Cancer as just a nuisance
Had my third radio session today. Wanted to ask if I can take 'leave' for a few days from the therapy because I am feeling tired nowadays. The bed always succeed in beckoning me to lie upon it... :)
Saw both Dr Selva and Dr Kana. Dr Selva assured me my tiredness is not from the radiotherapy; most probably it may come from Iressa. That's new because I have taken Iressa before and felt fine. Anyway, decided to finish the last two session with Dr Selva's assurance. Just tomorrow and Friday.
I also felt energetic after a chummy chat with both the good doctors. We talked about life, my blog, and about both doctors' aspirations for themselves and NCI. I am very happy to know the underlying healing philosophy of both doctors; will augur well for NCI as THE centre for cancer treatment in the country.
We also talked about my blog on "Schemers, scammers and swindlers". Both of them told me about poor patients who got swindled by weird useless treatments and products, and they have full empathy with these patients and understand that when we are desperate, we grasp at anything that promises the magic bullet. We also talked about the future cancer treatment which will render cancer as just a nuisance like diabetic or heart disease.
What I meant nuisance is relative to the current voodoo notion that cancer means terminal. Compared to the current prognosis, how exciting it is if cancer becomes just an irritant (a major one for sure!) rather than one that puts patients into horrible turmoil and desperately running around seeking cures. Both doctors talked about the new therapies, drugs and technologies that promised to be more gentle and targetted. Taming of the naughty cancer cells.
Hopefully this will push cancer into the realm of diseases which although may be incurable, but is just a nuisance which the patients can live with, and carry on with their lives with dignity. Currently, there are a few drugs to manage my non-small cell lung cancer, but the cost is prohibitive. I can only look to the future where patients will enjoy a more tolerable cost structure.
Saw both Dr Selva and Dr Kana. Dr Selva assured me my tiredness is not from the radiotherapy; most probably it may come from Iressa. That's new because I have taken Iressa before and felt fine. Anyway, decided to finish the last two session with Dr Selva's assurance. Just tomorrow and Friday.
I also felt energetic after a chummy chat with both the good doctors. We talked about life, my blog, and about both doctors' aspirations for themselves and NCI. I am very happy to know the underlying healing philosophy of both doctors; will augur well for NCI as THE centre for cancer treatment in the country.
We also talked about my blog on "Schemers, scammers and swindlers". Both of them told me about poor patients who got swindled by weird useless treatments and products, and they have full empathy with these patients and understand that when we are desperate, we grasp at anything that promises the magic bullet. We also talked about the future cancer treatment which will render cancer as just a nuisance like diabetic or heart disease.
What I meant nuisance is relative to the current voodoo notion that cancer means terminal. Compared to the current prognosis, how exciting it is if cancer becomes just an irritant (a major one for sure!) rather than one that puts patients into horrible turmoil and desperately running around seeking cures. Both doctors talked about the new therapies, drugs and technologies that promised to be more gentle and targetted. Taming of the naughty cancer cells.
Hopefully this will push cancer into the realm of diseases which although may be incurable, but is just a nuisance which the patients can live with, and carry on with their lives with dignity. Currently, there are a few drugs to manage my non-small cell lung cancer, but the cost is prohibitive. I can only look to the future where patients will enjoy a more tolerable cost structure.
posted by Hee Boon at 6:31 pm
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