Radiotherapy: Post Therapy Updates #02

I am just going to come out straight ask for your prayer because I have been having bad pain in stomach area in the last 2 days.

The pain that I am experiencing is not just in the area where the tumor is but in the abdominal region near the stomach. There is slight food retention and last night I vomited at about 11:30pm and I can notice from the food vomited that it included food consumed during dinner at about 7:00pm. The pain is sufficiently bad enough that I am taking morphine during the day where I normally would just take at night just to help me sleep but it does not seem to working very well. This is on top of the 25mcg Fentanyl (pain killer) patch. The pain is not just a direct pain but is also kind of "pressure" pain like the stomach is distended and also like bad gastric pain. There is a lot of gas especially after every meal. Overall effect is that it is causing me to lose appetite but I am still "forcing" myself to eat but in smaller quantity.

It is very uncomfortable and disturbing and I had just written to my Rad-Oncologist to seek his advice.

I am assuming at this point that it is a kind of delayed side-effect of the radiotherapy and that there is some means of alleviating the pain or that it would go away after a few more days.

Tried distracting myself by going to the movie in the afternoon and watched Star Trek Into Darkness. Well… it helped for the 2 hours that the movie was on and for Treky out there, yes, yes, yes, it is worth watching as the story link together the original Star Trek TV series, the original Star Trek movie franchise and this new Star Trek movie franchise. The Klingons have a slightly new look.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Post Therapy Updates #01 and Thoughts

Radiotherapy is over. I kind of have a strange feeling because after 6 weeks of radiotherapy, I had gotten used to the routine of waking up early, getting prepared to go and beat the morning school traffic, go for breakfast and head to NUH. I just asked Josie what we are going to do tomorrow and I guess for her it was a relieved too of not having to wake up early anymore and she just gave a simple reply “I’ll send Nathan to school tomorrow”

I am still sort of recovering from the effects of radiotherapy and the sequence are generally great in the morning, slowing down in the afternoon, not so great in the evening and trying not to think too much about the discomfort before bed. I got craving for the sweet stuff but obviously I can’t indulge and for someone who used to love to eat, the smell of food sometime turns me off. Still got to eat and so nowadays, my diet is kind of boring as it usually comprises the same things that don’t turn me off.

In the last 2 days, honestly, I wasn’t thinking much about God and I feel guilty about it. Had wanted to go to church this morning but because I had an awful night last night, I had decided then not to go to church this morning. Anyway, Josie was still coughing.

I thought I’ll post something tonight and I guess since I am writing this post, I could not really “run away” from God and I remembered a programme on National Geographic Channel recently about the Yakuza (Japanese Gangsters). In it, there was a Yakuza member who was jailed for a petty crime and while in jail found God and when he was released, sought permission from his “Boss” to quit the gang. To cut a long story short, his boss allowed him to go and he is now a pastor of a small Baptist Church. In his church, there was also a young former yakuza member and he said something that is really at the core of Christian belief. He said “You cannot be loyal to 2 bosses. Either you are loyal to God or not”. There is nothing more I would like to add and just leave you with this to think about.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #32

Finally… it’s all over. Completed the last radiotherapy session today and what a relieved. It was also a relieved for Josie. At least now I can look forward to some “real” rest and recuperation. The last 2 days had really been a challenge for me with the ups and downs all happening within the same day.

I will be having a follow-up appointment with my Rad-Oncologist on 8^th July. Prior to that, I have a follow-up with my Med-Oncologist on 10^th June. Not sure when they will schedule me for a scan to check on the efficacy of the concurrent radio and chemotherapy.

For those who had been following my progress, I thank you for keeping me in your thoughts. For those who had prayed, I thank you for faithfulness and prayer. Please continue to uphold Josie, Nathan, my mom and me.

I thank God for watching over us and helping us through this period.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #29 to #31

Tomorrow will be my last radiotherapy session and concurrently I will cease the chemotherapy until the next review. It has been a long 6 weeks and the last two weeks was very tough for me with pain in both the upper and lower abdominal area. Nathan and Josie were sick for part of these periods and this added pressure to Josie as she has to bear the burden of taking care of Nathan and I could not rest well during those days that Nathan was at home and I also have to worry about catch the cough from him.

In the last 2 weeks, sleep was hard to come by and I had to up the morphine dosage so that I can sleep. Because of the pain, I don’t really feel like eating but I try to anyway just to keep the energy lever up but I started to lose some weight.

