Dear Friends,

I have recovered and back to normal life. Therefore I won’t be updating this blog. I am more active now in Facebook and will post updates to share with my friends. You can find me easily in Facebook so let’s keep in touch there : )

There is a Cancer after care clinic in Novena medical centre which has opened recently. I decided to visit it since it gives free consultation during the first 6 months of operation. http://www.novenamedicalcenter.com/Our-Clinics/Cancer-After-Care-Clinic.html

My objective is to get advice from the doctor to reduce the chance of cancer relapse. There was only 1 doctor in the clinic which was Dr. Lai. I showed her all my medical reports and also provided information on my daily diet. She introduced to me a supplement called Immunocal and gave me some interesting information that I would like to share with you.

1) Soy contains Phytic acid and Phyto-estrogen

Phytic acid blocks the body’s uptake of essential minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron and especially zinc. Only after a long period of fermentation (as occurs in the creation of miso or tempeh) are the antinutrient and phytate levels of soybeans reduced, making their nourishment available to the human digestive system. When soy products like tofu are consumed with meat, the mineral-blocking effects of the phytates are reduced. The Japanese traditionally eat a small amount of tofu or miso as part of a mineral-rich fish broth, followed by a serving of meat or fish.

Phyto-estrogens, which can mimic the effects of the female hormone, oestrogen have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues and might promote cancer. In addition, soybeans also contain hemagglutinin, a clot-promoting substance which causes red blood cells to clump together. These clustered blood cells cannot properly absorb oxygen for distribution to the body’s tissues, and are unable to help in maintaining good cardiac health.

2) Need more than calcium to strength bone mass

Calcium works in partnership with boron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium to strengthen bone. Boron helps conserve calcium & magnesium. Boron helps prevent bone demineralization (break down) by reducing the amount of magnesium and calcium excreted in the urine. It is best not to take too much calcium supplements because the excess calcium will likely transport to and harden the arteries.

3) Cancer cells feed on simple sugar

Simple sugars (are those in foods that do not offer any other nutritional benefit. Examples include foods like soda, sweets, sugar cereals, juice drinks, and refined grains) enter the bloodstream quickly and cause a rise in insulin and other growth-promoting hormones. Research shows that high levels of these hormones may increase the growth of cancer cells. The key to reducing these hormones is reducing our intake of simple sugars. Good sugars or complex carbohydrates (are present in foods that provide nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. Examples are foods like fruit, vegetables, beans, and whole grains) do not affect insulin the same as simple sugars, and thousands of research studies have shown that they actually reduce the risk of cancer.

4) Glutathione (GSH)

GSH is a tri-peptide produced naturally in our body. It is always in great demand and is rapidly depleted when we experience illness, stress, fatigue and even exercise. GSH level also diminish as we age. It has mainly 3 functions; master antioxident, immune system enhancer and detoxifier. The most effective way is to provide sufficient raw materials for our own cells to make GSH. When taken as a pill, GSH is destroyed during digestion and has very little health benefits. Immunocal is an organic undenatured protein isolate that has been proven to raise GSH levels by providing the important raw materials for GSH to be built. Each box of Immunocal cost $100 and contains 30 small packets. For my current condition, I have to take 3 packets/day for at least 6 months.

Dr. Lai stressed that exercise is still the most important of all. No matter how much supplements we take, they will not be fully effective without exercise.

I feel that the main purpose of this Cancer after care clinic is to sell Immunocal. From marketing perspective, I think they will be successful as the product is introduced by a doctor and thus has the credibility. There are many supplements in the market and all claim to have health benefits. It is up to us whether we believe or not. For me, I have started to take Immunocal. Although I am not sure if it will help to reduce the chance of cancer relapse, at least I have done something and not just leave everything to destiny.

I have been catching up with many friends recently and enjoy food like salad, sashimi, and etc. The feeling to eat without restriction is simply marvellous. However, some of the food no longer taste the same as before because my taste bud is different now. I’m more sensitive to sour and spicy food but that did not stop me to indulge in my favorite food

I have plenty of time and already got use to the “relaxing” lifestyle. It is good to slow down but I am getting lazy as well. I did not exercise for quite some time because I could not wake up early in the morning. I think I will put on weight very soon….Whatever it is, I just enjoy while I can before I find a job and start to work again.

