking him questions and I felt my son was not very forthcoming with his answers, so this mama volunteered more information. The moment the doctor was out of earshot, my son gave me an earful. He went, "Ma! Next time just let me do the talking. Don't say anything, otherwise you are not coming with me on my next appointment." I got the message loud and clear. Actually, he needn't have said so much. I had a inkling of what's coming from the look on his face and the way he went "Ma".
Another time, I accompanied him to the hospital about a fish bone in his throat. In the waiting area, there was a national service boy scolding his mama. I heard the boy said, 'you think the minister is my uncle...' My son became his sympathizer, looked at me and said, 'see, don't talk so much'.
When you are attending talks in the schools or parent-teacher meetings, watch how you dress. Mamas, don't dress like a mamasan or like a slob, and go easy on the makeup. The idea is to be able to merge with the crowd without sticking out like a sore thumb. Because when the teens start whispering and pointing, and your teen finds out that the mama or papa is the ohject of discussion, well, to tell you the truth, I don't know what will happen when they got home, because I never attempted to cross that line, and I don't intend to. I only had my son coming home to tell me that, you know, everybody was talking about so and so's mama looking like "?" and so and so's mama with so much makeup on that she looked like a ..... (Um... I forgot what word he used, but you get the drift?)
Ever heard of the term "cheo bu". I did, for the first time in my life, a few years ago. I don't exactly know what it means, maybe like 'sexy mummy'. Oh, I didn't earn this title. Actually, it was my friend who told me that her kid was told by her friends that her mama is a 'cheo bu'. My friend was laughing when she related it to me, so I guessed it must be a compliment to her.
Also, just because you are the parent/s, don't assumed that you will be fielded for all those occasions. The kids usually decide one to represent 'parents'. Though I have noticed that in most households, both parents get to go together. Lucky... In my household, they decided unanimously that I am the only one allowed to go to their school. Well, my husband dozed off during talks, is clueless as to what the kids are doing and his first love is food. When I was sick, the kids returned the reply slips with "....will not be able to attend...."
When your teen suffered a great injustice in school that the sight of your upset kid makes you want to rush to school and reasoned with the other kids. I would advise you to drop the idea, pronto, because you run the risk of having yourself and your kid become the other kids public enemy No. 1 and 2, and you will also become your kid's private enemy No. 1. Also, don't think of complaining to the teacher on the sly, thinking you are doing your kid a favour. You will regret it when your kid finds out.
To a teen, the face is very important and so is the ego. Any problem they have with their peers, they want to solve it themselves. So, papas, and especially mamas, step aside, and pray if you must.
Often when I expressed my concerns for my kids, I am greeted with "Maaa...., leave me a alone; I know what I am doing". Then when I want to sit back and relax, they come to me with, "Ma, can you do this for me?", and "can you help me with that?"
This came from a cousin. She helped her kid passed her 'O' level examinations with impressive results, and the kid got very upset with my cousin. Reason - my cousin's kid outdid most of her classmates that she became an outcast.
It is always said that children should be seen and not heard. Well, when the children grow into teens, you will find the roles reversed - meaning, parents should be seen and not heard. Papas and mamas, don't open our mouths unnecessarily when we are with our teens' teachers, schoolmates or peers.
I had an impromptu lesson on this when I accompanied my son to the hospital for a follow-up checkup concerning his broken little finger a few years ago. The doctor was asking him questions and I felt my son was not very forthcoming with his answers, so this mama volunteered more information. The moment the doctor was out of earshot, my son gave me an earful. He went, "Ma! Next time just let me do the talking. Don't say anything, otherwise you are not coming with me on my next appointment." I got the message loud and clear. Actually, he needn't have said so much. I had a inkling of what's coming from the look on his face and the way he went "Ma".
Another time, I accompanied him to the hospital about a fish bone in his throat. In the waiting area, there was a national service boy scolding his mama. I heard the boy said, 'you think the minister is my uncle...' My son became his sympathizer, looked at me and said, 'see, don't talk so much'.
When you are attending talks in the schools or parent-teacher meetings, watch how you dress. Mamas, don't dress like a mamasan or like a slob, and go easy on the makeup. The idea is to be able to merge with the crowd without sticking out like a sore thumb. Because when the teens start whispering and pointing, and your teen finds out that the mama or papa is the ohject of discussion, well, to tell you the truth, I don't know what will happen when they got home, because I never attempted to cross that line, and I don't intend to. I only had my son coming home to tell me that, you know, everybody was talking about so and so's mama looking like "?" and so and so's mama with so much makeup on that she looked like a ..... (Um... I forgot what word he used, but you get the drift?)
Ever heard of the term "cheo bu". I did, for the first time in my life, a few years ago. I don't exactly know what it means, maybe like 'sexy mummy'. Oh, I didn't earn this title. Actually, it was my friend who told me that her kid was told by her friends that her mama is a 'cheo bu'. My friend was laughing when she related it to me, so I guessed it must be a compliment to her.
Also, just because you are the parent/s, don't assumed that you will be fielded for all those occasions. The kids usually decide one to represent 'parents'. Though I have noticed that in most households, both parents get to go together. Lucky... In my household, they decided unanimously that I am the only one allowed to go to their school. Well, my husband dozed off during talks, is clueless as to what the kids are doing and his first love is food. When I was sick, the kids returned the reply slips with "....will not be able to attend...."
When your teen suffered a great injustice in school that the sight of your upset kid makes you want to rush to school and reasoned with the other kids. I would advise you to drop the idea, pronto, because you run the risk of having yourself and your kid become the other kids public enemy No. 1 and 2, and you will also become your kid's private enemy No. 1. Also, don't think of complaining to the teacher on the sly, thinking you are doing your kid a favour. You will regret it when your kid finds out.
To a teen, the face is very important and so is the ego. Any problem they have with their peers, they want to solve it themselves. So, papas, and especially mamas, step aside, and pray if you must.
Often when I expressed my concerns for my kids, I am greeted with "Maaa...., leave me a alone; I know what I am doing". Then when I want to sit back and relax, they come to me with, "Ma, can you do this for me?", and "can you help me with that?"
This came from a cousin. She helped her kid passed her 'O' level examinations with impressive results, and the kid got very upset with my cousin. Reason - my cousin's kid outdid most of her classmates that she became an outcast.
Words of Wisdom from a 97-year-old Physician
This article is from Dr Mercola's news letters. I found it interesting, so I am reproducing it here. The original source of this article is from The Japan Times, January 29, 2009.
At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. He has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing since 1941.
At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. He has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing since 1941.
He has published around 150 books since his 75th birthday, including one Living Long, Living Good that has sold more than 1.2 million copies. As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself:
Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot. Hinohara says we all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. He believes that we can keep that attitude as adults, too, and that it's best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.
All people who live long -- regardless of nationality, race or gender -- share one thing in common: None are overweight. For breakfast Hinohara drinks coffee, a glass of milk and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. His lunch is milk and a few cookies. His dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat.
Always plan ahead. His schedule book is already full until 2014. In 2016 he plans to attend the Tokyo Olympics!