You can see from this picture that the cuticle and skin around the fingernails turned dark from the chemotherapy drugs.

What you are seeing is not a dirty feet. The dark areas are also due to the chemotherapy drugs and these areas are pressure sensitive and are somewhat numb with very slight pain when I put pressure on it.

Not everything was gloomy as Josie can testify to. I did get the cough but it was mild. The doctors were quite pleased with my progress as I showed relatively little or not so severe signs of the side effects. At least after tomorrow, I can look forward to having “rest” and hopefully the body will recover from the radio and chemotherapy.

Stand with me and Josie. Pray that I’ll recover my strength soon. I normally would not admit it but it was really difficult for me physically although I try not to show it. Two nights ago, I cried to God and almost cried myself to sleep because of the discomfort. Emotionally, I find it difficult to see Josie having to bear a greater burden.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #28

This week will be the last week of my radiotherapy. The journey had not been easy especially in the last 2 weeks feeling the lethargy, the increase in discomfort in the abdominal area and since last Friday I’d been having spasm and cramps in my lower abdominal area. It is like the kind of pain and spasm you get when you have food poisoning or diarrhea. The overall effect is that I don’t really feel like doing anything including writing as it takes certain amount of mental faculty and effort to write anything coherent but I did anyway with a submission today to STforum , this blog entry and a mail to TTSH concerning my involvement in SARS back in 2003.

Nothing to report concerning today’s therapy. I would like to ask that you pray for an extra measure strength and tolerance this week to help me see through the entire radiotherapy.

God had carried me so far and I know that He will carry me further.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #24 to #27

I know I had not posted for the last few days. I had wanted to post on Tuesday but some of the keys on the keyboard on my notebook were faulty and I had to get it repaired by my Corporate IT folks on Wednesday. Feeling a little off on Wednesday and decided not post anything until today.

Tomorrow is a holiday followed by the weekend and so there will be no Radiotherapy until next Monday and I would have completed the entire Radiotherapy course by end of next week.

I did not mention this but when I usually have my weekly follow-up with the Rad-Oncologist, I don’t get be seen by my primary Rad-Oncologist but by a junior Rad-Oncologist and it is only occasionally that I get to see my primary Rad-Oncologist. Furthermore, for this week, my regular Rad-Oncologist was away and thus I was seen by another Rad-Oncologist that I had not seen before. Nothing really much to report as everything is again within the “parameter” of the therapy. My primary Rad-Oncologist happened to be at the Radiotherapy Centre today and I sort of stuck my head into his room and said hello. To my surprised, he asked me into his room and gave me an examination and went through my conditions with me. He is quite pleased with my progress seeing that there were relatively few side-effects or at least had milder form of the side effects. I would say that that the most irritating side effects that I am experiencing is the uncomfortable feelings around my tummy area. It is a good thing that I have this coming long weekend to recover and I have only one more week of radiotherapy to go through.

I had gained about 0.2 to 0.3 kg of weight. Not much but I guess it is better than not gaining any or worse losing more weight. It is a little hard to “force” myself to eat as beginning from from last week, I don’t go looking for food that I normally do. Perhaps the lethargy had something to do with it as well as the oral chemotherapy drug I am taking.

Nathan is recovering from his illness but he still has runny nose and coughs a bit in the middle of the night. However, he is back in school and this means that it is a lot quieter at home and I can rest a bit more. Josie is also gradually recovering from the illness that she caught from Nathan. By God’s grace I am still alright but I pray that I am not speaking too early.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #22 and #23

I got 2 more weeks of Radiotherapy to complete.

As for the side effects, I may have spoken to a little too soon as in the last 2 days, my stomach wasn’t feeling too good. The feeling is like a mix of feeling hungry, gastric spasm, tummy ache due to food poisoning and lack of appetite when you have the flu. I still can eat and the food is staying down but the feeling is sort of awful when combined with the general lethargy. Not sure how much of these are also due to the chemotherapy drug.

Pray that the body will be able to tolerate another 2 more weeks of radio- and chemotherapy but most important of all is that therapies will be effective and the body will also continue to fight the cancer.

