BK - Lung Cancer

BK and I were once colleagues more than 20 years ago.

She was diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer in the beginning of 2011.  She had been coughing for sometime and finally felt pain in the legs before she found out that she had cancer.

When I learnt of her condition in Mar 2011, she was seeing Dr A, an oncologist in private practice, and was already undergoing chemotherapy.  I had suggested taking traditional medicine to protect her organs and boost her immune system, but she was not willing as she was seeing a traditional chinese medical practitioner recommended by Dr A.

About a month or so later, her brother called and asked me to visit and talked to her.

When I saw her, she was all skin and bones, weak and lying in bed and constantly coughing up phlegm.  By then, she had already completed her third or fourth dose of chemotherapy.  BK's height was slightly more than 5 feet, and she had all along been on the thin side.  But her weight then was only 26 kg or so (50+ lbs).

I was shocked to see her in that condition.  I learnt that the traditional chinese medical practitioner recommended by her onco was only giving her medication according to her onco's instructions, instead of treating her according to her condition.

I had suggested that she postponed her next dose of chemotherapy and take traditional medicine to boost her immune system.  She finally agreed.  She was in a wheelchair when she next saw her oncologist.  Dr A did not believe that BK could not walk on her own.  She was also asked to pay in advance for her next dose of chemotherapy (which was about S$7000).

When the ayurveda master saw her, he commented that she was too far gone but he would try anyway.

BK was on the herbal brews for more than a month and initially showed some improvement.  Unfortunately, she succumbed and passed away on 23 June 2011, slightly less than  6 months after she was first diagnosed.

Her oncologist refunded the money to her family.