Yes, I will do it
Went to NCI Cancer Hospital (formerly known as Nilai Cancer Institute) today. Had a very good consultation with Dr Kana and Dr Selva. Dr Kana spent nearly 1.5 hours with me, answering my questions and clearing my doubts. I think this is the longest a doctor has spent time for me. What I really like is his underlying medical philosophy when giving advice; as a man of science, he gave me the hard facts; about my advanced cancer situation, about how the therapies won't cure me but just for palliative purpose, about being medically realistic about my chances. But he
also has a human side; telling me about miracles, about the power of the mind, cases where the patients themselves decide, within their mind, about the side effects of therapies on themselves. It was a very good balance of hard cold scientific diagnosis and a human face. Dr Selva came in briefly, he will be the one doing the radiotherapy. He suggested several options and has the same human touch as Dr Kana. Finally I found the medical advice I seek.
I have decided to do the radiotherapy on my C6. I have also accepted Dr Selva's suggestion to extend the therapy to my thorax to arrest the spread of the enlarged lymphatic nodules. They didn't dispute my fears of radiotherapy side effects; of the possibility that the bones getting brittle and others. But they told me the way the pain is increasing, it shows the lesion is eating away at my C6, so the choice is between a 100% chance of letting the lesion eat the vetebra or some chance of bone brittle after the radiotherapy. Dr Kana also concurs that radiotherapy is a "heavy" therapy,unlike the view of many that radiotherapy is milder than chemo. Radiotherapy is irreversible; it is radiation released into your body and cannot be erased. What happens after that is a risk one has to take. I agree that my choice is limited at this time; the increasing severe pain is a warning of possible paralysis if it continues, so either I don't do anything and hope for a miracle or arrest the spread immediately and deal with possible side effects (if it happens) when and where it may occur later.
So the plan is this; next Tuesday I will do a bone scan at the Cancer Society in KL, this is to scan if there are any other spread in my bones, then a CT scan on the thorax at NCI on Wednesday, and start of the radiotherapy on subsequent days. It will be an outpatient 5 sessions of radiotherapy. Meaning I don't have to be warded; can go back after the deed is done.
They also explained about chemotherapy for the rest of the cancer in the thorax. They lay down the options and possible side effects. But they said the choice is entirely up to me. They just give the facts and allow me to decide whether to follow through. Again. they shared "miracle" experiences about their patients who decided not to do chemo. But this is tempered with their views as medical men.
Dr Kana gave me antibiotics because there is an infection on the blood vessel of my right arm. A slightly painful bulge on the arm is developing probably due to the line (for drip) made at IJN. Dr Selva prescribed a steroid to slow down the spread of tumor at the thorax area,I think..can't quite remember! Anyway, their professional yet friendly attitude is really refreshing and reassuring. We had quite a few laughs even when talking about matter of life and death. Dr Kana also told us one of the reason for the hospital's name change (aside from being brought over by
another organisation) is people thought Nilai Cancer Institute is a research body dealing with injecting rats and goats with cancer cells... :)
Thanks again to Mrs McCoy for talking with Dr Sanjiv of IJN, who in turn talked to Dr Kana for this appointment.
also has a human side; telling me about miracles, about the power of the mind, cases where the patients themselves decide, within their mind, about the side effects of therapies on themselves. It was a very good balance of hard cold scientific diagnosis and a human face. Dr Selva came in briefly, he will be the one doing the radiotherapy. He suggested several options and has the same human touch as Dr Kana. Finally I found the medical advice I seek.
I have decided to do the radiotherapy on my C6. I have also accepted Dr Selva's suggestion to extend the therapy to my thorax to arrest the spread of the enlarged lymphatic nodules. They didn't dispute my fears of radiotherapy side effects; of the possibility that the bones getting brittle and others. But they told me the way the pain is increasing, it shows the lesion is eating away at my C6, so the choice is between a 100% chance of letting the lesion eat the vetebra or some chance of bone brittle after the radiotherapy. Dr Kana also concurs that radiotherapy is a "heavy" therapy,unlike the view of many that radiotherapy is milder than chemo. Radiotherapy is irreversible; it is radiation released into your body and cannot be erased. What happens after that is a risk one has to take. I agree that my choice is limited at this time; the increasing severe pain is a warning of possible paralysis if it continues, so either I don't do anything and hope for a miracle or arrest the spread immediately and deal with possible side effects (if it happens) when and where it may occur later.
So the plan is this; next Tuesday I will do a bone scan at the Cancer Society in KL, this is to scan if there are any other spread in my bones, then a CT scan on the thorax at NCI on Wednesday, and start of the radiotherapy on subsequent days. It will be an outpatient 5 sessions of radiotherapy. Meaning I don't have to be warded; can go back after the deed is done.
They also explained about chemotherapy for the rest of the cancer in the thorax. They lay down the options and possible side effects. But they said the choice is entirely up to me. They just give the facts and allow me to decide whether to follow through. Again. they shared "miracle" experiences about their patients who decided not to do chemo. But this is tempered with their views as medical men.
Dr Kana gave me antibiotics because there is an infection on the blood vessel of my right arm. A slightly painful bulge on the arm is developing probably due to the line (for drip) made at IJN. Dr Selva prescribed a steroid to slow down the spread of tumor at the thorax area,I think..can't quite remember! Anyway, their professional yet friendly attitude is really refreshing and reassuring. We had quite a few laughs even when talking about matter of life and death. Dr Kana also told us one of the reason for the hospital's name change (aside from being brought over by
another organisation) is people thought Nilai Cancer Institute is a research body dealing with injecting rats and goats with cancer cells... :)
Thanks again to Mrs McCoy for talking with Dr Sanjiv of IJN, who in turn talked to Dr Kana for this appointment.
posted by Hee Boon at 8:39 pm
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