Nathan does not have fever anymore but he is still coughing especially at night and has a running nose. I am trying to be careful not to stay in contact with him as much as possible. Josie is still coping but as she is the one that cares directly for Nathan and she is showing signs of what Nathan is having. Pray for her that she does not fall ill. We are also monitoring Nathan as one of his classmate came down with Hand Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) last weekend. The school had instituted segregation this week but Nathan had not gone to school this week anyway and we are just praying that all he has is the cough and running nose.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #20 and #21

Two regular radiotherapy sessions over Tuesday and Wednesday and so there are really nothing much to report. Today was also the weekly follow-up with the Rad-Oncologist and again nothing much to report as everything were within the parameters of the therapy and in fact they were quite pleased with my progress as I am showing few if not no side effects at all.  The Rad-Oncologist confirmed that radiotherapy can make one very lethargic and thus needing more sleep. The skin around the region receiving the radiation is not showing signs of “burns” or dryness and that was good. Although I am not gaining weight, I am not losing much either and that is also good.

Today is also the second day that I am on the new pain killer dose and it seemed to be working and I feel more comfortable with lesser pain.

Nathan is still sick and was running a fever again last night and the whole of today. Praying that he will recover soon but he was a lot “slower” today and very sticky to his mother.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #19 and Med-Oncology Appointment

There was a slight delay at the radiotherapy session today but managed to finished in time for me to reach TTSH for my appointment with my Med-Oncologist.

Nothing much to report concerning the radiotherapy as it had really becomes just a routine.

Today’s appointment with my Med-Oncologist was a follow-up midway through my radiotherapy and also a review of the concurrent oral chemotherapy drug I am taking. Everything seem to be as expected except for my weight but now that my Med-Oncologist had the chance to looked at the enzymes supplement that I am taking, it was modulated to allowed me to have more small meals instead for a few large meals. I was told to take my Glucerna nutrient supplement to help boost my weight and protein intake. The dose of my pain-killer was increased and hopefully it will help as I will start on the new dose tomorrow.

I mentioned about my lethargy and that I am sleeping a lot but I was told that it is very normal for a person who is undergoing radiotherapy that for some reason it causes lethargy and nothing really to worry about. I also mentioned about the bloated/nausea feeling immediately after each radiotherapy sessions and was again told that it is also not unexpected as the region irradiated is closed to the stomach. I will try to confirm this on Wednesday when I have my weekly follow-up with the Rad-Oncologist.

If you don’t get to see or hear from me or if there is some gaps in-between days of posting on my blog, it is because of the lethargy but other than that I am coping well. Nathan is not well and was down with fever yesterday. I am always worried about this kind of situation as hopefully I don’t catch the virus from him and fall sick.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #17 and #18

There was nothing really exciting to report for the radiotherapy sessions for yesterday and today. Still feels a little nauseating immediately after the radiotherapy but it quickly wears off.

Today was a tiring day for me despite sleeping for most of the afternoon and the bloated feeling after each meal is really bothering me especially after dinner that I suspect it is due to Capecitabine.

I will be having my follow-up appointment with my Med-Oncologist on Monday. Hope there is good news and change in medication to help with the pain.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #16

Other than the radiotherapy, today is also the review day by the Rad-Oncologist. There was a lot of information that I had provided in terms of how I feel, my general conditions, pain and observations. Not much else to report as everything seems to be within the “parameter” of my therapy. My only concern is that the expression of the Rad-Oncologist is not really positive but I could be overly sensitive as Josie does not feel the same way as I do.

What was not really spoken is the fact that the radiation dose that I am receiving is on the high side but the positive side is that I am not really experiencing many side effects except that nowadays, immediately after each radiotherapy session for about half an hour I do feel a little “bloated”. “Bloated” is not the most accurate description of the feeling but it is closes that I can think of.

The pain in the abdominal area immediately where the tumor is getting more obvious and it is even more so when I press lightly on that position. One thing the Rad-Oncologist and I did agree on is the need to change the pain management regime so that I could be less reliant on the morphine and more on the Fentanyl patch. Generally I am doing alright but it is a really a topsy-turvy journey and I notice my “down” period coincide with the “expiry” of the Fentanyl patch. This is what I meant by needing to change the pain management regime. It is a little harder to get myself going and moving about because of the discomfort, pain and lethargy. It could also be due to the chemotherapy drug I am taking that is making me “slow”.

I had mentioned this before but previously as I was getting better physically, I was able to interact with Nathan but now, I am sort of in 50% shut down mode and hard to find the energy to interact with him but there are a few bright moments. When Josie and I went to pick up Nathan yesterday from the Childcare Centre, the whole class was together as it was raining heavily and most of the parents delayed picking up their kids. Nathan was playing by himself and from the window I shouted “son” and he immediately looked up as he recognised my voice despite all the cacophony. It was a heart-warming scene for me.

