Tag Archives: lymphoma

Professor Stoller’s Cancer Experience

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Book Review: Stranger in the Village of the Sick

 

Professor Paul Stoller is an interesting man and he wrote a very interesting book.

Why is he an interesting man?

He wrote: As a child my parents immersed me in the culture of Judaism. I attended Hebrew school. As a young man, my graduate education assimilated me to the culture of anthropology. I learned how to write research proposals, conduct ethnographic research and “write up” the results. I have been a professional anthropologist for more than twenty-five years. When he was a young anthropologist Stoller went to Niger, Western Africa, to study the culture of the Songhay, the main ethnic group that form the Songhay Empire – one of the largest Islamic empires in history, sometime in early 15th to the late 16th century. The Songhay practises sorcery – the art of black magic or witchcraft and use supernatural power to heal or to control others.  Stroller was initiated into sorcery by Adamu Jenitongo.  Perhaps they are like bomohs or village shamans in this part of our world. Stoller wrote: In Niger, I learned to mix potions, read divinatory shells and recite incantations.

Why is his book interesting? 

Professor Stoller was diagnosed with lymphoma and has undergone chemotherapy. He came out “successful” after his treatment and he wrote vivid accounts about his cancer journey –  his fears, his pains, his worries and how he coped.

  • Stoller wrote: My own religious background, Judaism, gave me a set of abstract principles about the world in which I lived, but provided no concrete formulas for dealing with an unexpected and incurable disease. So Stoller had to rely on his sorcery knowledge that he learned in Africa to see him through his cancer experience. Being thrust into a new world that would change my life forever prompted me to think long and hard about my experience among the Songhay people of the Republic of Niger. In time of despair, over and over again, Stoller found comfort in the words and teachings of his long-gone Master, Adamu Jenitongo. At times, he heard Adamu whispering to him and telling him what to do.

There are many things in Stoller’s writing that cancer patients can learn from. The following (italic) are extracts from his book.

Diagnosis of Cancer

Professor Stoller was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March 2001. He wrote:

  • In a flash, cancer had abruptly taken control of my life and forced me onto a dreadful new path that promised unspeakable pain and endless suffering. The terrifying prospect of a slow and unbearable death made me tremble. These frightening thoughts quickly transformed me into a powerless person.
  • I didn’t notice my surroundings. Like a zombie, I signed in, sat down and waited. I felt like a dead man walking to the gas chamber.
  • In that moment the world that I had known completely crumbled. My head, suddenly heavy and weary, sunk to my chest. I stared at the floor unable to move. Cancer, I said to myself. How could I have cancer? I had done all the right things: good diet, exercise, minimal stress. Would I be dead in six months?
  • Despite improvements in treatment and better rates of survival, a diagnosis of cancer is still perceived as a sentence to a slow and painful death.
  • Now I wondered if I would survive one year, two years, perhaps five. Ten years suddenly seemed like a life time. If only I could have another ten years.
  • My current circumstances had compelled me to spend quite a lot of time thinking about my life.
  • Cancer always makes you confront death. This unwelcome and unexpected confrontation quickly erodes the gender, ethnic and class differences that divide American society… social differences among university professors, construction workers, and secretaries quickly fade away. Cancer makes us involuntary kin in the village of the sick. 

Lessons from the Songhay

  • A fundamental lesson in Songhay sorcery is: One must make careful preparations and be thoroughly protected before undertaking a task – especially with respect to the physical and psychological disruptions that a serious illness can trigger. You expect to confront all sorts of trouble – betrayal , loss, and illness – along your path. Although you cannot expect to evade misfortune … you can try to be prepared for it.
  • Feeling confident about the outcomes of our choices gives us a sense of control over our lives – something that most Americans strive for. Most Songhay people see the world quite differently. They believe that they have little control over what happens to them … uncertainty, rather than certainty, governs their journey through life. Like many Americans, I have a difficult time dealing with ambiguous uncertainty. In our main stream culture, we prefer quick, clear, concrete answers to difficult problem. We’d like to believe that we are able to control our destiny. If we get sick, we expect a quick fix. How many of us are able or willing to jump into a fast-moving stream and let the current carry us to an uncertain destinations? Most of us would feel that we were being foolhardy if we did so.
  • No amount of denial, numbness, or work, though, could erase my awareness of the “undefined mass” growing in my abdomen. I longed to be more like the Songhay. Why couldn’t I let fate carry me away to some unknown destinations? Why couldn’t I live with ambiguous uncertainty?
  •  You have been told that you have cancer, an event that marks a point of misfortune. Events have compelled you to decide which path to follow into the village of the sick. You also know that you alone will bear the consequences of that decision. When I found myself standing on this point of misfortune… I desperately wanted someone – anyone – to tell me what to do. As Adamu Jenitongo would say, they must find their own way. They must choose which path to take and bear the consequences. Cancer patients must make the same fateful choice. That is the reality that the newly diagnosed cancer patient faces; it is a hard reality to bear.
  • Most Americans don’t like to think too much about death. Many of us can’t even accept inevitable changes to our aging bodies, a sign that life is finite, let alone the specter of death. In the world of sorcery, however, illness is ever present in life. In that world, illness is a gateway to learning more about life. As for death, it is your continuous companion.

Chemotherapy Experience

  • I spent hours reading about the side effects of chemotherapy, information that filled me with fear and anxiety. I geared myself up for body-wrenching nausea, bone-weary fatigue, and hair loss. I bought an electric razor to avoid excessive bleeding from a shaving cut – and a soft toothbrush to guard against painful mouth sores. I also read the literature about Rituxan – it, too, could cause serious problems – fever, chills and heart irregularities – especially the first time it was administered.
  • The best strategy, which I followed one day prior to my initial treatment session, was to get a buzz cut to reduce the psychological shock of being suddenly bald.
  • Cancer patients were also advised to use mild shampoos, soft hairbrushes, and low heat setting on hair dryers.
  • Mouth sores, tender gums and sore throat, usually occurred seven to fourteen days after the beginning of treatment. Each person reacts differently. Side effects also depend upon the drug combinations you get.
  • I had appreciated the phone calls and cards I had received from family members after the diagnosis. Their expressions of concern made me feel better.
  • As I prepared to go to bed … I realized yet again that cancer patients – me, in this instance – must live alone with a disease that their own bodies had produced.
  • I had to learn to live with cancer, but somehow not allow it to take over my life.
  • As the chemotherapy agents destroyed healthy as well as malignant cells … my body would throb, especially in the neck, shoulders and back. In time, my throat would burn. I might get sores on my tongues, cheeks and lips. Periodic fevers would make me sweat. Rashes might spread over my body. And just as my body had cleansed itself of the poisons that precipitated this misery, I’d once again have to drag myself to the Cancer Centre … I’d be hooked up for another treatment and another three-week cycle of side effects.
  • I now knew that my life would never return to “normal.” Cancer and chemotherapy treatments would leave their mark on me. “You can stop the chemotherapy anytime you want,” one of my friends asserted after hearing vivid descriptions of the side effects. “Yes,” I said, “but what’s the alternatives?”
  • In treatment the world slows down. You must sit for hours as the chemotherapy drugs drip into your bloodstream. The drugs make your body ache. They make you tired. You have to pace yourself. They force you to be patient. Patience is the password in the village of the sick. Cancer patients have no choice. They have to confront their weariness and make the necessary accommodations. It is a humbling exercise.
  • As I went through the last phase of chemotherapy, though, the going got tough – more bad than good days. I developed periodic sore throat. A line of painful mouth sores developed on the blade of my tongue, making it difficult to swallow. My bones throbbed, and I developed such pulsing pain in my right knees. Pain and restlessness made a good night’s sleep a gift to be savored. Numbness became more and more noticeable in my feet and hands. Hand and foot cramps froze my joints in painful positions.  …chemotherapy’s side effects were cumulative.
  • No formula can wash away the pain and suffering that comes with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Lessons from the Songhay

