Breast-Liver Cancer: Just Wait For Her Time

ST (c27) was 85 years old when she was diagnosed with left breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy on 17 December 1999. Due to her old age, no chemotherapy or radiotherapy was indicated. However, she was asked to take Tamoxifen.

In November 2003, ST complained of pains in her left chest wall and back. Clinically the doctor could not find anything significant.

A chest X-ray indicated lesion in the right lung field raising the possibility of infection or metastasis. An ultrasound of her abdomen indicated a large multiseptated cystic lesion in the left lobe measuring about 3 x 3.1 x 3.2 cm. A CT scan of the thorax indicated a mass measuring 2 x 3 x 3 cm in the posterior segment of the right upper lobe. This lesion may represent a metastasis or CA of the lung. There are a few defined cystic lesions in the liver with small calcification seen in the right lobe. This observation raised the possibility of cystic liver metastasis. There were degenerative changes of the thoracic spine.

The doctors were unable to do anything much for ST. The family was told: “Due to her age, there is no need to do anything. Just wait for her time.” ST was sent home with a supply of morphine.

Not satisfied, ST’s son brought his mother to another hospital. An oncologist prescribed her some drugs. ST became severely breathless and fainted after taking the drugs. ST had to be rushed to a hospital for emergency care.

Since modern medicine could not help her any more, ST’s son came to seek our help on 19 March 2004. He told us that his mother:

Was in pains and had to take morphine twice a day. Without the morphine her whole body was in pain.
Had no appetite.
Was constipated, and since the past one week was unable to move her bowels.

The family had left ST to the care of a nursing home since the past two months. We prescribed Capsule A and B, Liver P tea, Lung Tea and Constipation Tea.

After a few weeks on the herbs, ST did not need to take anymore morphine. Her pains were totally gone. In addition, ST was able to eat and sleep well. She would walk around by herself. ST had since left the nursing home to live by herself in her own home. She could go about doing her house chores without any help. ST continued to take the herbs.

On 2 September 2010, i.e., more than six years later, ST remained well with no complaints. She had no pains, could eat and sleep well. And up to this day is living by herself in her own home.

Listen to what her son said.

Comments

Never give up and never say die! This is the message of this story. If medicine has given up on you, don’t give up yet. Please remember what Albert Einstein – the greatest scientist of the 20^thcentury – said: Insanity is to do things over and over again and expecting different results. For an elderly person of 85, does it make sense to prescribe chemo-drugs for her? What do you expect to achieve? ST almost died because of the drugs.

Perhaps if you are open minded enough you can find someone or something else that can help you. After all there is nothing to lose but to gain by going for alternative medicine!

It is satisfying to note that after her healing, we have helped the son, grandchildren and great grandchildren of ST with our herbs. We came with problems from flu, coughs, sinus, insomnia, lactation, detoxification, etc.

Some may say, herbs are not proven. But in this case the so-called proven, scientific medicine could do nothing much anyway. Fortunately enough in this case, herbs had proven to be really beneficial to ST – beyond the imagination of any scientist. When the doctor asked the family to “wait for her time”, ST had waited for more than six years now and she is still waiting and living a healthy life. What a blessing indeed.

Breast Cancer: Medically “Cured” By Herbs But What Could Have Happened If She Continued With Chemotherapy?

NAM (T225) was 49 years old when she discovered a lump in her left breast. A tru-cut biopsy in April 2005 indicated invasive ductal carcinoma, Grade 2. She subsequently underwent a surgery at a government hospital. The HPE confirmed infiltrating ductal carcinoma. One of the axillary lymph node was positive for cancer.

On 25 May 2005, NAM underwent one cycle of chemotherapy using FEC (5-FU, Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide). She suffered total hair loss. Her heart beat was rapid and this caused breathing difficulty. Her stomach was uncomfortably “gassy.”

NAM came to seek our help on 3 June 2005. She presented with:

Pulling pains on her head.
Stomach uncomfortable due to wind.
At times, breathing was not comfortable.
Nails were dark, black circles under the eyes.

About five weeks on the herbs, NAM came back and said that the pulling pains were gone. She informed us that she had decided not to continue with the chemotherapy. She had only done one cycle and was supposed to do six.

Blood test done on 8 August 2005 showed elevated liver function values. She was prescribed liver herbs in addition to the herbs for her breast cancer. So in all, NAM had to take: Capsule A and B, LL-tea, Breast M and Liver-1 teas.