There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65. The current retirement age was set at 65 half a century ago, when the average life-expectancy in Japan was much lower.
Share what you know. Hinohara gives 150 lectures a year, some for 100 elementary-school children, others for 4,500 business people.
When a doctor recommends you take a test or have some surgery, ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure. Contrary to popular belief, doctors can't cure everyone -- so why cause unnecessary pain with surgery? Hinohara thinks that music and animal therapy can help more than most doctors imagine.
To stay healthy, always take the stairs and carry your own stuff. He take two stairs at a time, to get his muscles moving.
Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it. Hospitals must cater to the basic need of patients, and we all want to have fun.
Don't be crazy about amassing material things. Remember: You don't know when your number is up, and you can't take it with you to the next place.
Hospitals must be designed and prepared for major disasters, and they must accept every patient who appears at their doors. Hinohara helped design St. Luke's so that it was possible to operate anywhere: in the basement, in the corridors, in the chapel. Most people thought he was crazy, but on March 20, 1995, he was unfortunately proven right when members of the Aum Shinrikyu religious cult launched a terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway. St. Luke’s accepted 740 victims and in two hours figured out that it was sarin gas that had hit them. Sadly they lost one person, but they saved 739 lives.
Science alone can't cure or help people. Illness is individual. Each person is unique, and diseases are connected to their hearts. To know the illness and help people, there is a need for liberal and visual arts, not just medical ones.
Life is filled with incidents. On March 31, 1970, when Hinohara was 59 years old, he boarded the Yodogo, a flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka. The plane was hijacked by the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction. He spent the next four days handcuffed to his seat. As a doctor, he looked at it all as an experiment and was amazed at how his body slowed down in a crisis.
Find a role model and aim to achieve even more than they could ever do. Hinohara’s role model was his father, who went to the United States in 1900 to study at Duke University, in North Carolina.
It's wonderful to live long. Since the age of 65, Hinohara has worked as a volunteer. He still puts in 18 hours, seven days a week, and loves every minute of it.
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Elderly?
I don't know whether it is due to the chemo or age catching up, but I noticed I am getting clumsy. I kept knocking things over, like there is a problem with the judgement of space allowance between my hands and objects.
While preparing lunch earlier, I knocked down a whole new bottle of sesame oil. I had bought it from NTUC yesterday and had chosen the biggest bottle there.
I had left it on the counter top after using it, with the intention of transferring some to a smaller bottle because I find the big bottle too cumbersome. Shuttling between the stove and the sink, I had sent it crashing to the floor, shattering the bottle and spilling the oil. Fortunately, most of the broken parts of the bottle were still held by the plastic wrapping which I had not removed. Still, when I looked against the light, there were tiny pieces of glass all over.
I grabbed the toilet roll and went on my knees (I couldn't squat due to the chemo) to clean up the mess. When the oil was all wiped up, I couldn't straighten up. Next, went the detergent and tissues, and followed by the mop. By the time I finished the clean up, my lunch was a soggy mess. I was hungry, so... The nice thing about this mess is that it smelt so nice.
Every Tuesday is elderly day at NTUC supermarkets. If you are over 60, produce your ID and get discounts on your purchases.
Some Tuesdays ago, after the cashier totalled up my purchases, I heard her mentioned something about 'elderly'. I went 'huh?' She explained that the elderly get to enjoy some discounts and asked if I qualified. I asked in return, 'do I look like an elderly?' She said 'hard to tell.' Hmm..... Yeah, I have lots of white hair but I still have some good years to go before I reach 'elderly'. In the meantime, call me 'elderly' if you want, but make sure you give me the discounts without asking for my ID, that will make my day.
If they don't ask, customers complained - elderly forgot and cashier didn't ask. If they asked, customers felt insulted. Looks like damned if they don't and damned if they do. Tough life!
Yeah, my hair has grown and I have lots of white hair too, thanks to the salt from the saline that was used with the chemo. My white hair has its advantages and disadvantages.
Sometimes, I get seats offered to this prematured elderly auntie, which she gratefully accepted, not because of her age, but because of her legs. See, if I stand too long, I have problems bending my knees after that.
On the other hand, I have salesgirls trying to get me to dye my hair. No, thank you, I don't need all those stuff. I feel good about myself as it is, white hair and all.
In fact, occasionally, I met this other cancer survivor at the market, and she always compared her hair to mine. She has no visible white hair, but her hair was scanty due to the damage caused by the chemo to the heart.
Another reason why I am anti-chemo - heart muscle damage or weakened heart.
While preparing lunch earlier, I knocked down a whole new bottle of sesame oil. I had bought it from NTUC yesterday and had chosen the biggest bottle there.
I had left it on the counter top after using it, with the intention of transferring some to a smaller bottle because I find the big bottle too cumbersome. Shuttling between the stove and the sink, I had sent it crashing to the floor, shattering the bottle and spilling the oil. Fortunately, most of the broken parts of the bottle were still held by the plastic wrapping which I had not removed. Still, when I looked against the light, there were tiny pieces of glass all over.
I grabbed the toilet roll and went on my knees (I couldn't squat due to the chemo) to clean up the mess. When the oil was all wiped up, I couldn't straighten up. Next, went the detergent and tissues, and followed by the mop. By the time I finished the clean up, my lunch was a soggy mess. I was hungry, so... The nice thing about this mess is that it smelt so nice.
Every Tuesday is elderly day at NTUC supermarkets. If you are over 60, produce your ID and get discounts on your purchases.
Some Tuesdays ago, after the cashier totalled up my purchases, I heard her mentioned something about 'elderly'. I went 'huh?' She explained that the elderly get to enjoy some discounts and asked if I qualified. I asked in return, 'do I look like an elderly?' She said 'hard to tell.' Hmm..... Yeah, I have lots of white hair but I still have some good years to go before I reach 'elderly'. In the meantime, call me 'elderly' if you want, but make sure you give me the discounts without asking for my ID, that will make my day.
If they don't ask, customers complained - elderly forgot and cashier didn't ask. If they asked, customers felt insulted. Looks like damned if they don't and damned if they do. Tough life!
Yeah, my hair has grown and I have lots of white hair too, thanks to the salt from the saline that was used with the chemo. My white hair has its advantages and disadvantages.
Sometimes, I get seats offered to this prematured elderly auntie, which she gratefully accepted, not because of her age, but because of her legs. See, if I stand too long, I have problems bending my knees after that.
On the other hand, I have salesgirls trying to get me to dye my hair. No, thank you, I don't need all those stuff. I feel good about myself as it is, white hair and all.
In fact, occasionally, I met this other cancer survivor at the market, and she always compared her hair to mine. She has no visible white hair, but her hair was scanty due to the damage caused by the chemo to the heart.
Another reason why I am anti-chemo - heart muscle damage or weakened heart.
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Do we need a new approach to cancer?
The following report was released by the National Cancer Institute, USA, in 1997. The report was censored in USA but was circulating abroad.
CHEMOTHERAPY REPORT
Do We Need a New Approach to Cancer?