  • I somehow managed to make it through the last six weeks of treatment…. In my dreams, I’d see myself seated next to my teacher in the shade of his conical straw hut. The world is patience, he’d say. The world is patience. Never before had I realised the importance of this adage.
  • Although my own middle-class suburban American upbringing had paved the way for my professional life, it had not prepared me for the pain and suffering of cancer. Instead, the wisdom of Songhay sorcery helped me to deal with the devastation that cancer brings to life. It calmed me in stressful situations. It enabled me to be patient in circumstances that provoked impatience. It gave me strength and determination in times of physical and emotional stress. And, as odd as it may seem, it showed me how to incorporate cancer into my life so that I could use it to grow both physically and emotionally.

Success – Remission!

CAT and PET scan results showed Professor Stoller was lymphoma-free. He was in complete remission.

  • How many years of good health, exactly? How long could I expect to remain in remission? You could be in remission for two years, five years. In some cases, people remain in remission for ten years. In other cases, the lymphoma comes back in six months. (Note: from the Internet, I learned that Professor Stoller is still healthy. His success is most outstanding. It has been 11 years now).
  • At the end of treatment, the side effects of chemotherapy drugs slowly fade away. The aches and pains dissipate. The mouth sores disappear. Your throat clears. The fevers fade away. Your appetite returns. Energy surges through your body. Even though you feel “normal,” you still think about cancer every day – if only a little  while.
  • When cancer patients enter the zone of remission … you are in a space between the comfortable assumptions of your old life and the uncomfortable uncertainties of your new life. You have long left the village of the healthy … Once you enter the village of the sick, you can never fully return to the village of the healthy.
  • Restoration of health does not make you a conqueror.

Lessons from the Songhay

  • If a Songhay develops a serious illness like cancer, he or she is likely to build respect for it. Respect for cancer – or any illness – does not mean that you meekly submit to the ravages of disease.  Following the ideas of sages like Adamu Jenitongo, illness is accepted as an ongoing part of life. When illness appears, it presents one with limitations, but if it is possible to accept the limitations and work within their parameters, one can create a degree of comforts in uncomfortable circumstances.
  • Remission can also be like a prison from which the cancer patient cannot escape. Confronting remission’s impermanence is not easy. There are junctures during remission that remind you what a delicate state it can be.  Once in remission, waiting for the results of regularly schedules CAT scan can become exceedingly stressful and can plunge you into depression. If the results come back normal, remission continues. If the scans indicate the return of malignant cells, you may need an additional, more powerful toxic treatment. You may even need palliative care to ease the journey toward your ultimate demise – a destination we all share.
  • My experiences in the world of Songhay sorcery have helped me to cope with the diagnosis of and treatment of lymphoma. What’s more, Adamu Jenitongo’s soft voice comes to me regularly in dreams. He reminds me to accept my limitations and remove resentment from my mind. He tells me to be patient in a world of impatience. He encourages me to be humble and refine my knowledge so that others might learn from it. 

Balance and Harmony

  • In Songhay philosophy, internal and external harmony enables a person to see life more clearly.
  • When you learn you have cancer, the world spins out of control. You are thrown into a world of medical procedures and inconclusive diagnoses. What’s more, you have to interact with technicians and medical professionals, many of whom can be insensitive.
  • You find yourself in the vortex of a whirlwind. No matter what kind of support you have from friends, family and professionals –  ultimately  you … must face your fate alone. No matter the degree of support that they gave, cancer patients must confront their illness alone.
  • Optimism, which can be learned, enables people to live longer, healthier, and happier lives, as compared with the experience of pessimistic people. Pessimism can lead to a sense of helplessness and trigger depression. Helplessness and depression, in turn, weaken the immune system, priming the body for serious illnesses and even premature death.
  • Being optimistic should not blind us from reality. You can be pessimistic, but not in a way that clouds your vision completely. Above all, you should attempt to be prepared to confront whatever life presents – pragmatic optimism laced with a practical pessimism.
  • I attempted to see things – including myself – more clearly. I attempted to prepare myself for what had appeared on my path. I read widely about my illness and possible treatments for it. To keep myself going, I tried to eat well and get plenty of sleep. I continued to write and do my work. I tried to enjoy my life. Although these measures did not wash away my worries about pain and death, they did sustain me through eight months of chemotherapy. They sustain me now that I’m in remission. And yet I realize that in the future I will face trouble for which I must be prepared. If the medical literature is accurate, it is only a matter of time until lymphoma cells reappear in my body. When that happens I will have to undergo more diagnostic test and more treatments. Despite the “darkness” of my future, I hope that my tempered optimism will enable me to enjoy the pleasures of good health for as long as I can.
  • Among the Songhay, clear vision also embodies a sense of humility. Arrogance, I have learned, can do a person great harm. The medical stance toward illness is militaristic. Illness is an invading force, a foreigner attempting to colonize the body. That alien force must first be subdued and then eliminated. Medical science has developed an impressive array of technological weapons to kill invading cells … which leads to the belief that we have the capacity to eradicate illnesses like cancer. In Balinese and Songhay society, by contrast, people have a more humble take on illness …. To respect the power of illness, which means that they attempt to incorporate it into their lives. If illness is incorporated into one’s life, people can use it to become stronger in body and wiser in spirit.
  • Cancer propels you down a difficult path on which it is important to be humble. If you are arrogant about life and believe that you can master illness, a disease, like cancer, can force you into a needlessly desperate corner.
  • The world of cancer is particularly fraught with war metaphors. We are fighting the war on cancer. Cancer cells attack and overwhelm healthy cells. Oncologists then send a sortie of chemotherapy agents on search-and-destroy missions. These agents destroy the enemy, but also kill healthy bystanders – collateral damage. These missions often result in heavy casualties. Although the technological marvels of modern medicine may make you the survivor of many battles, can you ever win the war? Adamu Jenitongo told me that one needs to respect illness as a part of life. If you respect illness, you can use it to develop your being.
  • Illness is a part of life; it lies within us and waits for the right moment to appear. The ideal for Songhay is to learn to respect the unalterable presence of illness and live with it. If you learn to live with illness, your being becomes stronger and stronger. The idea of living with an illness runs counter to major themes in American culture. No one wants to live with an illness. If we contract an illness, we want to conquer it.

Lessons from the Songhay

  • My teacher always said that there are many paths to well-being. I now understand more fully what that meant.
  • Confronting cancer is a frightening lonely proposition. How do you deal with your isolation? Songhay sorcerers have one suggestion; they say that you should diligently perform personal rituals. Each of us has his or her personal rituals. Doing certain things when we wake up or go to sleep may help to set the world straight and bring us a sense of calm. Where we are able to perform these personal rituals, they give us a good feeling … we can generate and maintain a measure of control over our lives. Engaging in personal rituals, of course, cannot guarantee a successful course of chemotherapy, but it can assure, I think, a certain sense of personal control, which goes a long way toward maintaining quality of life. Any cancer patient can engage in this kind of ritual …  you might recite a certain prayer or poem … that gives you comfort. You might wear clothing that makes you feel confident. You might bring music that sends you on a soothing dreamlike journey … They can bring you peace, so that you can be ready for what life presents on your path.

