23/04/2008 radio. week 1 day 1

Danni's latest MRI report showed that nasal and lymphatic affected area shrank. Boundaries between shadow and adjoined area became clearer than before.

We were expecting to have Danni’s first dose of radiation including positioning, but end up waiting for half a day until seven o’clock in the evening.

Out of boredom, I spied a booklet of names. It was contact numbers of many ex cancer patients, members of 'Ray of Life' (生命之光). So I read something I really shouldn’t have.

Huifeng, female, 32, NPC, 97 (initial admission to the hospital).
Huan, female, 55, NPC, 97.
Fengxiang, female, 45, NPC, 98.
Lirong, female, 40, NPC, 97.
Jingtang, male, 50, NPC, 98.
...

95 names in the booklet, 63 of them are NPC patient, age from 30. Obviously there was a disproportionally shocking high number of NPC. I have to remind myself this shouldn’t be see as a scientific counts, no statistically.

I figured that not all cancer patients had joined the club. And only ex-patients from this ward were in this booklet. There are 4 other chemo and radiotherapy wards which may have their booklet managed by the nurse in their wards. Last but not least, NPC is relatively a less severe form of cancer, discharged patients maybe more upbeat and open to activities than those were in other cancer.

Nevertheless 63 was a shocking number. This should compare to the UK figure. A research paper published in 2006 admits that NPC was a rare disease in the UK, ratio: 3/10,000,000; that is totally 18 people in the country. Still they were mostly from south China or Tunisia.

From the CCTV monitor, I could see Danni was put on a table with her mask over her head and chest, like Tutankhamen. The mask is tightly fitted to her body, she couldn’t move, she couldn’t even open the eyes.

A giant cylinder was rotating slowly at the end of the table, 90 degrees to the head. The whole setting made it looked like a human lathe machine. This is the linear accelerator.

15 minutes later or so, Danni was back out, with little difference but the grid marks pressed by the mask.

Initially her ‘radio time’ was set to every weekday 9pm. We quickly come to a plan which could balance a quality sleep Danni needs, a quality working period I need and other needs. Danni would have daytime with Ryan at her mother’s home, had her supper and come to hospital for treatment. She would sleep in hospital and only go home next morning. I would stay with my mother’s to catch on some work during the day for less disruption; then I would go joining Danni’s for supper and a bit play with Ryan. I would see Danni had her treatment before going back.


On the bus home I found it was the same bus took me here in the afternoon. I remember the plastic cover over platform floor. The tattered cover curled up at a corner. I took the seat I used to sit. Glance on a switch box over the exit door. The cover was still loosely unlocked. It ticked on the frame with every shake when the bus went over a ragged surface.