In 1971, President Richard Nixon announced the War on Cancer and promised a cure by the 1977 bicentennial. In each of the 25 years since, more Americans have died of cancer than the year before.
The failure of chemotherapy to control cancer has become apparent even to the oncology establishment. Scientific American featured a recent cover story entitled: "The War on Cancer -- It's Being Lost." In it, eminent epidemiologist John C. Bailar III, MD, PhD, Chairman of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McGill University cited the relentless increase in cancer deaths in the face of growing use of toxic chemotherapy. He concluded that scientists must look in new directions if they are ever to make progress against this unremitting killer.
Adding its voice, the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet, decrying the failure of conventional therapy to stop the rise in breast cancer deaths, noted the discrepancy between public perception and reality. "If one were to believe all the media hype, the triumphalism of the medical profession in published research, and the almost weekly miracle breakthroughs trumpeted by the cancer charities, one might be surprised that women are dying at all from this "cancer" it observed.
NOTING THAT CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES -- CHEMOTHERAPY, RADIATION AND SURGERY -- HAD BEEN PUSHED TO THEIR LIMITS WITH DISMAL RESULTS, the editorial called on researchers to "challenge dogma and redirect research efforts along more fruitful lines."
John Cairns, professor of microbiology at Harvard University, published a devastating 1985 critiaue in Scientific American. "Aside from certain rare cancers, it is not possible to detect any sudden changes in the death rates for any of the major cancers that could be credited to chemotherapy. Whether any of the common cancers can be cured by chemotherapy has yet to be established."
In fact, chemotherapy is curative in very few cancers -- testicular, Hodgkin's, choriocarcinoma, childhood leukemia. In most common solid tumors --lung, colon, breast, etc. -- chemotherapy is NOT curative.
In an article entitled "Chemotherapy: Snake-Oil Remedy?" that appeared in the Los Angeles Times of January 9, 1987, Dr. Martin F. Shapiro explained that while "some oncologists inform their patients of the LACK OF EVIDENCE THAT TREATMENTS WORK...OTHERS MAY WELL BE MISLED BY SCIENTIFIC PAPERS THAT EXPRESS UNWARRANTED OPTIMISM ABOUT CHEMOTHERAPY. STILL OTHERS RESPOND TO AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVE. PHYSICIANS CAN EARN MUCH MORE MONEY RUNNING ACTIVE CHEMOTHERAPY PRACTICES THAN THEY CAN PROVIDING SOLACE AND RELIEF...TO DYING PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Dr. Shapiro is hardly alone. Alan C. Nixon, PhD, Past President of the American Chemical Society wrote that "As a chemist trained to interpret data,
IT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO ME THAT PHYSICIANS CAN IGNORE THE CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT CHEMOTHERAPY DOES MUCH, MUCH MORE HARM THAN GOOD."
In 1986, McGill Cancer Center scientists sent a questionnaire to 118 doctors who treated non-small-cell lung cancer. More than three quarters of them recruited patients and carried out trials of toxic drugs for lung cancer. They were asked to imagine that they themselves had cancer, and were asked which of six current trials they themselves would choose. Of the 79 respondents, 64 SAID THEY WOULD NOT CONSENT TO BE IN A TRIAL CONTAINING CISPLATIN, A COMMON CHEMOTHERAPY DRUG. FIFTY-EIGHT FOUND ALL THE TRIALS UNACCEPTABLE. THEIR REASONS? THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND ITS UNACCEPTABLE DEGREE OF TOXICITY.
Famed German biostatistician Ulrich Abel, PhD, also found a similar 1989 study that "THE PERSONAL VIEWS OF MANY ONCOLOGISTS SEEM TO BE IN STRIKING CONTRAST TO COMMUNICATIONS INTENDED FOR THE PUBLIC."
Breast cancer activist Rose Kushner wrote that by 1981 "indiscriminate, automatic adjuvant chemotherapy was replacing the Halsted radical mastectomy as therapeutic overkill in the United States." Thomas Nealon, MD, Professor of Surgery at New York University School of Medicine, concluded in 1990 that "The treatment of this tumor now has slipped from too much surgery to too much adjuvant therapy."
WHY SO MUCH USE OF CHEMOTHERAPY IF IT DOES SO LITTLE GOOD? WELL FOR ONE THING, DRUG COMPANIES PRIVIDE HUGE ECONOMIC INCENTIVES. In 1990, $3.53 BILLION WAS SPENT ON CHEMOTHERAPY. BY 1994 THAT FIGURE HAD MORE THAN DOUBLED TO $7.51 BILLION.
THIS RELENTLESS INCREASE IN CHEMOTHERAPY USE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A RELENTLESS INCREASE IN CANCER DEATHS.
Oncologist Albert Braverman, MD, wrote in 1991 that "NO DISSEMINATED NEOPLASM (cancer) INCURABLE IN 1975 IS CURABLE TODAY...MANY MEDICAL ONCOLOGISTS
RECOMMEND CHEMOTHERAPY FOR VIRTUALLY ANY TUMOR, WITH A HOPEFULNESS UNDISCOURAGED BY ALMOST INVARIABLE FAILURE."
WHY THE GROWTH OF CHEMOTHERAPY IN THE FACE OF SUCH FAILURE? A look at the financial interrelationships between a large cancer center such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and the companies that make BILLIONS SELLING CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS IS REVEALING. James Robinson III, Chairman of the MSKCC Board of Overseers and Managers, is a director Bristol-Myers Squibb, the world's largest producer of chemotherapy drugs. Richard Gelb, Vice-Chairman of the MSKCC board is Chairman of the Board at Bristol_Myers. Richard Furlaud, another MSKCC board member, recently retired as Bristol Myer's president. Paul Marks, MD, MSKCC's President and CEO, is a director of Pfizer.
The failure rate for chemotherapy announced by the National Cancer Institute in 1997 by Professor De Vita? 94.2%
NOTE: This report was taken from http://www.cancermed.com
P.S. The site belongs to some cancer research institute but the report is not there anymore.
CHEMOTHERAPY REPORT
Do We Need a New Approach to Cancer?
In 1971, President Richard Nixon announced the War on Cancer and promised a cure by the 1977 bicentennial. In each of the 25 years since, more Americans have died of cancer than the year before.
The failure of chemotherapy to control cancer has become apparent even to the oncology establishment. Scientific American featured a recent cover story entitled: "The War on Cancer -- It's Being Lost." In it, eminent epidemiologist John C. Bailar III, MD, PhD, Chairman of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McGill University cited the relentless increase in cancer deaths in the face of growing use of toxic chemotherapy. He concluded that scientists must look in new directions if they are ever to make progress against this unremitting killer.
Adding its voice, the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet, decrying the failure of conventional therapy to stop the rise in breast cancer deaths, noted the discrepancy between public perception and reality. "If one were to believe all the media hype, the triumphalism of the medical profession in published research, and the almost weekly miracle breakthroughs trumpeted by the cancer charities, one might be surprised that women are dying at all from this "cancer" it observed.