Finding Meaning in Your Cancer

  • Having been diagnosed with and treated for lymphoma forced me to reflect deeply about the meaning of my life. It is unthinkable to be grateful for a diagnosis of cancer. No one desires the pain and suffering that come with a serious illness. But once you’ve got it… why not incorporate it, as the Songhay would say, to bring to your being a deeper understanding of life’s forces and meanings? Cancer can be used, and my example is one of many thousands, to grow and change. 
  • Cancer compelled me to see myself – my being – more clearly.
  • As odd as it may seem, the unanticipated and devastating presence of cancer in my body opened a pathway to personal growth and development. It deepened my spiritual beliefs, refocused my professional visions and forced me to understand more realistically the symbiotic relationship between illness and health. In time, my experience of cancer toughened my body and strengthened my resolve.

What I Learned from Professor Stoller

I benefited a lot from Stoller’s writing. He showed me in words what it means to live with fear, in anxiety,  and what it was like to suffer pains associated with a diagnosis, treatment of cancer and even after the doctor had said you are cancer-free (really, cancer-free?).

For sixteen years, I saw how patients suffer from their cancer but I have not read any book that describes in detail their cancer experiences.  What Stoller wrote impacted me very much. It helped me to understand more about my patients’ sufferings – mentally, emotionally and physically.  As healers or caregivers, we experience cancer as a by stander – just from the outside, and we are not really involved. We assumed that we understand the patients’ sufferings – generally we don’t. We only learn about their problems through our “textbooks.” We don’t feel how they feel although we think that we know and care. The truth is – we are not supposed to be involved. The medical term for this attitude is detached concern.

These words that  Stoller wrote had made an impact on me: When I found myself standing on this point of misfortune… I desperately wanted someone – anyone – to tell me what to do. As Adamu Jenitongo would say, they must find their own way. They must choose which path to take and bear the consequences. Cancer patients must make the same fateful choice. That is the reality that the newly diagnosed cancer patient faces; it is a hard reality to bear. 

Here it was, an educated man – a professor of an American university, wanted someone – anyone – to tell him what to do.  He lived in America and had access to the best of medical facilities, why did he need someone – anyone – to advise him? It just shows how vulnerable we all are. I recall one patient who had cervical cancer. She did not know what to do after her diagnosis. Through the phone we talked to each other every day – and I was guiding her all the way. Even before going into the operation theatre, I had to talk to her to encourage her to take things easy. After the operation she called to say thank you and said that she benefited very much because I was there “by her side” all the way. Well, I took what she said as the usual compliment. After all, I thought, it is my job to help people. Let me put it right – this job is provided without any fee! But I still call it my job – perhaps social responsibility is more appropriate? However, after reading what Stoller wrote this responsibility acquired a deeper meaning. I felt more empathy for those who come to seek my help (which previously I called shopping spree) – for they are really lost and need someone – anyone, to guide them. I wonder, like Stoller – why don’t they go to the hospitals and consult the “real” professionals?

From this, it dawned on me that the role of CA Care has evolved to yet another level. Two days ago, two patients flew in from Makassar, Indonesia. They came to ask what to do. By right, they should have gone to see doctors in the hospitals, why come to CA Care? Their problem is they don’t even know where to go and what doctor to see! This time, I felt more empathy for them. I now realize that they are desperate and lost.  I have to be patient. They needed someone to guide them – like Stoller too. And these patients are far less educated than Stoller and they come from a much less developed place than America!

Last night, while I was writing this article, a lady with breast cancer called. She had undergone a mastectomy and wanted to know what to do next – to go for chemo or not to go. I told her not to panic or be in a rush to do things. Take it easy and ask her to come and see me with all the medical reports.  She replied: No, I am not afraid. I don’t panic either. I am glad that I have you to guide me from the very beginning. I am okay. Her words brought a different meaning to me – after reading Stoller’s book.

Professor Stoller benefited from the wisdom of his Master, Adamu Jenitongo. How could this be – a professor from America learning from an African bushman?  Listen to the wise words of Adamu: We all live on borrowed time. We should make the most of our borrowed time. To accomplish this feat, we need to pick our battles very carefully and exert our force when it is important to do so. A true sorcerer must not waste energy on needless battles.  You must avoid conflict as often as possible. When you do fight a battle, make sure it is an important one. Knowing when to fight is the mark of courage; it prepares you for battles worthy of your power.  Winning is not the goal of everyday confrontations. Cancer patients, old and young, male and female, have often learned to live with their illness and accept the difficult fact that death is part of life. Those lessons have enabled them to maintain their dignity and improve the quality of their lives. For me, that is the mark of courage.

I urged you to reflect deeply those words in bold. I for sure also benefited from this great, wise, 100-year-plus-old man, who came from the bushes of Africa.

Some Quotations

  • Given the realities of the American medical system, patients are often treated with insensitivity … “patients” must be “patient” for they have few rights and limited importance. Arthur Frank (The Wounded Storyteller) suggests that patients are subjects who are colonized by medicine.
  • Truth, I learn, is an unstable condition. To paraphrase William James, truth is like a check. It’s good only as long as there is money in the bank.
  • Skepticism has been central to the Western pursuit of knowledge. They tend to be skeptical of alternative medicine or nonscientific approaches to healing the body. It makes them cautious about diagnosis, a practice … that is laced with uncertainty and doubt. From within the village of the healthy, skepticism makes good sense; it has advanced our knowledge of and control over the world by leaps and bounds.  From within the village of the sick, in which death is our constant companions, skepticism fades away … you begin to wonder if skepticism is good for your body.
  • You look, but you don’t see. You listen, but you don’t hear. You touch, but you don’t feel – it takes a lifetime to learn how to “see,” “hear,” and “feel” the world.
  • You must earn knowledge. To earn it, misfortune must test your courage. Knowledge is greater than we are. You have to learn it slowly. You have to respect its power.
  • The Songhay realise that knowledge they acquired is borrowed and that their responsibility is to refine what they have learned and pass it on to the next generation. 

Dissecting Chemotherapy 12: Almost ‘chopped off’ by CHOP-R for Her Lymphoma

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Pat (not real name- SY216) is a 72-year-old lady. Sometime in mid-2010, she was on TB medication for six months. Her legs, abdomen and hands were swollen.  A CT scan done on 22 December 2010 showed a 12.1 x 10.7 x 5.6 cm mass in the para-aortic region and there are multiple masses involving the left kidney and bilateral adrenal glands.  CT chest shows cardiomegaly with mild pericardial effusion. The likely diagnosis is lymphoma.

A biopsy done on 16 February 2011 confirmed diffuse large B cell lymphoma.  Pat underwent chemotherapy. The regimen used was CHOP-R, consisting of Cyclophosphamide + Andriamycin + Vincristine + Prenisolone + Rituximab.

The first cycle that Pat received on 24 February 2011 was of low dosage. Pat received the second cycle on 4 March 2011. This second cycle was a full dose. About a week later, Pat suffered severe side effects and her husband said, “She was almost “chopped off” by CHOP-R.”

Pat and her family decided to give up further chemotherapy. She and her family came to seek our help on 23 April 2011. She presented with “bad” liver (see table of blood test of 13 April 2011). Pat was prescribed Capsule A + B, Liver-P, LL-tea for her liver and Lympho 1 and Lympho 2 teas for her lymphoma.