I have a lot of time on my hand now but I have to blank my mind out most of the time so that my thoughts don’t stray too much. I may have written much about it but often, it is hard to focus on God. It is an exercise and lifestyle that I still have to practice, to really let God be within me every single moment, to practice His presence at all time but I know He comfort me with the occasional “appearance” liked during last Sunday’s service.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #14 and #15

I had not posted any radiotherapy updates (#14) yesterday as there was really nothing “exciting” to report on and I was quite tired for the whole of yesterday and I slept for practically the whole day. Neither is there anything exciting to report on for today’s (#15) radiotherapy session.

I am taking Capecitabine, the chemotherapy drug and I am supposed to consume it in conjunction with the radiotherapy. In other word, when there is a break for radiotherapy for the weekend, I stop taking Capecitabine as well for the weekend. Not sure if the tiredness is due to the Capecitabine but I suspect that it is since I am generally “weak” and tire whenever I had my chemotherapy in the past. The good thing is that so far I have not experienced any of the nauseating side-effect of the chemotherapy drug but then I had consumed it for only the last 3 days including last Friday’s dose and may be just too early to tell.

Still trying to force myself to consume more food in terms of the quantity and supplementing it with Glucerna and I hope I would start gaining weight soon.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #13

Not much news to report. The radiotherapy was a regular one, I was not late as per my appointment but I reached the Radiotherapy Centre later than usual and there were several people in front of me and so I had to wait till about 9:05 before it was my turn. Started taking my Capecitabine and since it is just the first day, nothing to report about it too.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #12

The actual radiotherapy today was ok. There was a little hiccup with the Linear Accelerator’s computer system and a reboot had to be done before the radiotherapy could proceed and the whole process took an additional 10 minutes.

Today was also the weekly follow-up with the Rad-Oncologist. Same questions as last week like whether I feel ok, is there any nausea, is there any pain, etc? I had nothing new to report to the Rad-Oncologist except that my pain was getting slightly worse but I doubt that it is from the radiotherapy. Interestingly, I was told that the tumor may expand a little before the tumor cells starts to die. I had also told him that I was supposed to call TTSH to arrange for my oral chemotherapy. He was neutral to the chemotherapy and I just have to report to him if there are any side-effects.

Called TTSH’s Chemotherapy Clinic early in the afternoon and was told that the prescription for the oral chemo-drug was ready but I was told to go to the clinic too to have my Porta-Cath port flushed. I was prescribed Capecitabine and I am to consume the drug twice a day and in conjunction with my radiotherapy. Capecitabine is converted into 5FU (Fluorouracil) in the body and 5FU was one of the drugs used in my previous chemotherapy. Arrived in TTSH at about 4:30pm, had the port flushed and collected the drug and left at about 5:15pm.

There are supposed to be side effects and may be more pronounced when combined with Radiotherapy especially since the region of my therapy is near the stomach. I ask that you pray that there will be no side effects and as my pain is getting slightly worse, I ask that you pray for the pain to be reduced.  Pray too that the radiotherapy and chemo-drug will be effective against the tumor.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #11

This is a belated entry as I was really tired yesterday and thought that I’ll just skip one day and post this entry today. No real hoo-ha yesterday and it was just a regular radiotherapy session. On schedule I was supposed to the Rad-Oncologist yesterday but this was postponed till tomorrow.

I had another appointment yesterday in TTSH with my General Medicine Consultant for my diabetes. Told him I was not putting on weight and based on the information I gave him, he says it is most likely because I am not taking in sufficient nutrients (i.e. not eating sufficiently). This he derived as the amount of insulin that I am injecting now is 5 units less than what I used to give myself. I am trying to eat more but my appetite nowadays is not really big although given a choice, I can still consume more. Told my Consultant about the pain killer patch and the morphine and he was “ok” with me consuming more if it helps to alleviate the pain but from an overall management perspective, we both agree that it should be managed on a regular basis by my Med-Oncologist. On another issue, I told him that my stool is getting lighter I colour although not white. He thought that maybe the bilirubin was not excreted out but then I am not jaundice either and so it was kind of strange and since I will be having an appointment with my Med-Oncologist on 13 May, I was advised to monitor the situation until then and if the stool turn white to get an immediate appointment with the Gastroenterologist or my Med-Oncologist.