NOTING THAT CONVENTIONAL THERAPIES -- CHEMOTHERAPY, RADIATION AND SURGERY -- HAD BEEN PUSHED TO THEIR LIMITS WITH DISMAL RESULTS, the editorial called on researchers to "challenge dogma and redirect research efforts along more fruitful lines."
John Cairns, professor of microbiology at Harvard University, published a devastating 1985 critiaue in Scientific American. "Aside from certain rare cancers, it is not possible to detect any sudden changes in the death rates for any of the major cancers that could be credited to chemotherapy. Whether any of the common cancers can be cured by chemotherapy has yet to be established."
In fact, chemotherapy is curative in very few cancers -- testicular, Hodgkin's, choriocarcinoma, childhood leukemia. In most common solid tumors --lung, colon, breast, etc. -- chemotherapy is NOT curative.
In an article entitled "Chemotherapy: Snake-Oil Remedy?" that appeared in the Los Angeles Times of January 9, 1987, Dr. Martin F. Shapiro explained that while "some oncologists inform their patients of the LACK OF EVIDENCE THAT TREATMENTS WORK...OTHERS MAY WELL BE MISLED BY SCIENTIFIC PAPERS THAT EXPRESS UNWARRANTED OPTIMISM ABOUT CHEMOTHERAPY. STILL OTHERS RESPOND TO AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVE. PHYSICIANS CAN EARN MUCH MORE MONEY RUNNING ACTIVE CHEMOTHERAPY PRACTICES THAN THEY CAN PROVIDING SOLACE AND RELIEF...TO DYING PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Dr. Shapiro is hardly alone. Alan C. Nixon, PhD, Past President of the American Chemical Society wrote that "As a chemist trained to interpret data,
IT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO ME THAT PHYSICIANS CAN IGNORE THE CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT CHEMOTHERAPY DOES MUCH, MUCH MORE HARM THAN GOOD."
In 1986, McGill Cancer Center scientists sent a questionnaire to 118 doctors who treated non-small-cell lung cancer. More than three quarters of them recruited patients and carried out trials of toxic drugs for lung cancer. They were asked to imagine that they themselves had cancer, and were asked which of six current trials they themselves would choose. Of the 79 respondents, 64 SAID THEY WOULD NOT CONSENT TO BE IN A TRIAL CONTAINING CISPLATIN, A COMMON CHEMOTHERAPY DRUG. FIFTY-EIGHT FOUND ALL THE TRIALS UNACCEPTABLE. THEIR REASONS? THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND ITS UNACCEPTABLE DEGREE OF TOXICITY.
Famed German biostatistician Ulrich Abel, PhD, also found a similar 1989 study that "THE PERSONAL VIEWS OF MANY ONCOLOGISTS SEEM TO BE IN STRIKING CONTRAST TO COMMUNICATIONS INTENDED FOR THE PUBLIC."
Breast cancer activist Rose Kushner wrote that by 1981 "indiscriminate, automatic adjuvant chemotherapy was replacing the Halsted radical mastectomy as therapeutic overkill in the United States." Thomas Nealon, MD, Professor of Surgery at New York University School of Medicine, concluded in 1990 that "The treatment of this tumor now has slipped from too much surgery to too much adjuvant therapy."
WHY SO MUCH USE OF CHEMOTHERAPY IF IT DOES SO LITTLE GOOD? WELL FOR ONE THING, DRUG COMPANIES PRIVIDE HUGE ECONOMIC INCENTIVES. In 1990, $3.53 BILLION WAS SPENT ON CHEMOTHERAPY. BY 1994 THAT FIGURE HAD MORE THAN DOUBLED TO $7.51 BILLION.
THIS RELENTLESS INCREASE IN CHEMOTHERAPY USE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A RELENTLESS INCREASE IN CANCER DEATHS.
Oncologist Albert Braverman, MD, wrote in 1991 that "NO DISSEMINATED NEOPLASM (cancer) INCURABLE IN 1975 IS CURABLE TODAY...MANY MEDICAL ONCOLOGISTS
RECOMMEND CHEMOTHERAPY FOR VIRTUALLY ANY TUMOR, WITH A HOPEFULNESS UNDISCOURAGED BY ALMOST INVARIABLE FAILURE."
WHY THE GROWTH OF CHEMOTHERAPY IN THE FACE OF SUCH FAILURE? A look at the financial interrelationships between a large cancer center such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and the companies that make BILLIONS SELLING CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS IS REVEALING. James Robinson III, Chairman of the MSKCC Board of Overseers and Managers, is a director Bristol-Myers Squibb, the world's largest producer of chemotherapy drugs. Richard Gelb, Vice-Chairman of the MSKCC board is Chairman of the Board at Bristol_Myers. Richard Furlaud, another MSKCC board member, recently retired as Bristol Myer's president. Paul Marks, MD, MSKCC's President and CEO, is a director of Pfizer.
The failure rate for chemotherapy announced by the National Cancer Institute in 1997 by Professor De Vita? 94.2%
NOTE: This report was taken from http://www.cancermed.com
P.S. The site belongs to some cancer research institute but the report is not there anymore.
Donate body to science?
Following the newspaper article about Shin, I learnt that she had donated her body to science.
A friend commented that it was a good idea that he would consider. Donate the body to science and save the hassle of a funeral, just a memorial would do. I asked my children for their opinions, and my son said it was okay with him, afterall it is my choice.
My 2 girls went, "eww.... mummy........."
I understand how they felt because I cannot get used to the idea myself.
All along, I had found it very hard to come to terms with mutilated bodies. When I passed a serious accident scene, everybody would be cranning their necks to see what happened, but I would be looking in the opposite direction, afraid that I would be seeing a broken or crushed body.
It was the same with amputation of limbs. I cannot help feeling very sorry for the people who had lost limbs or had big cuts or ugly wounds. This feeling was not for human beings alone, I had felt the same about animals as well.
When my dad had wounds on his legs before they were amputated, I could not bring myself to look at his wounds. And even after the amputations, I dared not look at his legs.
Over time and especially after I had my 3 children and had tended to their cuts and wounds and scars I have improved slightly but still not good enough.
Some years back, there was a body parts exhibition in Singapore. Though curious, I could not bring myself to the exhibition. If it had been made of synthetic materials, I would definitely have gone, but those were parts cut and sliced from a human being.
Recently, a friend whose husband is a gynaecologist, said when her husband was undergoing training, they had to sleep with half a human body each under the bed, and each day they would cut a part of it to study. With my active imagination, I could actually visualise them slicing the body. Good thing, I never had the ambition to be a doctor.
Likewise, my elder daughter liked biology and she had done well in the subject. While selecting her subjects for junior college, she found out that biology students had to bring a rabbit home, and then bring it back to school a few days later to dissect it. Her love for rabbits and the thought of dissecting animals made her sacrifice biology and she is now struggling with chemistry instead.
I would also like to know what sort of improvements or recommendations the scientists have after conducting tests on a donated body. If tests revealed mistakes had been made during diagnosis or treatment, would they owned up and make adjustments or would they just cover everything up? Would justice be done to her donated body? I just hope that Shin's intentions would not have gone to waste.