On 17 October 2011, Chris had a chance to meet up with Pat and her family. Listen to our conversation that day.

 

 

13 April 2011 23 April 2011 27 July 2011 12 Oct. 2011
Albumin

31    Low

Started on herbs

40

34
Alkaline Phosphatase

261  High

77

81
AST

 42    High

28

28
ALT       59

12

15
GGT

185   High

46

30

Pat has been taking our herbs very religiously and she is doing well after giving up her chemo. As of this writing, 15 February 2012, Pat is doing fine. According to her daughter, Pat went to Singapore for her Chinese New Year Holiday (end of January 2012).

Comments

Pat suffered badly after her first cycle of CHOP-R. She could not take it anymore. Ask this question – what could have happened if Pat were to persist and continued with her chemo? Assuming she was able to complete a course of six cycles, what could have been the benefit?

Pat gave up and turned to our herbs. Did she die of her lymphoma even after giving up the chemo?  The next important question is, can her lymphoma recur? Yes. It does not matter if she had completed her full course of chemo or not.

The late Dr. Stephen Schneider, was a world famous professor at Stanford University. He was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2001. He was treated by Dr. Sandra Horning, a leading expert on lymphoma – “the best person in the world for treating what you have”. Dr. Horning is also from Stanford and is a professor of medicine. Schneider received the “new” Stanford’s chemotherapy regimen using CHOP + R. After three cycles of CHOPR-R, CT scan showed that the lumps had disappeared. Schneider continued with chemotherapy and in total had six cycles. Although in remission Schneider was told that the cancer cells might still be hiding somewhere in the body – perhaps the bones and behind the eye balls. To be sure, Schneider had to undergo a bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Sandra said, “We never use the word ‘cure’ just remission. We’re very hopeful you will have a long and strong remission.”

It is sad to say that in spite of all the best efforts, Dr. Schneider died on 19 July 2010, after an apparent heart attack on an airplane while en route to London from a scientific conference in Stockholm. He was 65. In short, Schneider survived for nine years after his cancer diagnosis and treatment.  Did medicine really cure his cancer? Does this sound familiar?  The operation is a success but the patient died of complications?   Cytoxan (one of the chemo drug used on Schneider) has its harmful effects.  Schneider received a lot of that drug and he knew the odds when it wrote “it was known to deteriorate heart and lung condition, the cost-benefit calculus was not going to see me getting away scot-free.”

Let me end by asking you to reflect on the following quotations:

 

 

 

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma of the Stomach: One cycle of chemo made him really sick. He took herbs and life was restored

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Eng (H241) is a 65-year-old male.  In 2007 he underwent an angioplasty procedure. Sometime in July 2009, he suffered from indigestion and nausea. Then in August 2009, he vomited blood. He was admitted into a government hospital. A biopsy done on 23 October 2009 indicated large cell, B-cell type gastric non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) of intermediate grade.

On 8 December 2009, he underwent chemotherapy with modified CHOP –  cyclophosphamide + vincristine + Epirubicin and Prednisolone.  Medical record indicated he received a LOWER dosage due to his past medical history.  He suffered the following severe side effects after just a cycle of chemotherapy.

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fevers, temperature 38.1 C
  • Slow heartbeat (junctional bradycardia)
  • Hardening (consolidation) of the right lung
  • Stroke (left thalamus infarction)
  • Uncontrolled hypertension

As a result of the above, life was difficult for Eng. He had no strength and was unable to urinate. This is what was written on his medical report. “20 December 2009 – In view of patient’s poor tolerance to chemo and the lesion is localized within the stomach” patient was referred for radiotherapy.

Eng was asked to undergo 25 times of radiation treatment. He refused.  He was discharged and prescribed with the following drugs:

  1. Omeprazole
  2. Lovastatin
  3. Ticlid
  4. Isordil
  5. Amlodipine
  6. Perindopril
  7. Prazocin
  8. Gliclazide
  9. Laquid paraffin
  10. Lactulose

Patient’s daughter came to seek our help on 17 January 2010. She presented her father’s condition as below:

  1. No pain
  2. Unable to sleep
  3. Can’t eat  – no appetite, nausea and sometimes vomit
  4. Tired
  5. Bowel movements once every few days – constipatioin
  6. Cough with sticky phlegm
  7. Breathless
  8. No strength

We prescribed Capsule A, C-tea, Lympho 1 and 2 teas, Constipation tea and Appetite & Vomit tea.

24 January 2010: After one week on the herbs, his appetite and bowel movements improved. He could talk with a louder voice. But he still had difficulty with urination.

29 January 2010: No more nausea, every day he moved his bowels, and he was able to walk better. Before the herbs he was only able to stand up for a while only.

5 March 2010: Health improved – could walk. Appetite improved. Swelling of both legs were gone. He was able to urinate.  For the first time, his daughter brought her father to meet us (see video).

12 November 2010: Eng came to see us. He was doing fine.

9 December 2011: He was doing fine – almost two years since he started taking the herbs.  Eng came to see us with his daughter (see video).

 

Permission to use this video without having to mask patient’s face is granted by the family.

 

Comments

  1. Because of his medical history, Eng was only given “lower” dose chemotherapy. In spite of that, he suffered severe side effects. What do you think could happen if he was to be given a “FULL” dose? Can he die from the treatment?
  2. What is the idea or rationale of receiving “lower” dose chemotherapy? Do you mean to say that a “lower” dose can also cure him when using a “full “dose may not cure patients?
  3. Since further chemotherapy had to be aborted, Eng was asked to undergo 25 times of radiotherapy. Was this a wise advice? Can radiotherapy cure stomach lymphoma?
  4. What could have happened if Eng were to undergo radiotherapy? Would he not suffer even worse side effects?

The family decided to give up medical treatment. Eng’s daughter surfed the net and found CA Care. Eng was put on herbs. His conditions improved and as of this writing (13 December 2011), after almost two years, he is still doing fine.

  1. Does this not indicate that what Eng did for the past two years – taking herbs and change of diet – is good for him?  How much scientific proof do we need from this success story?
  2. Think hard – do you really need chemo or radiation for such a case? Is there not a better way of treating such a “sick” person like Eng besides such invasive treatments?

Let me end with these quotations:

 

 

Lymphoma: Chemotherapy Failed, Life Was Miserable But Herbs and e-Therapy Revived Her

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Acknowledgment: The patient granted her permission to use this video without having to mask her face.

1.  A Long Journey From Home to Penang

MN (S-81) is a 56-year-old lady from Indonesia.  She and her husband came to a private hospital in Penang to search for an alternative treatment for her Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  But there was none. She was given the same option – undergo chemotherapy again.

They live in Labuan Batu, a town south of Medan. Coming to Penang is a long journey indeed. From home, first they had to travel for 9 hours by bus (or 6 hours by train) to  Medan. After an overnight stay in Medan, they took a plane to Penang.

2.  Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Sometime in early 2011, MN felt lethargic. Her stomach was painful. She had profuse sweating, specially her head . For the past one year she had been coughing. Doctors were unable to cure her coughs.

In May 2011, MN was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She underwent six cycles of chemotherapy with CHOP.

After the completion of the chemo treatment the cancer recurred in the form of a small swelling at her left collar bone – at the same spot where she did a biopsy earlier. MN was asked to undergo another round of chemotherapy. She refused and came to Penang looking for alternative medicine.