Dr. Lim told me that the chances of relapse for NKT cell lymphoma is 50%. I am considered fully recover if there is no relapse within 2 years. If there is a relapse, it will be better to occur as late as possible so that the cancerous cells will not remember the effect of chemotherapy, then chemotherapy can be used again. If relapse occurs very soon, that means the cancerous cells have overcome the chemotherapy, then the only treatment available will be stem cell transplant. He said that I have already gone through vigorous chemotherapy because ” ICE” are very strong chemo drugs and hopefully, the cancerous cells are killed. All the necessary has been done so whether will there be a relapse will depend on my destiny.

During the 2 years monitoring period, I will see Dr. Lim once every 3 months and do a CT scan once every 6 months. To me, 50% is just a number and I won’t bother about it as I believe everything is fated. For now, it is the start of a new life for me and I will make sure I enjoy it   I will return to work next Monday and at the same time, will start to look for a new job. I believe the future will be better tomorrow.

I have completed the final chemo on 23/Feb. This time, the doctors have to insert the needle into my vein 5 times in order to set the plug due to my blood flow was not good. However, I did not drop a single tear. I wonder if my tolerance for pain has increased or I was overjoyed since it was the last chemo

I have requested to downgrade to B2 ward (6 beds in a room without TV and air conditioner) for this admission so as to get the subsidized rate. This will help to reduce my medical fees because I need to be monitored for 2 years. The beds were fulled in the chemo ward that I used to stay. But I was lucky that my doctor managed to get me a bed in the Haematology section and it was a B2+ ward (5 beds in a room with air conditioner).

There was a young lady next to my bed. She was chatty and cheerful. You can’t tell that she actually has Leukaemia. She has recovered 6 years ago after bone marrow transplant but has 2 relapses. When she was first diagnosed with Leukaemia, her doctor told her that she has only 1 month to live. But she fight on and is still living happily. She told me that there is no point to bother about how long she can live. Instead, she enjoys every moment and would rather live life to the fullest. I admired her positive spirit. Life is beautiful, it is not how long we live but how well we live.

After several months of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the PET scan result that I received yesterday has shown that “there is no scan evidence of metabolically active Lymphoma”. This means that I have won the battle for this round! Hooray! I am extremely happy! However, I can only be considered fully recovered if there is no relapse within 2 years.  

Dr. Lim suggested that I go for the last chemo as planned since my body can tolerate the chemo very well. But he cannot guarantee that going for more chemo will reduce the chance of relapse. I accepted his suggestion hoping that 1 more chemo can clear all remaining traces of cancerous cells in my body. The last chemo is scheduled on 20/Feb.

Yesterday, my company announced that they have decided to close the consumer division. I feel very sad rather than worried of my future. I have been working in my company for coming to 5 years and it is the best company that I have worked for. It has a powerful system to support daily operation, clear and transparent information sharing, great bosses and excellent colleagues, which enable me to get my work done effectively and efficiently.

We had a restructuring in end of YR2007 and we tried various ways last year to improve the business. However, we still cannot beat the weak global consumer demand caused by the financial crisis. I think we should not have any regrets since we have tried our best and it is going to be a valuable learning experience for us. We know the company’s situation well since information is shared openly and most of us are mentally prepared for the worst but we still feel sad about the decision. It is easy to find another job but it may be impossible to find such a great team to work with. We have no “office politics”, everyone works selflessly and help one another. It is a kind of culture and rapport that we have build up and we work like a harmonious family. I cherish this working experience.

I have finished my 4th chemo and blood count should be back to normal by next week. Therefore, I have planned to return to the office on 16/Feb just to spend some times with colleagues because I miss them. I will do a PET scan next week for Dr. Lim to review if I still need to go for the last chemo tentatively scheduled on 20/Feb. I count myself lucky that the company make the decision towards the end of my treatment because my medical expenses can be claimed under company insurance. My friend said God always has a reason for something to happen so hopefully this is a blessing in disguise and all of us can move on and find a better opportunity.

A few days after the 3rd chemo, my left nasal bone started to swell and was very painful. I asked Dr. Lim if the tumour was back. He said unlikely but insisted that I do a thorough CT scan to have a peace of mind. Luckily, the result does not show any tumour. Dr. Lim said most likely that it could be an infection.

