28/03/2008

Today we went to the 'Light Of Being', Friends of Tumour Hospital club gathering. Sitting in circle they were planning for the ten-year anniversary celebration next month.

Ms. Xie discretely pointed to a middle age man in beige jacket. 'He has been 'graduated' for ten years now - look at him.'

Yes, one has to admit you can't tell him from an average Joe (more appropriately, an average 'Lao Wang').

Xie told us, he married and has a healthy lovely son five years ago, after his ex passed away.

Another senior citizen, in his 70's, five-year survivor, he does intensive morning exercise everyday. His face is tan with a dash of pink, looked keeping very well.

The seminar is on NPC after treatment care and regular check-up. Radiotherapy is a double edge sword and causes long term damage more than chemotherapy. It is short term side-effects (within 90 days of treatment): mouth soreness, dry mouth, taste changes, teeth. It is understatement to call it mouth soreness, in reality NPC patients suffers from eating, chewing difficulties. Long term side-effect - both are deadly: Myelitis, nasal mucous inflammatory. I am getting an impression that cancer patient are more likely to die because of the lack of after-care than the coming back of cancer tumour.

Then it was a workshop of emotional and psychological care and self-adjustment.

Back to the ward, Hua looked worried and dismayed. Doc required her to have two more radio treatments.

Danni's blood test result looked good. White blood cell index shots over the roof: normal body has it around 4000 - 10000, Danni's is over 10k. Liver function, etc normal, only low in calcium.

She actually bought herself to a cheesy Hong Kong comedy in the afternoon. Though has to catch cat naps during in the commercial breaks.

Dr. Li wasn’t around. So we decided to apply a leave for tonight – you handed write and submit a little note on a scratch piece of paper. I would come back tomorrow to see Dr. Li.


Back to Danni’s mums. For next two weeks, this will be our new base camp, which will also allow company my mum to have a break from cooking 5am every morning.

Upstairs, I saw Danni weeping. Not for herself or red spots or scratched nose of Ryan, it is for her not being able to care Ryan during the time.