(Note: CHOP regimen consists of four drugs – Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin (or Adriamycin), Vincristine and Prednisolone. The first three drugs of the CHOP chemotherapy regimen are usually given as injections or infusions in veins on a single day, while prednisolone is taken as pills for five days. Each cycle is repeated every 3 weeks for 6 to 8 cycles).

MN received her treatment in a government hospital in Medan. Each treatment required a two-day stay in the hospital.

 3.  Life was Difficult During and After Chemotherapy

The first five chemos seemed to help MN. Her health seemed to improve. However, the sixth chemo was “bad”. Her health deteriorated – “dropped”. She had no strength and was not even able to climb out of bed by herself. She had to be hospitalized for two weeks. After being discharged from the hospital, she regained some strength. She was able to walk for about 10 metres and had to stop. At home she was not able to do anything. Her husband had to do all the house chores.

She said, “I walked a bit, my feet felt numb. My hands felt numb. I felt difficult, nauseous. I was bald.”

After chemo, her stomach pains disappeared but her one-year-old problem of coughs and profuse sweating persisted.

4.  Recurrence

One and a half months after the completion of her chemo, a small lump appeared at the collar bone – the same site where she first had her biopsy. The doctor in Medan confirmed it was a recurrence. She was asked to undergo a second round of chemotherapy.

5.   More of the Same Advice in Penang

MN said, “I do not want any more chemo. That is why I come here.”

MN and her husband came to a private hospital in Penang in December 2011 in the hope of finding an alternative treatment to chemo. But she was told to do more of the same thing – undergo more chemotherapy!

Husband: “No point. If we wanted to do chemo, we could have stayed back in Medan (treatment was given free-of-charge because he was an ex-government staff). In Penang, I have to pay for the treatment.”

The oncologist suggested two options. The first option is to use drugs that cost RM 7,000 per cycle. This means, the six-cycle-treatment would come to about RM 42,000. The oncologist told them that this treatment will cure her cancer. The second option is to use cheaper drugs costing RM 3,000 per cycle. But the effectiveness is uncertain.

Chris: Well, that means you have to sell your house to pay for the treatment?

MN: “No, we have no house to sell. Even to come here now – the expenses are provided by our children.”

Chris: Do you believe what the oncologist told you  - that the expensive chemo can cure you?

MN and Husband: “No, we never believe what he said.”

MN: “I refused to do more chemo. I can’t stand chemo any more. I can’t walk, I can’t eat. I am still bald now.”

6.  Disappointed – But Later They Found CA Care

MN and her husband were disappointed. They did not find the alternative treatment they wanted from the hospital. They did not know what to do next. However, a day later a lady told them about CA Care.

Chris: So you came to see us (on 18 December 2011).

MN: “Actually my son also asked me to find for an alternative way. He said I should find that herbalist in Penang. But he did not know who.”

7.   CA Care’s Herbs and e-Therapy Restored Her Health

MN was prescribed Capsule A, Lympho 1 and Lympho 2 teas, C-tea and Cough No 3, 5 and 11 for her problems. She was also told to take care of her diet.

Husband: “Her health improved within three weeks.”

Chris: Yesterday you told us that before you first came to Penang (in December 2011), all your friends who saw you cried. Why did they cry?

Husband: “They looked at her – her health was so bad. She was so weak. When we went home all her friends were smiling. She looked better.”

MN: “ I was so full of hope after meeting you, doctor.”

Chris: Are you sure that after taking the herbs for three weeks you are really better?

MN: “Yes.”

Husband: “Now she can walk for some distance without any problem. Before she had difficulty after walking 10 metres.”

MN: “My husband had to massage my legs every day.”

Husband:”Every time after she walked I had to massage her legs. Now I don’t have to do that anymore. She had not recovered 100 percent yet but her health has recovered by some 75 percent now.”

MN:”I had coughs for a year. I did X-ray three times and I saw all these doctors. The cough persisted. I took your herbs for four days and the coughs were almost gone!”

Chris: Praise and be thankful to God for this blessing.

MN: “When I first came here in December and was in the hospital, there was this patient who also came from Medan. She came to my room and help massaged my legs. She felt sorry for me. My legs were numb. That was before I came to see you. After I took your herbs there was no need for anyone to massage my legs any more.”

Chris to Husband: Ho, ho, you don’t have to do any more work! Very good, very good.

NM and husband returned to Penang after taking three weeks of herbs. This was in January 2012. She underwent three days of treatment with the e-Therapy.

MN:”My health improved further. I don’t feel numb or tired anymore. Instead it is my husband who felt tired when we walked this morning.”

Chris: Oh no – I have to take care of your husband too?

8.  You are Blessed! 

Chris: You are indeed blessed. After seeing the oncologist in the hospital you all were disappointed because you could not find what you wanted from the hospital. You did not know where else to turn to. But a day later – after you prayed – an “angel lady” appeared and told you about CA Care.

Husband:”We were ready to go home “empty handed.”We did not have the funds to pay for such expensive treatment which we did not come for anway.” 

Chris: Indeed it was a blessing from God. I fully understand the situation you are in. 

9.   Go Home and Be Careful – Take Care of Yourself

Chris: I am so happy that I am able to help you. This is my advice – please go home and take care of yourself well. Take care of your diet, exercise and take the herbs. My herbs are not magic but I believe they do help you.

MN and her husband returned to CA Care on 8 January 2012 and underwent the e-Therapy.

Watch this video.

After three weeks of herbs

She reported her health had improved:

  • Her coughs were almost gone – now she coughs once a while. Previously it was continuously.
  • She had more energy.
  • Her appetite improved.
  • The “heaty” feeling in the left side of her abdomen comes once in a while. Previously it was often.
  • Profuse sweating in the head was much less. Previously it was soaking wet and happened often, day and night.
  • She slept well. Before it was difficult.
  • Numbness of her fingers was gone but the numbness of her legs persisted although there was improvement.
  • She had more strength to walk. She could walk 100 metres without feeling tired. Previously even doing 10 or 20 metres was difficult.
  • The only problem she has now is a feeling of “ discomfort /numbness” in her right shoulder.

After first session of e-Therapy

  • She felt real good.
  • The body felt lighter.
  • Numbness of the legs was much less.

After second session of e-Therapy

  • She felt better.
  • Numbness of her legs had improved further.
  • Urination and bowel movements were better.
  • She had more energy.
  • She had no more coughs.
  • Discomfort in the left shoulder still persisted.

After third session of e-Therapy

  • The discomfort in the left should was gone.

Comments

Many Indonesian patients who come to seek our help need to travel from afar.  We empathize with them. This is indeed a test of their commitment and a testimony of their real desire of wanting to help themselves. In contrast, we have phone calls and e-mails from patients who live just a few miles away and yet they complained that it is difficult to come and see us. They prefer consultation over the phone. Similarly we have patients from Sarawak, Sabah or Singapore who only want us to help them through the phone or internet. Unfortunately, we cannot help such patients. It is better that they go and seek help from herbalists nearby their homes. Life is easier that way – for them and also for us.

But for those like MN, who have travel so far to come and seek help, we pray that we never let them down. We shall do our utmost best to help them. Indeed this case is an example of a wonderful and rewarding effort that makes our day real great. We thank God for His  blessings – and hope many more cases like this will continue to come by our way.