Other than this appointment, I went to the Chemotherapy Clinic to arrange for a blood test and chemotherapy as suggested by my Med-Oncologist. The clinic staff called him immediately and was told to have my blood taken for tests and that’s was it at TTSH. A couple of hours later I received a call from my Med-Oncologist and was told that my liver panel looks good and I could actually resume my chemotherapy but on oral form rather than by infusion. In my mind, I was thus very curious as to the colour of my stool but I did not mention this to my Med-Oncologist over the phone. The lab test is a far more accurate assessment of the health status of my liver.

For the chemotherapy, he said that he do not see any real benefit for the chemotherapy at this point and would rather wait for the radiotherapy to be completed first as he was also concerned about the possible combined side-effects from radiotherapy and chemotherapy. I told him that so far I feel well and would rather have the chemotherapy. If nothing happens, then so be it but if there is a possibility no matter how small of possible benefit, I rather go for it then. He was ok with it and asked me to call the Chemotherapy Clinic on Thursday to have the nurses there call him and arrange for the therapy. He was also ok with me consuming more of the morphine in order to alleviate the pain.

So that’s it. I’ll see what happens tomorrow with regards to my chemotherapy.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #10

It was a regular radiotherapy session today. The only unpleasant part was the massive traffic jam alone AYE due to an accident at Penjuru Road. For those who drive and know where Penjuru Road is, you will know that the jam was indeed massive if the jam goes all the way from Penjuru to Tiong Bahru.

On the physical front, I was a little tired but that’s probably because we had to bring Nathan to the doctor after my therapy for his persistent cough and runny nose. Had to wait for more than 2 hours before we got to see the doctor and because of it, the timing of my meals for today was hay-wired. The pain is starting to creep in again since the “good” day yesterday but it is not so bad as yet but bad enough to prevent me from having a good nap in the evening before dinner.

On the emotional front, maybe because I did not get a good nap, I was really irritable and I jumped at both my mother and Josie over something that was kind of nagging at me for quite a while but they were also things that may seem trivial to you. The toll on the family is indeed great and it is no small matter for caregivers of cancer patient as they walk the journey together. You can perhaps say that I am fortunate to have a supportive family and a group of supportive friends but it still does not take away the angst of having to go through what I am going through and the feeling of anger of having cancer and to be very honest about it, sometime the anger extends even to God not because of the cancer but because I see what Josie had to go through just to support me.

During the drive, Josie also shared about the conflict that she is experience that on one hand she believes in the sovereignty of God and yet on the other hand, she could not reconcile that cancer could be healed. Anyway, this is again a topic for another post.

Because of the traffic Jam this morning, I reached the Radiotherapy Centre somewhat late and had to wait my turn but while waiting, I had the opportunity to continue to read the book by Bernard of Clairvaux and the chapter that I was reading spoke about the “modesty” in prayer; in the sense that we don’t pray for a specific item and in a lengthy way but in making a simple statement to God that contains the unspoken desire within us. As a personal example, I come to God and say “I am sorry” that I was angry at Him but unspoken in this statement is also the fact that I need his forgiveness for the sin of been angry with Him but also inquire of His grace and mercy to overcome the angst within me and also for His support of Josie. This too reminds me of 2 quotes that I had posted from Brother Lawrence where he says:

“That we ought to act very simply towards God, speaking frankly to Him, and asking His help in things as they occurred; in his experience, God never failed to give it.”

“I advise you to avoid much talking in prayer; long speeches often induce distractions.”

However, I do acknowledge that in corporate and group prayer, it is often necessary to be “lengthy” with our prayer so that others may know what was in our heart and thoughts when we prayed for how would people know that when I say “I am sorry” that it would also mean more than just the 3 words.

Therefore in conclusion, I further say that in Christ alone my hope is found and that there is no need for me to dwell deeply into the circumstances except to look to Christ who is my hope and thus so by faith I trust Him.

In God We Trust and in Christ alone my hope is found.

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #09

Nothing interesting to report today as it was just a regular session.

On my condition, I afraid the pain is not getting better in fact, it is getting more noticeable. It is not more painful but more noticeable and I have to increase the number of time I take morphine to twice every night. I guess it is not really good news but at least now with the enzymes supplement, the bowel motion is more regular and consistency of the stool is no longer greasy.

I ask that you pray that the tumor does not increase in size and that the pain will go away. It is really uncomfortable especially when I try to sleep.

