Mediport is in

Woke up at 5:15 am, checked in at the El Camino Hospital at 6. The Pre-op room was already in hustle and bustle.  I thought to myself, it's fitting that I am not a medical professional because I will be grumpy if I can't see sunshine or hear bird singing when I wake up everyday. However, the nurses who rose up early to help us were all very kind and pleasant. 

The procedure was smooth.  It took four hours including pre-op and recovery. Gwohann was relaxed and happy when he was pushed out on a gurney from the operation room.

The Mediport is a small reservoir with a rubber septum that can be repeatedly punctured with a special type of needle. There is a tube runs from the reservoir into the main vein and the tip ends at the mid portion of the heart.  It sounds scary but apparently it is considered a short and low risk procedure. The future chemos can 'flush' through the body without damaging the smaller veins in the arms where injection used to be given. The port can be used immediately and Gwohann will be able to resume exercise once the incision is healed. When the port is no longer needed, it can be removed in an office visit.  Whoever invented this device and procedure must be very creative and clever. 

We are fortunate to have such option to make receiving treatment easier and less painful. 

1st cycle of second chemotherapy - Feeling familiar

Once we entered the new infusion center, several familiar faces greeted us.  Shelly, one of the infusion nurses who helped us last year, carrying a big smile, gave us a warm hug, and said  'Mr. Jain.  Don't worry, this time we are going to use a missile and blast off the cancer".  That was an uplifting start!

It felt good that we were put in one of the large infusion rooms. The 150 sq ft room was painted in calming blue and beige, and has a brand new plush recliner chair and warm blankets.  As soon we sat down, we were offered coffee and tea, and a snack bar.  One could easier think we are in a massage parlor.  

The cocktail drugs consist of Vinorelbine, Gemzar and Cyramza, and together with four other medicines that were used to control the side effects, will take 5 hours to infuse.  We have learned from past experience, the slower the infusion, the better.  So we are in no hurry.  

Our infusion nurse strongly recommended that we put in a mediport for future chemo cycles.  She told us that Vinorelbine burns and fractured vessels near the injection site for almost all patients.  The vessels may never recover, not to mention the constant pain and permanent ugly bruises the damage will cause.  

I researched online and learned horror stories reported among the cancer patients community.  It seems that everyone eventually surgically put in a mediport either before or after the first cycle of Vinorelbine.  Hence we decided to put one in.  Hopefully, we can get an appointment with a surgeon next week before the next cycle starts on July 7.

The NP Katie advised that Gwohann will feel the most fatigue and weaknesses four days after the infusion, and he will start feeling better after one week.  He may have fever and insomnia on the first day.  He may experience mouth sores, nausea, diarrhea and constipation (yes, at the same time) on any day.  

We will just take one day at a time, and be grateful for each 'bonus' day.  


- Jacqueline

A great reminder

Saw this at the cancer center today when we went in for the chemo training.  The message is a wonderful reminder on how we should face cancer.

Coughing increases

A quick update about Gwohann.  He is coughing more and feel chest congested.  It is alarming that in the past week he could only hike 2/3 of the distance what he used to do with the same amount of time.  He felt fatigue after the hike.  

We will have chemo training on 6/22 Monday afternoon and chemo on Tuesday from 9 am to 2 pm.  

Please pray that the chemo drugs will work magic.

New Chemo, New Hope

In a battle of war, if the enemy decoded our secret weapons, what do we do?  We use newer and more powerful weapons to destroy the enemy!  The June PET scan result shows that Gwohann's cancer is growing resistance to the targeted medicine, Tarceva.  Therefore, it is time to take out new weapons from our armory. Gwohann will start a new chemo treatment on Tuesday, June 23, using a cocktail of three drugs, one of which Cyramza was only recently approved by the FDA and has promising effects on NSCLC.  The chemo will be administered every two weeks, and our oncologist expects that Gwohann will tolerate the side effects well and he can continue to work to maintain a sense of normalcy.

The initial disappointment and apprehension that we experienced when we first knew about the setback has passed, and we are ready to engage in the new battle with hew hope and determination.  We feel very fortunate that we live in a country where we have access to the newest medicine and technology.  Special thanks to those of you who work in biotech and research.  Your work saves lives!

Battling cancer takes a community, and we thank you for being our community.  We are greatly encouraged by your cards, phone calls, emails, meal support, visits, company for dining out or outings.  As we step into the new war zone, your support is even more important.  We thank you in advance for the care and love that you give us.

Cheers to our warrior, Gwohann!

-- Jacqueline 李佳芬

Natto and hard cheese to kill lung cancer cells

Here is a surprising weapon that can reduce the risk of cancer.

"Eating certain types of hard cheeses, including Gouda, Edam, Emmenthal, and Jarlsburg, can lower your risk of developing cancer. Why? Because these cheeses contain a form of Vitamin K called Vitamin K2 (the scientific name is menaquinone) that is both antiangiogenic and also kills cancer cells directly. The studies indicate that eating as few as two slices of these hard cheeses a day can lower your overall risk for cancer, including lung cancer and prostate cancer."

If you don't like cheese, natto, which is fermented soybean, is also a great source of Vitamin K2.  Yes, it is slimy and an acquired taste, but it is good for you.

Read more details here:

https://www.eattobeat.org/frontlines/3/the-surprising-truth-about-cancer-and-an-arsenal-of-weapons-to-fight-it.html

Can we eat to starve cancer?

Everyone has cancerous cells in his/her body, but what makes cancer cells grow?  Dr. William Li, a renowned cancer researcher, explains the role of angiogenesis in cancer, and how food can be the key to prevent cancer from growing.

If we include anti-angiogenic food in our diet, "what we eat is equivalent to chemos three times a day.", Dr. William Li

I highly recommend this video.  It is very interesting and educational.