Lymphoma Recurred Two Years After Intensive Chemo – Took Herbs and Remained Well

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Siew (A948) was 20 years old when he suffered high fevers on and off in 1996. There was also a lump on the left side of his neck. He consulted a Chinese sinseh who told him that this was due to heatiness. Since the problem persisted,

The treatment consisted of the following:

Induction Phase

  1. Vincristine on days 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29.
  2. Daunorubicin on days 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29.
  3. Prednisolone on days 1 to 22.
  4. L-asparaginase on days 15 to 28.

After the induction phase, treatment rested for 2 weeks and phase 2 started as follows:

Phase 2

  1. Cyclophosphamide on days 26 and 50.
  2. Ara C (andriamycin) on days 13 to 16, 43 to 46, 50 to 53 and 57 to 60.
  3. 6-MP, throughout cranial irradiation.
  4. MTX
  5. Cranial irradiation for 15 times.

After completion of Phase 2, treatment rested for 2 weeks and continued with:

Phase 3

  1. Mitoxanthrone on days 2 and 3.
  2. Ara C on days 1 to 4.

On 31 July 1997, Siew’s liver enzymes were elevated and HbsAg was reactive. His   doctor thought this was probably due to blood transfusion related hepatitis. Further chemotherapy was withheld. Siew’s liver function returned to normal and the ultrasound of his abdomen was also normal. A Bone Marrow Aspiration (BMA) done on 17 September 1997, showed no evidence of infiltration.

From 1 October 1997, Siew was treated with MTX, L-asparaginase, folinic acide and methotrexate. On 29 October 1997, another BMA was performed and the result was negative. More chemotherapy treatments followed on regular basis until May 1998.

Siew was on oral medication in 1999. In 2000 he seemed to be well and was not on any medication. In July 2000, Siew came to seek our help. He was prescribed some herbs but that first visit was also his last visit to us.

About 2 years later, in March 2002, Siew came back to see us again. He presented with:

  1. Feeling of heaviness in his head.
  2. Tiredness.
  3. Swellings on the right side of his neck. There were pulling sensations with slight pains.

We suggested that Siew go back to his doctors at the hospital for further medical treatment. Siew flatly refused. He told us that the doctor wanted to do a biopsy of the lump. He also knew that he would most likely have to undergo chemotherapy again. Siew said that in the past he had been very lucky to get out of the hospital alive. While in the hospital receiving treatment, he saw many patients in similar situation did not make it and died.

We respected Siew’s decision to opt for herbs instead of chemotherapy. We cautioned him that the lumps in his neck may not go away. And there would be no guarantee that he would be better either. Siew and his wife understood the risks he was taking.

Siew felt better after one week on the herbs.  His head did feel heavy anymore. The lumps in his neck seemed to loosen up and there were no more pulling sensations. However, he still felt tired.

After about two months on the herbs, Siew noticed that the neck swelling seemed to increase in size. Also, there were additional lumps. However, Siew’s health was good.

After about a year on herbs, Siew reported that he had less episodes of fevers compared to previous time. However, sometimes he felt heaty. Our Heat Flu herbs helped him resolved this problem. At an earlier occasion, Siew showed us there were 3 lumps forming a loose cluster in his neck. But by then, two lumps had disappeared. The size of the remaining lump has gone smaller.

As of this writing, April 2009, it has been 7 years since Siew decided to abandon medical intervention and came to see. During this period, he took our herbs very religiously and kept to our recommended diet. Siew appeared well and did not suffer any problem. He is well to this day.

On 12 April 2009, we had a short chat with Siew and his wife. Following are excerpts of our conversation.

Chris (C): You look good.

C: You had cancer in 1997?

S: Yes. There was a lump at my neck. I went to GH for my chemo.

C: How long was your chemotherapy?

S: About 2 years, in and out of hospital.

W: After that it came back. In one and a half years, there was a big lump again.

S:  Now there is also a lump.

W:  But it is very small, so very tiny.

C: Let me see. Why is it red?

S:  I touched it.

W: Cannot feel it any more. Last time, I could easily feel it. It was much bigger.

S:  Last time, I can feel it as soon as I place my hand on the neck. Now, I have to really feel for it. I have to press into the neck to find it.

W: Like you say: Live with it.

C: In these seven years, do you have any problems?

S:  Not really. Sometimes I may have a bit of fever.

W: Very seldom now. Last time, it was very often.

C:  I remember, you used to have fevers very often.

W: In agreement.

S:  When I get a headache, the fever will also come.

W: But it is nothing serious.

C: So, after the chemo, there was a recurrence?

W: The doctor wanted him to go for biopsy. But he ran away.

(Everybody laughing)

C: The doctor recommended chemo?

S: But they wanted to do a biopsy first.

W: I brought him out of the hospital.

S: She brought me home. She helped me run away.

C:  What made you do that?

W:  We already know that it is cancer. What is the point of doing another biopsy? It does not make sense.  That was how I thought then. So, I brought him here. I don’t like the idea of disturbing the lump.

S:  To me it is alright to do the biopsy. But after that, they want me to do chemotherapy. I do not want to do anymore chemotherapy. My wife’s way of thinking gave me a way (a choice) to refuse chemo.

W:  He did not want to do any more chemotherapy as he suffered badly when he had his chemo before.

C: Was chemotherapy so terrible?

W: He even fainted on the road at one time.

S:  It was a black out – but it was only for a short period of time. It was during my chemotherapy days.

W: And his liver was also affected. There was nothing wrong with his liver before the chemotherapy. The doctor said he had hepatitis and all sorts of thing. They wanted him to take more medications. Since he had a choice, he chose to come here. We did exactly what you told us to do. He drank apple juice and juice extracted from the leaves of seven needles plant and all that.

C:  I remember. When you first came, I was also worried for you.

S:  At that time, I was only twenty plus years old.  Now I am already thirty plus years old.

W: But the most important thing is the food he eats.

S: If I were to go for chemo, I cannot do any work.

C: You mean, the two years during your chemotherapy, you did not work?

S:  Yes, I did not work.  You see, I cannot eat well. I vomited. I felt weak.

C: What about your memory?

S: Not bad.

W: You forget very easily. You do not have good memory.

S: Of course I can remember whatever happened a day or two ago. But for things that happened too long ago, I don’t remember very well.

W: He does not remember faces. Cannot recognize people he met.

C: Compare to the time before your chemo. Is there a difference in your memory?

S & W: Yes. There is a difference.

S: I forget more easily. I am not as sharp as before.

W: He is quite slow.

S: (In agreement) Yes. When I talk, it is not like before. I do not speak as fluently as before. Sort of become a bit blunt. Not as sharp as before.

W: And his hair is not as much as before. It had thinned a lot. And it had not grown back to as much as before.

S: When I talk, at times I cannot express myself well. I could not find the words to say whatever I wanted to say.

C:  Before your chemotherapy, do you experience this?

S:  No, never.

W: The only thing is he cannot eat what everybody else eats.

C:  Don’t think so much about eating.

S:  That is not important, that I am alive is good enough.

Comment

We have documented a similar case with Devi. She had a relapse soon after chemotherapy was completed. She took herbs and regained her health. It has been 12 years and Devi is still doing fine, leading a normal life. So Siew’s healing is not a fluke shot! It is a repeat of Devi’s case. Repeatability and this is what science is all about!

As of 2011, Siew is in perfect health and still taking the herbs. He has a very caring and supportive wife.