In God We Trust

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #08

Today’s radiotherapy session was slightly different as the Radio-Oncologist requested for an “Alignment Scan”. In other word, there was a preliminary scan done to check on the planning’s alignment just to make sure that it is still correct and accurate. Other than that, it was just another regular scan but took 5 minutes longer. I was fortunate again as the patient before me was late again and I went into the “bunker” (yes, that is what they call the room that housed the linear accelerator as it has very thick walls to shield again radiation) at 8:25am and I was out by 8:50am.

The medication that I am taking for the greasy stool seems to be really working as I only passed motion twice only today and the stool is no longer greasy. Felt as if I had a little more energy today and I guess it could be a sign that the enzymes supplement is working. Praise God for it. Hopefully I can report next week on my weight gain.

In God We Trust

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #07

Once a week, as part of the radiotherapy regime, I will be assessed by the radio-oncologist to check on my progress and managed any side effects. So far, I had undergone 5 sessions of radiotherapy. The patient before me was late and so I was able to have my session earlier followed by the assessment by the doctor. You can say that today was another regular session.

Physically, today was kind of a down day and I was really very lethargic and slept a lot. Practically slept for the entire afternoon after lunch and took another half an hour nap before dinner and after returning from church from communion arranged by Vicar. The pain is getting to be irritating but I am coping with it and it is also one of the reasons why I don’t feel like moving too much.

The medication that I am taking for the greasy stool seems to be working. I am passing motion less and the stool is no longer greasy. I am still monitoring the situation and if it does really work, I hope to be able built up sufficient energy to start gaining weight and be less listless.

God is watching us. Despite some reluctance, Nathan is slowing but surely adapting to childcare. He is somewhat cheeky and finds ways and means in order not to go to “school” like lying on the bed and refused to be changed and he still cries whenever my mom brings him to the childcare. However, once there at the childcare, he will cry a little and settle down in a few minutes and start participating in the activities in the childcare. Nathan also knows that Josie wakes up early so that she can leave the house without “disturbing” Nathan but nowadays, Nathan wakes up just as early in order to stick to his mother and refuse to let her leave for work or recently, to follow me to the hospital for my radiotherapy. Josie is coping too having to double up on watching after Nathan especially since we do not have a helper now but I know it is still tough for her having to hold down her job as well.

In God We Trust

Hebrews 11:1

Radiotherapy: Update #06

Today’s radiotherapy session was a regular one and unlike yesterday’s there was no luck in having arrived early. The patient before me was on time and I had to wait my turn. Anyway, I was in and out of the Radiotherapy Centre in 45 minutes. Arrived at 8:20am and left at 9:05am.

Today was a busy day. Had to go to Roche’s office at Tiong Bahru to exchange my gluco-meter because it was faulty and fortunately it was under warranty. They made a replacement and the new meter has a 5 year warranty on it. Don’t think that it is a good thing, Roche make most of their money from the consumables, essentially the Accu-stik (the test strip). Giving 5-years warranty ensures a captive market for their consumables.

Came home and rested a little and went to for my appointment with my surgeon at TTSH at 12:20pm. Hung around after that to arrange for an appointment with the Gastroenterologist that is in June (yup! real long time away), re-confirm my appointment for my by General Medicine Consultant who is taking care of my hypertension and hyper-cholesterol that is sort of in remission and for my diabetes. Tried to arrange for an early appointment with my Oncologist but was not able to do so but the assistant will check with him and see if I can get an earlier appointment. In any case, I will be calling the Chemotherapy Clinic at the end of next week as per my Oncologist suggestion to arrange for a blood and see if I can go in early for chemotherapy assuming that my liver had recovered sufficiently.

When I saw my surgeon, not much that he can do as I am still undergoing chemo and radio-therapy. So the appointment today was just a regular follow-up but because my surgeon specialises in Hepato-pancreaticobiliary Surgery, I asked him about my frequent motions and the oily faeces and the expression on his face plus the comments that he made tells me he knows what’s going on. Essentially, my pancreas is not releasing sufficient digestive enzymes that help to digest the fats in my food and because of the “grease” in my food, it “lubricates” the food and it gets passed through the intestine faster. It also explained why I am not gaining weight as the food was not sufficiently digested and the nutrient absorbed. I was prescribed “Creon” which is a digestive enzymes replacement. I will know how well the medication works in 1 to 2 days’ time.

Sort of a fruitful day and at least I know the reason for my frequent motion. If I did not have this appointment today, I would be continuing to suffer from the frequent motions for a few more weeks before my appointment with my Oncologist. God is good.

In God We Trust

Hebrews 11:1