	8 Apr 05 Before chemo	8 Aug 05	5 Oct 05	7 Dec 05	23 Feb 06
ESR	8	35 H	28 H	24 H	31 H
RBC	4.5	4.0	4.5	4.3	4.2
Haemoglobin	13.4	9.9 L	11.3	11.6	11.9
Platelets	265	312	281	252	292
WBC	4.6	3.8 L	4.0	3.9 L	4.2
Alkaline phosphatase	68	93	119 H	125 H	98
AST	25	157 H	45 H	28	31
ALT	33	170 H	44	25	25
GGT	63 H	57 H	87 H	74 H	51 H
Alpha-fetoprotein	3.6	5.6	n/a	n/a	n/a
CEA	0.5	1.2	n/a	n/a	n/a
CA 15.3	14.1	6.0	n/a	6.9	5.1
CA 125	81.3 H	13.9	n/a	n/a	19.0

On 14 January 2011, NAM came back to see us and reported that she has been doing well. She looked good and had put on weight. For some time she lived in Kuala Lumpur, baby-sitting her two grandchildren.

Looking at her records over the past five plus years, there are only two significant events.

On 11 December 2005, NAM suffered from hot flashes – one of the symptoms of menopause. Her menses had stopped since May 2005 after her first cycle of chemotherapy. NAM was prescribed Menopause Pills and her problem resolved.
On 31 March 2006, NAM reported that she had her menses – the first since May 2005.

Comments

NAM has survived more than five years. Patients tell us that their doctors say if they survive five years, they are considered cured. Some patients also tell us that they spent sleepless nights looking forward to crossing this “cure-cut-off-point.” After they cross this point, some become reckless.

How wrong these people can be. Experience tells us that cancer can recur even after five years. Our auntie had lung metastasis (from cancer of cervix) after 13 years. A breast cancer survivor in our church had brain metastasis after nine years. According to Dr. Karrison, patients need to survive for 20 to 25 years before we can say they are cured (J. Nat. Cancer Inst. 91:80-85).

So, what is this idea about five years as being a cure? Know that the number five is just an arbitrary figure. There is no scientific basis for choosing this number. Dr. David Johnson, deputy director of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center explained it this way: The five-year benchmark becomes a balm for doctors and patients who find the unpredictability of their situations intolerable. Physicians are reluctant to say you might recur, so they would rather use these terms like: “OK, in five years, you’ll be cured.”

So, in reality, to say that medicine cannot cure cancer is unthinkable. And to ask patients to wait 20 to 25 years before being considered cure is far too long a wait. Surely, these truths, if revealed, would be bad for business!

NAM had her first cycle of chemotherapy. She suffered badly. Her liver functions were derailed. She decided to stop further chemotherapy. And even without chemotherapy she survived. The herbs and healthy diet helped her.

According to normal protocol, in a case like NAM’s, in addition to six cycles of chemotherapy, she would probably have to undergo radiation plus consuming Tamoxifen, knowing that one of her lymph was positive for cancer. Let us pose this question: What could have happened if NAM were to continue with her six cycles of chemotherapy or undergo all those treatments? Would she be around today? Probably yes, or probably not. Or, even if she is around, could she have collected more cancer in other parts of her body, such as bone, liver or lung? Or even brain? Read what we wrote about the many failed medical treatment for breast cancer.

The most important message of this case is not about who wins or who loses; who is right or who is better. Take note that even if NAM has so far survived her breast cancer, we did warn her not to be complacent. She would have to continue doing what she has been doing all these years. Do not deviate from this healing path. Keep going and be happy.

Breast Cancer: Ilani’s Message – Learn from my mistake, do not go for chemo

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 24, 2011): The chairman of the Committee to Promote Inter-Religious Understanding and Harmony, Datuk Ilani Isahak, died today after fighting against breast cancer for the past five years. Ilani, 58, breathed her last at about 6 a.m. at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (PPUKM). Source: http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=57980

The Star reported: Interfaith Relations Working Committee chairman Datuk Ilani Isahak died after a three-year battle against breast cancer. Ilani had been in hospital since Jan 23. The entire family was with her when she took her last breath,” her brother Dr Amir Farid Isahak said. Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/2/24/nation/20110224105738&sec=nation http://www.thestaronline.com/news/story.asp?file=/2011/2/25/nation/8137635&sec=nation