The Story of Devi: A lady lawyer about 40 years old, afflicted by Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

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(Reproduced from our book: Cancer Yet They Live)

 


Sometime in June 1997 Devi was diagnosed as having lymphoma. After finishing all medical treatments she came to CA Care on 18 August 1998 and started on the Cancer Care Therapy. On 18 March 1999 we met up with Devi and documented her conditions on video tape. The following are excerpts of our conversation.

Q:  What happened to you?

 A:  I was diagnosed as having lymphoma two years ago.  There was a conflict over the treatment I was to receive.  One oncologist said I could be cured by radiation. A few others felt that chemotherapy was the best solution.  I opted for chemotherapy.

After my first dose of chemotherapy, my entire digestive system was badly affected.  I spent two weeks in hospital, dosed with morphine.  They could not discover why I was reacting that way. 

Q:  Why were you on morphine?

A:  Because I was in pain.  The moment I consumed food, I had very severe pain.  I was lying in the hospital for two weeks until one day I went berserk because I had an overdose of morphine…I was not getting any better.  I have a nice surgeon who performed the operation and when he visited me I told him that I was not getting any better.  He agreed. It doesn’t look like you are.  Do you want to be discharged?, he asked. So, I discharged myself. 

I went to a clinic that practised chelation therapy and the doctor asked me what sort of diet I was on? I was told to stop taking solid food and to go on fruits, vegetables, semi-solids and fluids. Within two days on the recommended diet, the pain was gone.

Q:  Did you take any other medication? 

A:   No. I was only on the diet, no medication whatsoever. I was on fruits, vegetables and semi-solids.  Within a month, my digestive system was back to normal.  After that month,  I had to decide whether I wanted to go back for my next course of chemotherapy. I was really afraid of even considering chemotherapy.  The doctor thought that it was best that I went back for radiotherapy.  I went for 30 cycles of radiotherapy and then an extra five cycles.

Q:  You stopped chemotherapy totally?

A:  Yes.  I did not want any chemotherapy. The radiotherapy was done five days a week, continuously. 

Q:  After the radiation, what happened to you?

A: Comparatively,  I handled the radiation quite well.  After radiation, I was sent for a scan and the doctor said there was no evidence of cancer.  That was it, I thought that was the end.  I never even conceived that the cancer (was) coming back again.  I thought I was cured. Exactly a year later, I had a relapse of the lymphoma. 

Q:  After the radiation, you thought you were cured.  Did you go back to your old diet?

A:  Yes, I went back to my old lifestyle. I forgot about the fruit juices.  I had a relapse of the cancer, this time in the abdominal region. There was no pain, but a feeling of uneasiness in the abdominal region.  I was sent for a CT scan.  They detected tumours in the abdominal region.  The doctor said radiation was out.  I went for six cycles of chemotherapy.   The problem I faced during the chemotherapy was that after each session of the chemotherapy, even for the first dose, my white blood count used to drop to 0.7 … really rock bottom.

Each time my blood count went down, I was in the hospital for at least five days.  I was given a series of injections to boost the blood count. The chemotherapy I had was one session every three weeks.  

After six sessions of chemotherapy, I went for a scan.  There was no sign of cancer. I was alright.

However, I  was feeling lost again after the chemotherapy. There was a fear in me, like what would happen if the cancer comes back.  It had come back the previous time.  Would there be any drug or anything that I could go on taking that could keep the cancer at bay? The doctor said there was really nothing that I could do. Go for a check-up, look out for signs and if there was anything, go for a scan.

Q: Did you go for check-up regularly?

A:  Yes.  Firstly, it was every month.  Then every two months. 

Q:  Why then, do you go for the herbs?

 A:  As I said earlier, after the chemotherapy that is the end of the road.  Medically, they have nothing else to offer you. When I was in the hospital I heard patients talking about the rodent tuber. But nobody had really tried it out.  So, I told myself that if medical science had nothing to offer me after this, the only other option available to me would be to move to nature. I had this feeling in me —  we are so busy trying to develop things to cure ourselves that very often we overlook that the answer to all our cures is actually out there in nature.

I felt that I had nothing to lose by trying the rodent tuber.  And that was when I came to see you.

Q:  When you came to see me, were you feeling alright?

A:  No, when I came to see you, I had just finished my six cycles of chemotherapy and I was feeling very weak. 

Q:  When you first started taking the herbs, what was your initial reaction?  Were you sceptical about it? 

A; Quite honestly, I was a bit sceptical.  But at the same time, I thought it was my only hope. When you have an illness like cancer, you would grasp at any straw that is being held out to you.

Q:  After taking the herbs, did you find confidence or get any help at all?

A:  As time went on, I could actually feel my body recovering much faster. I felt much better. I was healthier and much more alive.  I used to be half-dead.

Q:  Do you really feel better or is it just a placebo effect?

No, no, no.  I could really feel my body responding. For one thing, I could really feel, I had more energy.  When I was undergoing my chemotherapy, and when I had finished my chemotherapy, there were times when I feel like I did not want to get out of my bed.  I just got up to eat and then went back to my bed again.  But after taking the herbs, I could feel myself building up energy and I was more active.  And right now, I am healthy enough and I have even gone back to work. 

Q:  Before you took the herbs and while you were on medical treatments, did you go back to work? 

A:  No …  for seven months. 

Q:  When you were on the herbs you began to pick yourself up?

A:  Yes, I had more energy.  I was more alive and hope started to build up.  It affected me psychologically as well.  I began to feel I was getting better.  I went back to life the way it should be instead of just lying in bed. So, I started work and I am back full-time.

Q:  How many months have you already been on the herbs?

A:  About six months. 

Q:  What about your diet?

A:  I am more of a vegetarian now, I keep off red meat and sea food except for fish. I eat fruits and vegetables.  

Q:  Some people say that if I cannot take my favourite food, life if not worth living. What is your comment to that ?

A:  What I have to say to those people is, life is worth more than just your favourite food.  It is a very small sacrifice to make.  Life is much more that just food. 

Q: You were a meat eater before and now you are a vegetarian.  Many people say that if you don’t  eat meat, you have no strength.  What have you got to say about that?

A;  No, not really.  In fact, I feel much healthier now that I cut meat out of my diet.  I have not lost energy at all.

On the subject of spirituality, Devi has this to say:

Many people are sceptical about God. … You ask a lot of people and they say they do not believe in God. But one thing I do know. I noticed that what really helps me out, apart from the diet and  the herbs were religion and prayer.  They gave me a lot of inner strength and belief.  I found that it made a world of difference when I started praying, Before, I wasn’t an atheist, nor was I praying regularly. At times when I hit a real low, I would pray and I would meditate. That really helped to alleviate me out of my depression.  Sometimes, I find the relief quite instantaneously. 

Q: What kind of relief?

A: When you are talking about depression.  It just hits you.  When I was undergoing chemotherapy and my blood count dropped,  I would be so listless, I could hardly eat anything. I had a feeling that I was not going to make it. It was then that I started going into prayer and meditation.  When I finished I was more calm and the “I am not going to make it feeling” wasn’t there anymore.  You feel that you can handle this kind of thing.

Q:  You have been taking the herbs for the last six months, do you find at any one time during this period that  you feel depressed and that you are not going to make it?

A:  No.

Q:  You are confident that you are going to go through it?

A: Yes.

Q:  Do you go for your medical check-up?

A: Yes.

Q: So far so good?

 A: Yes.  I told my doctor that I was on herbal treatment, meditation and prayer.  And during the last check up, he asked me if I am still on the herbs, prayer and mediation ? … I said, yes, very religiously.  And he just laughed!