I admire her guts, but the idea really takes some getting used to. I am not ready for it yet.
A friend commented that it was a good idea that he would consider. Donate the body to science and save the hassle of a funeral, just a memorial would do. I asked my children for their opinions, and my son said it was okay with him, afterall it is my choice.
My 2 girls went, "eww.... mummy........."
I understand how they felt because I cannot get used to the idea myself.
All along, I had found it very hard to come to terms with mutilated bodies. When I passed a serious accident scene, everybody would be cranning their necks to see what happened, but I would be looking in the opposite direction, afraid that I would be seeing a broken or crushed body.
It was the same with amputation of limbs. I cannot help feeling very sorry for the people who had lost limbs or had big cuts or ugly wounds. This feeling was not for human beings alone, I had felt the same about animals as well.
When my dad had wounds on his legs before they were amputated, I could not bring myself to look at his wounds. And even after the amputations, I dared not look at his legs.
Over time and especially after I had my 3 children and had tended to their cuts and wounds and scars I have improved slightly but still not good enough.
Some years back, there was a body parts exhibition in Singapore. Though curious, I could not bring myself to the exhibition. If it had been made of synthetic materials, I would definitely have gone, but those were parts cut and sliced from a human being.
Recently, a friend whose husband is a gynaecologist, said when her husband was undergoing training, they had to sleep with half a human body each under the bed, and each day they would cut a part of it to study. With my active imagination, I could actually visualise them slicing the body. Good thing, I never had the ambition to be a doctor.
Likewise, my elder daughter liked biology and she had done well in the subject. While selecting her subjects for junior college, she found out that biology students had to bring a rabbit home, and then bring it back to school a few days later to dissect it. Her love for rabbits and the thought of dissecting animals made her sacrifice biology and she is now struggling with chemistry instead.
I would also like to know what sort of improvements or recommendations the scientists have after conducting tests on a donated body. If tests revealed mistakes had been made during diagnosis or treatment, would they owned up and make adjustments or would they just cover everything up? Would justice be done to her donated body? I just hope that Shin's intentions would not have gone to waste.
I admire her guts, but the idea really takes some getting used to. I am not ready for it yet.
Monday, 20 April 2009
Reflection : When the fog cleared
I have a friend who maintained two blogs on the same subject - one public and one private. I had initially thought it would be too time-consuming, but after visiting his blogs, I am beginning to see the wisdom and usefulness of it.
In a public blog, one has to be careful with what is written, avoiding sensitive areas and taboo topics.
Whereas in a private blog, one can rant and rave about pet peeves, or write about your views and opinions about sensitive issues, or about memories close to your heart. Your boss upset you? - scold and call him all kinds of names in your private blog. Full of frustrations, let loose a string of vulgarities if it gives you relief (lol). Later, it would be wise to go back and clean up the mess a bit, I think.
I also find it useful as self therapy, like sorting out your thoughts and for reflections. Recently, I vented my frustrations in a post about receiving unsolicited advice and I thought I found relief after that. Later, I read the posting again and with those words staring back at me, suddenly I had different feelings about it.
With those thoughts clogging my mind, I couldn't straighten out my thoughts. I had allowed anti-sentiments to build up. But after pouring out my frustrations, it was like the fog in my brain had cleared. I could think clearly and could see other people's actions and motives from a different perspective, so I retrieved the post and still felt good about doing so.***
***I have been deliberating over this.
Yes, people around me let their anxieties and concerns for me get the better of them, but I have committed a greater mistake by letting my anti-sentiments get the better of me. However, I have been talking to other survivors and they felt the same way as I do too, i.e. the pressure and the stress and confusion. So, if I do not allow my feelings be known, I would be encouraging a wrong attitude. I also feel that people should be encouraged to be more knowledgeable before giving useful advice, especially when more and more people are hit by cancer.
For people like me, keeping a blog beats writing down everything by hand. By nature, or lack of effort, I am a lazy writer. My handwriting is like chicken scratchings. Sometimes, (quite often actually), I can't decipher what I have written. Sometimes when I am in the mood, I will make an effort to write nicely, but after sometime, I find it too laborious, and it's back to scribbling. Also, my train of thoughts tend to get disrupted and it would be a chore to go back and make corrections. With a blog, just go back and insert, delete, make corrections to your heart's content.
In a public blog, one has to be careful with what is written, avoiding sensitive areas and taboo topics.
Whereas in a private blog, one can rant and rave about pet peeves, or write about your views and opinions about sensitive issues, or about memories close to your heart. Your boss upset you? - scold and call him all kinds of names in your private blog. Full of frustrations, let loose a string of vulgarities if it gives you relief (lol). Later, it would be wise to go back and clean up the mess a bit, I think.
I also find it useful as self therapy, like sorting out your thoughts and for reflections. Recently, I vented my frustrations in a post about receiving unsolicited advice and I thought I found relief after that. Later, I read the posting again and with those words staring back at me, suddenly I had different feelings about it.
With those thoughts clogging my mind, I couldn't straighten out my thoughts. I had allowed anti-sentiments to build up. But after pouring out my frustrations, it was like the fog in my brain had cleared. I could think clearly and could see other people's actions and motives from a different perspective, so I retrieved the post and still felt good about doing so.***
***I have been deliberating over this.
Yes, people around me let their anxieties and concerns for me get the better of them, but I have committed a greater mistake by letting my anti-sentiments get the better of me. However, I have been talking to other survivors and they felt the same way as I do too, i.e. the pressure and the stress and confusion. So, if I do not allow my feelings be known, I would be encouraging a wrong attitude. I also feel that people should be encouraged to be more knowledgeable before giving useful advice, especially when more and more people are hit by cancer.
For people like me, keeping a blog beats writing down everything by hand. By nature, or lack of effort, I am a lazy writer. My handwriting is like chicken scratchings. Sometimes, (quite often actually), I can't decipher what I have written. Sometimes when I am in the mood, I will make an effort to write nicely, but after sometime, I find it too laborious, and it's back to scribbling. Also, my train of thoughts tend to get disrupted and it would be a chore to go back and make corrections. With a blog, just go back and insert, delete, make corrections to your heart's content.
Survivor
I have just changed the name of my blog to 'A Cancer Survivor's Perspective'. This is the 3rd time that I have changed the name and I think it should be the last. Restless soul who likes changes, that's me.
It's about time I think of myself as a cancer survivor rather than as a cancer patient.
One is only classified a survivor when one is in remission for 5 years. It does not matter to me whether it is one day or 5 years. As far as I am concerned, for every day that I am alive, I am a survivor for each and everyday and will be a survivor till I draw my last breath.
I have so much to be thankful for, so much more to learn and do that I do not want to stress myself out waiting for each year to pass and after the fifth year, say, finally, I am a survivor.
I have to be realistic, with the rate of people getting cancers now and dying from it, I am fortunate to be still surviving.
