The Going Gets Harder

Way back in August 2010 when I went for my 1st year review in Singapore, my oncologist has classified my cancer as slow progressing. Despite on Gerson Therapy (GT), I found new tumors in my body, one at T6 area (March 2010) and another at the left collarbone area (July 2010). I subsequently met my urologist later with a view of going for surgery in November 2010. Following a therapy just by the documentation is not easy. Because from testimonials, GT patients just recover in months and for me, after over a year, I got more tumors. What's happening and what am I going to do? So in December 2010, I left for the Gerson Clinic in Mexico to get professional help. Back then I did not know so much about other alternative therapies except for GT and I began to read more because I knew my condition will deteriorate overtime, so I will need additional therapies.

I don't know if this is just a coincidence because many of my cancer friends that I met six to nine months ago has passed on within the last week or so. When I met these people, they condition were like me and all of a sudden, just within 2-3 months, their condition just deteriorated. I am fully aware that cancer can take an unexpected turn and when that happens, the end is swift but painful.

My friend who is also my strongest critic, gave me a lashing for trying the spouted bread + cayenne pepper diet. She said this has done more harm than good to me. She is right because at the moment, I am suffering of excess heat internally. I feel warm all the time (even with air conditioner on) and make it difficult for me to sleep as well. She also said I "trust no one" and "think you are so clever and technical" but "forgot your thinking can be flawed". Her message hit me hard. Have I been too arrogant, too clever for my own good?

Besides insomnia, I think my current greatest challenge is possibly dealing with fluid retention in my lungs. It has not gone to the state of needing surgery to drain out the fluid but this is a bad sign, the beginning of the end? I think my last episode of blood vomiting is a sign that my lungs may have been damaged. My alveoli may be affected because at times, I am experiencing breathing difficulties. I find breathing more difficult when lying down and this is also one reason why I am also not sleeping well.

My TCM lecturer suggested that I consult some more experienced TCM practitioners. My classmate, Jeanie said her sister knows of a TCM practitioner that specialises in lung cancer and I have asked her to help me get the address so that I can go for a consultation.

For the moment, I am trying to survive 2011 because I would not want to miss my 2nd pilgrimage to India. Because I am so eager to go in November, I think I will still be around for a while.

Can I be an organ donor if I have had cancer?

You may be able to be an organ donor if you have had cancer. There are medical conditions that mean you can’t donate, but cancer isn’t necessarily one of them.

According to the UK Transplant website, you definitely can’t donate your organs if you have CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease) or HIV (Human Immunosufficiciency Virus). But you may be able to donate if you have any other medical condition (including cancer). Doctors consider each case individually.

After someone dies, a health professional carefully considers the persons’ medical history. They then make a decision about whether or not some or all of the person’s organs or tissue are suitable for transplant. Because the decision is made after a person has died, unfortunately this means that you won’t know whether you can be a donor or not.

Cost of Conventional Breast Cancer Treatment - World Record?
An accumulated S$24.8mil (RM60mil or US$20 mil) medical bill was charged to a single patient for seven months’ breast cancer treatment by a top transplant surgeon in Singapore. The family of the patient, a cousin of the Brunei Sultan and sister of the Queen, who succumbed to her illness in 2007 complained about the bill. The surgeon inflated a third party specialist’s bill of S$400 to S$211,000. Another’s bill of S$500 was inflated to S$93,500, and a third doctor’s charge of S$3,000 was blown up to S$285,100. When Singapore Medical Council investigated the fee, the surgeon offered to discount it by half, and later reduced to just over S$3mil.

The best part was the surgeon offered to entirely waive the fee if the Brunei government would give her “a letter of good standing”. I feel like vomiting blood again when she requested that. “At most one can raise a question of ethics,” said a retired doctor. The surgeon was not charged with any wrongdoing other than overcharging. Do you agree it's only a question of ethics and overcharging here? You can read more here.