Note: As of this writing – 2011, Devi is still doing fine and is still taking the herbs!

Dying In the ICU After Surgery for Ovarian Cancer and Chemo for Lymphoma

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(May this failing be a “Guiding Light” to those who come after her)

Chinese New Year (January/February 2009) was a time of celebration. Wan, a 30-year-old, married female with a 2-year-old child, visited her mother in Kedah. She enjoyed the food that mom cooked for that day. Wan was OK then – healthy as mom’s eyes can see. But after the meal, she felt some “wind” in her stomach. Mom suggested that she consulted a doctor. She did not get to see any doctor until 2 weeks later. Unexpected, this was the beginning of a tragic road to her quick death?

Wan’s mother and auntie came to seek our help on the morning of 25 March 2009. This was what had happened.

Wan went to see a doctor in a private hospital. She was told that she had ovarian cancer and needed an operation. Wan then moved on to another private hospital believing that another doctor was better able to handle her case. On 16 February 2009, Wan underwent an operation to remove her so-called cancer in the ovary. It was a total hysterectomy. But Wan’s condition did not improve in spite of the surgery. Her stomach was still bloated. Later she became breathless. While still in the hospital for a week, her lungs were filled with fluid. The doctor tapped out the fluid and she was able to breath.

Wan was still not well. She felt heaty. Wan was referred to an oncologist of the hospital for subsequent management. This doctor said Wan’s problem was actually due to lymphoma and the primary was not the ovary. The doctor also warned that Wan must undergo chemotherapy immediately. There would be no time to wait because the cancer was aggressive and was very serious.

On Monday, 2 March 2009, Wan was started on chemotherapy. The next day (Tuesday) she was alright. However, in the early morning (about 2.30 a.m.) of Wednesday, 4 March 2009, Wan started to have pains in her abdomen. The nurse gave her an injection for gastric. Later, the pains became unbearable and she was given a pain killer injection. On the morning of Wednesday, Wan started to have diarrhea. Later she had a fit, ground her teeth, became breathless and at one time her heart stopped beating. At 10 a.m. of Wednesday she was admitted into the ICU. Her face and hands were swollen. She was given oxygen and the doctor induced her into a coma and she became unconscious. On Saturday, 21 March her lungs had “bubbles” and she could not breathe. Her doctor had to fit tubes on both side of her chest to drain fluid out.

So from 2 March until 25 March 2009, Wan was in the ICU struggling to stay alive.

Just before Wan’s mother and aunty came to see us, they were told by the doctor that Wan’s chance of survival was very minimal.  The family can expect her to die any time.

See the video and read the transcript of our conversation.

Mother: She was admitted on Sunday. On Monday they operated on her. It was a total hysterectomy. However, her tummy was still big after the operation and she was breathless. On checking they found there was fluid in her lungs. The fluid was drained. She felt better after that. But she always felt hot. It is not a fever. The air-conditioner was set at 10 degrees and she would still be perspiring. On further checking, they said it is lymphoma.

Chris: How long was she in the hospital? Has she gone home?

M: No, she hasn’t gone home at all. She is still in hospital. It’s been more than a month now.  She was there since February.

Aunty: Since the operation, she hasn’t gone home. After her lung problem, she was referred to another doctor.

C: After draining the fluid from the lungs, she was okay?

M & A: Yes

C: Why was she still in hospital?

A: Because they wanted to give her chemo.

C: She was not allowed to go home first?

A: They say cannot wait. It is a very aggressive type. It is already very serious. Chemo must be done immediately.

C: When was the chemo done?

A: Only once, on Monday.

M: After that she was alright. She was alright on Tuesday. But at night, early on Wednesday morning around 2:30 a.m., she complained of stomach pains until daybreak.  She was given injections for gastric, as well as a pain killer. She had diarrhea. Her stools were very dark. She had diarrhea again from 7.00 am to 8.00 am. She had pains in her stomach again. She asked me to get the doctor to check her quickly as she could not stand the pains anymore. She was struggling in bed, kicking the bed very hard. She was biting and grinding her teeth. It looked as if she was having a fit.

When the doctor came, I explained what had happened (the events that took place throughout the night and morning). He did a routine check on her and left. He did not answer my questions or say anything. He just left.

I was waiting for some pain killer to be administered, but later when a nurse passed by, I asked about the pain killer and she explained that the pain killer had already been given the night before. So, they could not give her another pain injection now. Then she just went away.

I then requested for my daughter to be cleaned up. And as the nurse was cleaning her, she started to feel breathless. Then suddenly her head turned to one side, and a little foamy saliva started to drool out of her mouth. I screamed and a sister came in to adjust her drip and a couple of things. Actually, her heart stopped beating for a while.

C: Her heart stopped?

M: Yes, it did. They revived her. (by banging, etc – we were not allowed to see). An hour later, about 10:00 a.m. she was brought to the ICU. She is there until today. She is still there – unconscious. When they brought her in, her face was already swollen. The neck, shoulder and arms were swollen too. She looked very different. The swelling subsided on the third day. And now, she looked very thin.

C: How is she now?

A: Still unconscious. Never wake up yet. It is already about 20 days.

M: Cannot let her wake up. She is given oxygen. When the oxygen is removed, her pressure dropped. They kept putting her to sleep. We’ve never spoken to her since she went in.

A: I spoke to the doctor. He said she cannot let her wake up as the oxygen pressure is very high. She may not be able to take the high pressure. That is why they made sure she is totally unconscious.

M: Last Saturday, they drained more fluid from her lungs. It looks like there is very little chance of saving her. This morning, the doctor told us to be prepared. The doctor said her condition is very serious and the cancer will spread very fast.

A: I was wondering why the chemo must be done when she was still so weak.

M: Actually after the operation, she was alright. She could watch television and was normal. The nurse asked her to get up and walk and she got up and walked – just a little breathless at first (Mother cried).

C: If it is possible, you can start by giving her Capsule A and Juvo (food supplement made from a variety of beans). If after 2 or 3 days, there is some progress, then we can slowly add more herbs. It is a very difficult situation. What is going to happen the next few days no one can tell. But we will try our best.

A: They already conceded they could not do anything else anymore for her.

Comments

The total cost of her treatment as of 24 March 2009 is RM 194,730.13. Indeed it is very expensive to die in this modern day scientific age.

Can any body answer this question: Her mother told us: When the doctor came, I explained what had happened (the events that took place throughout the night and morning). He did a routine check on her and left. He did not answer my questions or say anything. He just left. Why did the doctor just left without answering her question? In a similar case, Sam and his wife were coerced into consenting to a liver operation on Sam. The surgeon even hugged Sam’s wife and assured her everything was going to be alright. At the same time warned that he must be operated on immediately. But after the cancer had recurred, the surgeon became “hostile” and did not even want to talk to them. Why is this so?

There is an Arab saying: Haste is from the Devil. Wan did not even have a chance to recuperate properly from her surgery. She was immediately asked to go for chemotherapy. She was told the cancer was aggressive. How true is this? Before she came into the hospital she was alright. What made the cancer aggressive? Or is this a spin – a veiled threat to instill fear into patients so that they would agree to chemotherapy?

The doctor’s medical report indicated that Wan required an emergency dialysis. Her renal function had reversed. What had her kidney failed? What could be the cause? The toxic chemo-drugs? Wan did not have such a problem before.