I have fought the relapse for more than a year and I have won this round. I have survived, therefore, I am a survivor!
It's about time I think of myself as a cancer survivor rather than as a cancer patient.
One is only classified a survivor when one is in remission for 5 years. It does not matter to me whether it is one day or 5 years. As far as I am concerned, for every day that I am alive, I am a survivor for each and everyday and will be a survivor till I draw my last breath.
I have so much to be thankful for, so much more to learn and do that I do not want to stress myself out waiting for each year to pass and after the fifth year, say, finally, I am a survivor.
I have to be realistic, with the rate of people getting cancers now and dying from it, I am fortunate to be still surviving.
I have fought the relapse for more than a year and I have won this round. I have survived, therefore, I am a survivor!
Friday, 17 April 2009
Recent check-ups
19 Jan 2009
Appointment with onco - only managed to see the junior doctor.
Blood test ok, CA 153 is 12 - which is my lowest since the relapse.
A couple of weeks ago, I had noticed a pea-like lump on the side of my ribcage facing the inside of my right upper arm. I mentioned this to the doc and he said that it may or may not be cancerous. Told to observe if there are any changes or any new lumps appearing. Other than that everything else is ok.
16 Mar 2009 - checkup
Managed to see my onco.
White blood cell count is low. CA 153 is 12.9 (up a little - but still no cause for concern)
I mentioned the lump again and since there were no changes since then, we assumed that it is probably just a cyst.
I noticed that my onco is now much more compromising. She offerred to print an extra set of reports for me on my next visit which will be on 22 Jun 2009.
I am supposed to have a ct scan every 6 months, but since my onco didn't arrange for one, I am fine with it. I don't think I need it nor want it, especially after reading the article by Dr Ang PT in 'Mind Your Body' about the contrast causing blindness.
Appointment with onco - only managed to see the junior doctor.
Blood test ok, CA 153 is 12 - which is my lowest since the relapse.
A couple of weeks ago, I had noticed a pea-like lump on the side of my ribcage facing the inside of my right upper arm. I mentioned this to the doc and he said that it may or may not be cancerous. Told to observe if there are any changes or any new lumps appearing. Other than that everything else is ok.
16 Mar 2009 - checkup
Managed to see my onco.
White blood cell count is low. CA 153 is 12.9 (up a little - but still no cause for concern)
I mentioned the lump again and since there were no changes since then, we assumed that it is probably just a cyst.
I noticed that my onco is now much more compromising. She offerred to print an extra set of reports for me on my next visit which will be on 22 Jun 2009.
I am supposed to have a ct scan every 6 months, but since my onco didn't arrange for one, I am fine with it. I don't think I need it nor want it, especially after reading the article by Dr Ang PT in 'Mind Your Body' about the contrast causing blindness.
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Thank you, HCA Hospice Care
14 April 2009, Tuesday
The doctor and nurse from HCA called today. I have finally been discharged from hospice care.
I was feeling well enough to be independent and should have made the request to be discharged earlier. There are so many more cancer patients who are worse off than me and I feel really guilty to be still under their care, encroaching on their time, effort and resources.
HCA has been caring for me and guiding me since Feb last year after my discharge from hospital. I must say that their service has given me great comfort and has made my battle with cancer very much more tolerable. Their service is truly indispensable and should really be commended.
From my place, they were called to another patient's place to do a terminal discharge. I found out that it meant the patient had been discharged from hospital and hadn't had much time left. It is now up to the hospice care staff to provide the necessary care and comfort on his or her last leg of the journey.
I admire the courage of the staff of hospice care. It is not an easy task caring for terminally ill patients, and at the same time, feel their fears and frustrations and sometimes watch them succumbed to their illness. One must be mentally strong to be able to handle such matters, as normally it is not a one-off visit but repeated visits over a period of time.
HCA Hospice Care staff - I wish you well! Please do remember to take care of your own health while you are taking care of us.
I will miss their visits, but no matter, as I have made some new friends.
The doctor and nurse from HCA called today. I have finally been discharged from hospice care.
I was feeling well enough to be independent and should have made the request to be discharged earlier. There are so many more cancer patients who are worse off than me and I feel really guilty to be still under their care, encroaching on their time, effort and resources.
HCA has been caring for me and guiding me since Feb last year after my discharge from hospital. I must say that their service has given me great comfort and has made my battle with cancer very much more tolerable. Their service is truly indispensable and should really be commended.
From my place, they were called to another patient's place to do a terminal discharge. I found out that it meant the patient had been discharged from hospital and hadn't had much time left. It is now up to the hospice care staff to provide the necessary care and comfort on his or her last leg of the journey.
I admire the courage of the staff of hospice care. It is not an easy task caring for terminally ill patients, and at the same time, feel their fears and frustrations and sometimes watch them succumbed to their illness. One must be mentally strong to be able to handle such matters, as normally it is not a one-off visit but repeated visits over a period of time.
HCA Hospice Care staff - I wish you well! Please do remember to take care of your own health while you are taking care of us.
I will miss their visits, but no matter, as I have made some new friends.
Monday, 13 April 2009
My life in your hands
I have been bothered by this topic for some time. It concerned the well-meaning advice of people close to me and concerned about my health. I wanted them to be aware of the impact their advice had on me, and I also wanted them to think properly and do enough research before giving me such advice, and yet I fear that whatever I have to say may sound offensive , or may make me seemed rude and unappreciative of their concerns.
So, before I open up with my comments and opinions, I hope that if people feel offended by my comments, I must say that I am truly sorry, and please forgive me, but I have no intention of offending. My aim is to let people be more informed before they give such advice. I also want them to know how I, in my condition, feel about receiving such advice.
I have always been debating on whether I should open up or not. I felt I should and yet I am always overwhelmed by the fear of offending that I decided not to.
However, after learning about Shin's passing, I have decided to go ahead and do it.
After the mastectomy, when family and friends learnt that I had turned down all conventional treatments, fearing for my life, they persuaded me to re-consider my decision. I had mentioned that I was going for alternative and natural therapy but was bombarded with advice to go for chemo. I was facing pressure from my doctors and concerned family and friends that at one point I was so overwhelmed and stressed that I starting doubting myself.
As soon as I suspected that I had cancer, I started trawling the internet for information concerning cancer, alternative treatments, chemotherapy and the short and long term side-effects of chemotherapy. In short, I did my homework before coming to that decision.
Chemotherapy is not medicine. It is chemical therapy. Chemicals as in the chemicals that we handled in the science labs when we were in school. These chemicals are fed by iv into the patient's blood vessels. Too much of the chemicals will cause extensive damage to the immune system and the organs in the body. No idea of the damage it will cause? Then think of the atom bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II, only on a very much reduced scale - not refering to the explosive effect but the toxic effect.
The only thing chemotherapy can do, if the oncologist is lucky and prescribed the right ones, is stopped the cancer in its track, fast, killing cancerous cells and good cells at the same time. It is capable of doing this because it is so toxic. So toxic that nurses preparing the prescriptions have to be in protective gear.
