Third Chemo

Met Dr. Dormady in the morning to review the scan result from the two chemo cycles.  The tumors have reduced in size.  Praise to God!  Doctor gave us the choice of stopping now or going forward for two more rounds.  After further discussion, we decided to go for two more rounds.

Chemo is hard, but when battling against the monster, we need to go for the most aggressive regimen that Dad could take.  Thank God that Dad is relatively healthy and his body, according to Dr. Dormady, seems to tolerate the chemo well.  The third chemo started immediately after the meeting.

However, having done the chemo twice did not make the the process easier.  It was still physically and emotionally taxing.  Luckily, the El Carmino Cancer Center has a wonderful nursing team which makes the experience much more bearable.  In fact, if we were there for a different reason such as a minor illness, I would have said that it was a pleasant experience.  

It is very difficult for me to watch Dad receiving the chemo.  Thankfully, Stephanie and Jeff came to accompany Dad.  I decided to get away. 

Alternative complimentary treatment

Ouch! Dad felt the first needle punctured in.  Fortunately, it got easier as more needles were put in.

This is the first time Dad received the acupuncture treatment.  A good friend of ours made the appointment for us with a famous Chinese doctor in the area. Dad agreed to give it a try.

We don't know what the long term effect will be, but Dad fell asleep at the clinic and got a good night sleep after the treatment.  At least for that, it is a good thing.

Flu or side effects

Dad has a tough time in this chemo cycle - it is as if he had a severe flu plus the side effects of the chemo for a week now.  He feels fatigue almost all the time and that is just one of the symptoms.  Please pray for his speedy recovery.  

The doctor has already scheduled the third chemo, the prospect of which makes Dad wince. 

A Support Circle Needs Support Too!

Mom has had shortness of breath lately, and we were concerned that she had asthma. She went to the doctor and to our surprise, the doctor said it wasn't asthma but instead was stress-related! It turns out that over the past few weeks, Mom has not been breathing properly. Thankfully, yoga, meditation and breathing exercises will be sufficient to address the issue.

But it's worth noting that caregivers need support from family and friends. Mom has made a gargantuan effort to reshape Dad's and her own life to fight their battle. Logistics are a full-time job in themselves, let alone the barrage of emotions that need to be acknowledged and addressed.

While I will always see her as Supermom, we mustn't forget that Supermoms need their rest too. Give your Supermom a hug today and remind them what an important part they play in your life.

2nd Round of Chemo & the Oncologist gives great news!

I started the 2nd chemo today - Cisplatin, Alimta and Avastin in one day. We spent 7 hours in the clinic. Thanks to Stephanie and mom's company, the time went by very fast. They were able to enjoy a long two hour lunch break. Jonathan joined me on the following day for my 2-hour hydration.

Before the chemo Dr. Dormandy gave us the good news on my 1st chemo cycle. Blood lab report showed tumor index at 5.7 > 3.0 (normal stage), but we will need to wait for the report from the 2nd chemo cycle report to do a comparison as the numbers itself doesn't provide enough information. Some patients see numbers in the 100 or 1000 range. Besides this, all my other organs are functioning perfectly. 

More great news from Dr. Dormandy was the biopsy report which showed my cell mutation was suitable for EGFR targeted treatment. I can use Tarceva after my chemo is complete as prophylaxis. Thanks to God, this was phenomenal news for mom and me as the last two months have been an emotional roller coaster for us. We both felt cheered up.

Side effects have been manageable so far but even the small ones are irksome! Last night I woke up at 2AM and felt itchy on both arms. I put some lotion on, which worked a charm. I had hiccups twice in the night but thankfully did not feel nauseous. No mouth sores but I started using mouthwash this morning to prevent it from happening. I'm having problems sleeping, which may be caused by the steroids, so I took a half dose of the sleeping pill that Dr. Dormandy prescribed. After that I slept like a baby but woke up again around 4AM! After taking another 1/4 dose I was able to sleep until 6:30AM. It wasn't a restful night but sufficient to gain my energy back. Phew! Glad to have passed the first night alright.

I feel good compared to how I felt before the 2nd chemo. Hopefully the medicine is doing its work. Again thanks to our Lord for the latest miracles. We will conquer and win the war!

-Gohan

Timely encouragement

The chemo infusion took 7 hours this time because the preparation of the drugs took longer.  It has been a long day.  Exhausted and at the same time anxious.  Wonder how Dad's body will react to this cycle.  So many unknowns.

When we returned home, we found a beautiful bouquet waiting for us.  It was from Swanny and Rif, Jeff's parents, our new in-laws.  Looking at the flowers and the card, we got teary.  Swanny being a cancer survivor, knew how it felt receiving the treatment.  Since the day of diagnosis, they have been giving us the most timely support.  We are so thankful for a wonderful in-law family who is always there for us.

A few minutes later, my good friend Jamie sent over her home made meals.  I can't describe the feelings of having a meal ready after a dreadful day.  As we sat down to enjoy the meal, we can feel the love of our friend.  Thank you!

Well wishes from the homeland

My sister Carol and my Nephew Kai came from Taiwan to visit.  They brought snacks that we like, music CDs and a get well card that was hand crafted and signed by our relatives. We were very touched and encouraged.  Their visit brought back so many fond memories of the time that we had together.  It was always joyful and loving.  

佳蓉和凱凱從台灣來看我們。也帶來了在台灣的親戚所寫的慰問卡和音樂。我們看了好感動，也很被激勵。