My nose is very fragile and sensitive after the radiotherapy. I suspect that I might have catch a cold during my admission in hospital for the chemo as the room was very cold at night. I was given antibiotics which were effective. My blood count has also gone back to normal level and I will be admitted today for the 4th chemo. Hopefully, the room is not too cold this time but I have prepared sweater and mask to protect myself.

In the past, I heard many scary stories about the damage that chemotherapy can do to our body. I also saw on TV dramas and movies the dramatic side effects from chemotherapy. As a results, I was very worried when I have to go through cycles of chemotherapy. I did research to gather as much information as I can to prepare myself for the chemo.

Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to stop cancer cells dividing and reproducing themselves. The medicines flow through the bloodstream to nearly every part of the body, damaging cells that are rapidly dividing and growing. Normal healthy cells can repair the damage caused by chemotherapy, but cancer cells cannot and so they eventually die. Certain parts of the body consist of normal cells that are rapidly dividing and growing, and are therefore especially sensitive to chemotherapy drugs. These parts of the body include the bone marrow (which makes blood cells), the hair follicles, the lining of the mouth and the digestive system. As a result, patients may experience side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, mouth sores or tiredness. Medication will usually be prescribed to minimise these side effects. These side effects go away after treatment stops.

Chemotherapy is generally given in cycles. A cycle consists of a session of chemotherapy to destroy the cancer cells followed by a rest period that allows the normal cells and tissues to recover.  The specific medicine or combination recommended, as well as the frequency of the treatment, depend on a number of things – kind of cancer, its location, a person’s height and weight, and how quickly the healthy normal cells recover from the treatment.

After going through 3 cycles of chemo (I have completed my 3rd chemo on 12/Jan), I feel that chemo is not as scary as many people thought. The only major side effect that I have experience is hair lost after first chemo. There is no big deal about hair loss since it is not painful and only temporary. I was told initially that I will lose my eye brows and lashes but most of them are still intact. I asked Dr. Lim does it mean that the chemo drugs is not effective on me since I don’t have major side effects? He said it is not logical to have such comment. Different people react differently to chemo and hence, the degree of side effects also vary. I might be the lucky one that can tolerate the chemo drugs very well. This could be due to my biology and that I am strong and young. He cautioned that I might experience more side effects as I go through more chemos. True enough, after the 3rd chemo, I have body ache and feel lethargic that last for 4 days compared to 2 days after the 2nd chemo. I also feel nausea when I smell fish and garlic. However, these side effects are manageable. My mum avoids using too much garlic in her cooking and has also switched to fried fish or put on more sauce to remove the fishy smell. I feel that it is not too difficult to overcome the side effects with some adjustments and adaptations.

I used to be very health conscious, careful of what I eat and try to exercise regularly. Therefore, I was surprised when I was diagnosed with Lymphoma and there was no explanation on how I got it. Well, it could be fated or it could my biology that I am more prone to the virus. However, I am glad that I have built a strong body in the past which is useful now to be able to tolerate the treatments to fight against the cancer cells.

My taste bud has gone through many changes ever since I started chemo and radiotherapy. Every day is full of surprises when I eat as the same food can have different taste. The worst is at the later part of the radiotherapy because I have lost the taste bud completely and have problem to swallow the food as my salivary glands is damaged by the radiation. Eating became a chore and it required imaginations and defocus from the food to finish a meal. I am proud that I overcome the difficulties in eating and did not lost too much weight which is important because I need to to have enough energy to go through the treatment.  Subsequently, my mouth became very sensitive. Anything with mint, including tooth paste is burning hot. It is weird that even banana also tastes hot.

We have 5 primary taste sensations which are salty, sour, sweet, bitter and umami (鲜味, a brothy or savory taste produced by compounds such as glutamate). I always hope that I can gain back either the taste sensation of salty or sweet first then I can indulge in my favorite food and dessert Unfortunately, it was “sour” that came back first after my second chemo. I found that if I leave hot food to cool, it will taste sour. Whenever I chew the food for too long, there will be a sour after taste. Most of the fruits including red apples also taste very sour.

On the good side is that the food are not totally blend and tasteless now. They have very mild taste and therefore I think my taste buds is slowly recovering. My salivary glands are now generating more saliva and I feel great to be able to swallow fried “bee hoon” (vermicelli) again. I am trying different food everyday and it is a joy to be able to taste again. I can’t wait to have my Satay, Chicken rice, Sashimi, Sushi, KFC chicken, Ice kachang, brownies…….