There are cases that I know of where the cancers did not respond to the chemo and the oncologists had to switch to other chemicals. In such cases, it is obvious that the chemicals were not only not destroying the cancer cells, but at the same time already doing harm to the body.
Please also do not just tell me that so and so had undergone chemotherapy and is now doing well. Give me the other details as well, like what stage, what drugs, number of doses, what else did the person take and how long ago that was. Often, when I asked for details, I would find that they are not very sure. The only thing obvious thing was that the person had chemo.
While I was going through chemo, I had mentioned that I had no wish of completing the prescribed 6 cycles since I was responding well and my cancer markers were already way below normal. I was utterly disappointed to hear people telling me that, 'since you are already halfway through, just go ahead and tke the rest'. Finish all 6? By 3rd dose, my marker was already below normal, I was feeling good, my lungs didn't feel so bad. But after the 4th dose, I was feeling lousy overall, I had water retention, the flooding in my lungs were back. Mind you, we were talking about poison and not some sweets or desserts.
Some had some strange ideas about curing cancer, and then there were those in multi-level marketing promoting different kinds of products - juices, detox, special diets, you name it, they have it.
By all means share your knowledge with me, but do not insist that I follow your advice. If I am interested, I will ask for more information. More often than not, I am already aware of most of these alternatives.
At the moment, I am satisfied with the progress that the ayurvedic herbal treatment and natural medicine have given me. So, unless something happens, then I am not in the mood for anything else.
I always wonder, do these well-meaning people realised what they are doing? Do they realised that if I followed their advice, I am putting my life in their hands and that they should be taking responsibility for my life?
Sometimes when I am asked what I am taking and I would always share the information. I would never insist that they follow what I do and I always cautioned that we must bear in mind that what works for me does not necessarily meant that it will work for everybody else.
I do have a request. Please respect my wishes. I am very well aware of all your concerns and worries and I appreciate that, but I am also sorry to be the cause of that. However, it is my life that we are talking about and in case something bad happens, I do not want you to be blamed for it. The onus is on me, alone.
Please bear in mind that by insisting that I take this or that, you are giving me undue stress, in that I have to come up with excuses to turn you down politely so that you will not be offended.
I would like to make one thing very clear here. The 5 doses of chemo did not cure me of cancer. In fact, the CT scan taken after the 5th dose showed that there were still lesions in my liver. Even, my oncologist commented that it would not be so fast. So, fact is that it then depended on my immune system and alternative medicine to treat my cancer.
The 5 doses of chemo stopped my cancer from spreading, but they also caused a lot of damage. I am still under treatment to repair my liver and my kidneys. My legs are very weak and my right arm is still swollen. I also had a damaged heart muscle which can never be healed.
To those who know me and who want to refer to me, please do not just tell others that I had advanced cancer and had undergone chemo and is now doing very fine. If you do that you may be doing someone more harm than good. This is also not accurate. Please remember that I was also taking ayurvedic medicine and natural medicine while undergoing chemo. Even then, I was practically floored by the chemo, and my recovery will take a long time. If they are interested, I do not mind sharing my experience with them.
If my cancer stays under control, I know for certain who and what is responsible and for that I am very, very grateful.
Again, I apologise if anyone is offended by what I have written here.
So, before I open up with my comments and opinions, I hope that if people feel offended by my comments, I must say that I am truly sorry, and please forgive me, but I have no intention of offending. My aim is to let people be more informed before they give such advice. I also want them to know how I, in my condition, feel about receiving such advice.
I have always been debating on whether I should open up or not. I felt I should and yet I am always overwhelmed by the fear of offending that I decided not to.
However, after learning about Shin's passing, I have decided to go ahead and do it.
After the mastectomy, when family and friends learnt that I had turned down all conventional treatments, fearing for my life, they persuaded me to re-consider my decision. I had mentioned that I was going for alternative and natural therapy but was bombarded with advice to go for chemo. I was facing pressure from my doctors and concerned family and friends that at one point I was so overwhelmed and stressed that I starting doubting myself.
As soon as I suspected that I had cancer, I started trawling the internet for information concerning cancer, alternative treatments, chemotherapy and the short and long term side-effects of chemotherapy. In short, I did my homework before coming to that decision.
Chemotherapy is not medicine. It is chemical therapy. Chemicals as in the chemicals that we handled in the science labs when we were in school. These chemicals are fed by iv into the patient's blood vessels. Too much of the chemicals will cause extensive damage to the immune system and the organs in the body. No idea of the damage it will cause? Then think of the atom bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II, only on a very much reduced scale - not refering to the explosive effect but the toxic effect.
The only thing chemotherapy can do, if the oncologist is lucky and prescribed the right ones, is stopped the cancer in its track, fast, killing cancerous cells and good cells at the same time. It is capable of doing this because it is so toxic. So toxic that nurses preparing the prescriptions have to be in protective gear.
There are cases that I know of where the cancers did not respond to the chemo and the oncologists had to switch to other chemicals. In such cases, it is obvious that the chemicals were not only not destroying the cancer cells, but at the same time already doing harm to the body.
Please also do not just tell me that so and so had undergone chemotherapy and is now doing well. Give me the other details as well, like what stage, what drugs, number of doses, what else did the person take and how long ago that was. Often, when I asked for details, I would find that they are not very sure. The only thing obvious thing was that the person had chemo.
While I was going through chemo, I had mentioned that I had no wish of completing the prescribed 6 cycles since I was responding well and my cancer markers were already way below normal. I was utterly disappointed to hear people telling me that, 'since you are already halfway through, just go ahead and tke the rest'. Finish all 6? By 3rd dose, my marker was already below normal, I was feeling good, my lungs didn't feel so bad. But after the 4th dose, I was feeling lousy overall, I had water retention, the flooding in my lungs were back. Mind you, we were talking about poison and not some sweets or desserts.
Some had some strange ideas about curing cancer, and then there were those in multi-level marketing promoting different kinds of products - juices, detox, special diets, you name it, they have it.
By all means share your knowledge with me, but do not insist that I follow your advice. If I am interested, I will ask for more information. More often than not, I am already aware of most of these alternatives.
At the moment, I am satisfied with the progress that the ayurvedic herbal treatment and natural medicine have given me. So, unless something happens, then I am not in the mood for anything else.
I always wonder, do these well-meaning people realised what they are doing? Do they realised that if I followed their advice, I am putting my life in their hands and that they should be taking responsibility for my life?
Sometimes when I am asked what I am taking and I would always share the information. I would never insist that they follow what I do and I always cautioned that we must bear in mind that what works for me does not necessarily meant that it will work for everybody else.
I do have a request. Please respect my wishes. I am very well aware of all your concerns and worries and I appreciate that, but I am also sorry to be the cause of that. However, it is my life that we are talking about and in case something bad happens, I do not want you to be blamed for it. The onus is on me, alone.
Please bear in mind that by insisting that I take this or that, you are giving me undue stress, in that I have to come up with excuses to turn you down politely so that you will not be offended.
I would like to make one thing very clear here. The 5 doses of chemo did not cure me of cancer. In fact, the CT scan taken after the 5th dose showed that there were still lesions in my liver. Even, my oncologist commented that it would not be so fast. So, fact is that it then depended on my immune system and alternative medicine to treat my cancer.
The 5 doses of chemo stopped my cancer from spreading, but they also caused a lot of damage. I am still under treatment to repair my liver and my kidneys. My legs are very weak and my right arm is still swollen. I also had a damaged heart muscle which can never be healed.
To those who know me and who want to refer to me, please do not just tell others that I had advanced cancer and had undergone chemo and is now doing very fine. If you do that you may be doing someone more harm than good. This is also not accurate. Please remember that I was also taking ayurvedic medicine and natural medicine while undergoing chemo. Even then, I was practically floored by the chemo, and my recovery will take a long time. If they are interested, I do not mind sharing my experience with them.
If my cancer stays under control, I know for certain who and what is responsible and for that I am very, very grateful.
Again, I apologise if anyone is offended by what I have written here.
Shin's passing
I was so surprised and saddened to learn in the papers two Saturdays ago that Shin (http://shinscancerblog.blogspot.com/) had passed away in January this year. I had visited her blog briefly sometime last when M told me about it. This news affected me so much that I felt like crying. More so because her embattered body had been subjected to round after round of chemo and yet the chemo failed to save her life. I wonder how her death had been classified as - death from cancer or death from too much chemo.
Over the past few days, I started reading her blog from the very first post. Not really going into the details, but more glancing through since I have overstrained my eyes, that they hurt and I don't see(read) very well. She was diagnosed in 2005 and I was diagnosed in 2006. There were some similarities in our cases.
Both of our cancers were in the advanced stage when diagnosed; -in the right breast and had biopsies and mastectomies.
Shin's :
Tumour measured 3.3 x 1.4 x 2.8 cm
Multifocal DCIS
Out of 17 lymphnodes removed, 2 contained micrometastasis
Grade 3 cancer cells
ER/PR negative, Her2 negative, P53 positive
Mine :
Tumour - 5 x 3.5 x 1.5 cm
Invasive + DCIS
Out of 9 lymphnodes removed, 4 contained metastasis, biggest is 13mm
Grade 3 cancer cells
ER/PR and Cerb2 positive
Shin's treatment :
12 cycles of chemo - Taxol + Carboplatin + Herceptin
28 doses (days) of radiation
Herceptin continued for nearly a year after chemo was completed
Mine :
I was prescribed
8 cycles of chemo + hormone treatment in between
5 weeks of radiation
1 year of Herceptin
5 years of Tamoxifen
I refused all conventional treatments and instead used alternative and natural medication
Shin's relapse :
Aug 2007 (which was about 20 months after she was first diagnosed in Dec 2005)
My relapse :
Aug 2007 (which was about 10 months after I was first diagnosed in Oct 2006)
I had completed my course of natural medication and was supposed to have continued with maintenance but I did not as I was also being treated by a naturopath which turned out to be a costly mistake.
Shin passed away after a 3 year fight with cancer.
I am into my third year since I was first diagnosed. When I had the relapse last year, the cancer had spread to my liver, several parts of my bones and the fluid filling up the linings of my lungs tested positive for cancer, that I had to have chemo. I was prescribed 6 cycles but I stopped at 5. The drugs prescribed were Taxotere (Docetaxol) + Carboplatin + Herceptin. I stopped chemo in June 2008 and Herceptin in Sep 2008 (meaning I did not complete the one year of Herceptin).
I am now off all types of conventional treatments and medications and relying solely on ayurvedic herbs and natural medication, and so far I am doing fine. Let's just see how long my choice of treatment can keep me alive.
As I read Shin's blog, I couldn't help thinking; what if I had listened to my doctors and concerned friends and family members, and gone for conventional treatment, would also I be fighting so hard for my life as Shin had done? And what if Shin had opted for alternative medicine, would she still be here and posting on her blog?
I have no definite answer to that because, it may be that my cancer was not as complicated as Shin's, or that it is still too early for me to tell.
For now, all I am thinking of is that if my cancer comes back again, I may not want to go for chemo again because it is too high a price (financially, emotionally and physically) to pay. I would want to use traditional herbs to control my pain, if necessary, til the last.
Over the past few days, I started reading her blog from the very first post. Not really going into the details, but more glancing through since I have overstrained my eyes, that they hurt and I don't see(read) very well. She was diagnosed in 2005 and I was diagnosed in 2006. There were some similarities in our cases.
Both of our cancers were in the advanced stage when diagnosed; -in the right breast and had biopsies and mastectomies.
Shin's :
Tumour measured 3.3 x 1.4 x 2.8 cm
Multifocal DCIS
Out of 17 lymphnodes removed, 2 contained micrometastasis
Grade 3 cancer cells
ER/PR negative, Her2 negative, P53 positive
Mine :
Tumour - 5 x 3.5 x 1.5 cm
Invasive + DCIS
Out of 9 lymphnodes removed, 4 contained metastasis, biggest is 13mm
Grade 3 cancer cells
ER/PR and Cerb2 positive
Shin's treatment :
12 cycles of chemo - Taxol + Carboplatin + Herceptin
28 doses (days) of radiation
Herceptin continued for nearly a year after chemo was completed
Mine :
I was prescribed
8 cycles of chemo + hormone treatment in between
5 weeks of radiation
1 year of Herceptin
5 years of Tamoxifen
I refused all conventional treatments and instead used alternative and natural medication
Shin's relapse :
Aug 2007 (which was about 20 months after she was first diagnosed in Dec 2005)
My relapse :
Aug 2007 (which was about 10 months after I was first diagnosed in Oct 2006)
I had completed my course of natural medication and was supposed to have continued with maintenance but I did not as I was also being treated by a naturopath which turned out to be a costly mistake.
Shin passed away after a 3 year fight with cancer.
I am into my third year since I was first diagnosed. When I had the relapse last year, the cancer had spread to my liver, several parts of my bones and the fluid filling up the linings of my lungs tested positive for cancer, that I had to have chemo. I was prescribed 6 cycles but I stopped at 5. The drugs prescribed were Taxotere (Docetaxol) + Carboplatin + Herceptin. I stopped chemo in June 2008 and Herceptin in Sep 2008 (meaning I did not complete the one year of Herceptin).
I am now off all types of conventional treatments and medications and relying solely on ayurvedic herbs and natural medication, and so far I am doing fine. Let's just see how long my choice of treatment can keep me alive.
As I read Shin's blog, I couldn't help thinking; what if I had listened to my doctors and concerned friends and family members, and gone for conventional treatment, would also I be fighting so hard for my life as Shin had done? And what if Shin had opted for alternative medicine, would she still be here and posting on her blog?
I have no definite answer to that because, it may be that my cancer was not as complicated as Shin's, or that it is still too early for me to tell.
For now, all I am thinking of is that if my cancer comes back again, I may not want to go for chemo again because it is too high a price (financially, emotionally and physically) to pay. I would want to use traditional herbs to control my pain, if necessary, til the last.
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