HER BROTHER EXPLAINED

On 2 March 2011, I received an e-mail from Dr. Amir Farid. I requested Dr. Amir’s permission to reproduce his e-mail (minus his name of course). This was his reply: “Yes you can quote me, with my name. That will provide credibility compared to an anonymous quote.” So here it goes, his e-mail to me. Salam, Thanks for the sharing, and also the many articles which you have written that have been invaluable resource for me. My articles to the Star are censored when it comes to criticizing chemotherapy. Fortunately they cannot censor everything, so some still get thru. I am especially upset because my own sister Dato Hajjah Ilani just died last week after undergoing three years of chemo. She followed everything the oncologist prescribed. Each time, after discussing with me, she would decide “no more chemo”, but after the next visit with the oncologist, she would tell me “the oncologist said it is absolutely necessary that I go for the chemo, so I agreed”. In three years she had many courses of chemo. She also had many doses of Herceptin, which was wrongly given because they later told her that her report was wrong. She had several doses of Avastin, which was withdrawn for use in breast cancer by US FDA in Dec 2010 because the damage outweighed any potential good. You can imagine what devastation all these did to her body. She had chemo till Dec 2010. Only when she was in bad shape in Jan 2011 did she decide no more chemo. By that time the oncologists also decided that she was a hopeless case and good for palliative care only. At her death bed, she told me “learn from my mistake, do not go for chemo”. Do you think Star will ever print if I relate this? No way. Unfortunately, many more will be convinced by their oncologists that chemo is “absolutely necessary”.

Dr Amir

(Note: Dr. Amir Farid Isahak is a senior medical consultant/gynecologist. He is also a Qigong Master and Reiki Master. He was the Founding President of Guolin Qigong Association Malaysia and was also the Vice-President of the Malaysian Reiki Association).

A RESPONSE FROM A READER

Dear Dr Amir, Sorry to hear about your sister Ilani’s passing. Having also lost a sister to breast cancer (helped by chemotherapy, of course) I can imagine how you feel … all I can tell you is that it will not be easy for you from now on, especially from your “privileged” position as a doctor who believes in complementary medicine. And because we are in the “bizness of helping people with cancer” be prepared for being quizzed … How come, you couldn’t help your own sister uh? Welcome to the club. Personally, I learned a lot from my sister’s experience which I use freely to motivate other cancer patients. I guess you will be doing the same with your sister’s “amanat”. They have moved on from their sojourn here on earth and may Allah bless their souls and grant them peace. K

COMMENTS

Thanks Doc. for sharing with us. Dato Hajjah Ilani was not the only person who died after a failed war. There were (and are going to be) many more patients like her. My only response to this episode is to lift up my hands in despair. But of course, I am not going to give up! Dato Illani’s message was: Learn from my mistake, do not go for chemo. And we are going to tell the world just that! But first let me say this loud and clear: It is not for me or CA Care to tell you, cancer patient, what to do – to go or not to go for chemo. It has to be your own decision. Our responsibility is to provide you with credible information. Read them and then make your own decision. It is your life and it is you and only you who will benefit or suffer from the decision that you have made. This is what it looks like if a chemo-drug spills onto your unprotected hand. What happens when a bottleful of this drug is pumped into your body?

This is what it looks like if doctors “messed” you up.

Picture below: Seventy-three-year-old Indonesia underwent a mastectomy. Three months (not years!) later her cancer recurred. She underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The treatments were stopped half way because she was weak and was unable to walk. Is this the so-called scientifically proven method? Better than snake oil? What if you just DO NOTHING?

Some of you may tell me: “But you are biased. You only write about the bad things … what about the good side of chemo? “Perhaps you may be right! After all the patients who come and see me are generally the failed cases – after the chemo or radiation could not save them anymore! The successful patients do not come and see me anyway. Excuse me, I get to see only the ugly side of medical treatments.

However, my question is: “Why are there so many bad cases?” Can’t the so-called scientific medicine do better than that? Then again I want to ask: “How wrong or skewed am I – if at all I am biased?”

EVIDENCE AND EXPERT OPINION

I suggest that you visit our website: https://cancercaremalaysia.com/category/breast-cancer/ before you cast the first stone. Read and hear for yourself what many others with breast cancer have got to say.

Then read books about breast cancer. Let us start off with the following:

In my book, CA Care Experience with BREAST CANCER, I have answered this most important question: How effective is chemotherapy? Let me quote what I wrote:

Graeme Morgan & Associates (Clinical Oncology 16:549-560; 2004) wrote:

The overall contribution of curative and adjuvant chemotherapy to 5-year survival in adults was estimated to be 2.3% in Australia and 2.1% in the USA.

In Australia, of the 10,661 people who had breast cancer only 164 people survived 5 years due to chemotherapy. This works out to 1.5% contribution of chemotherapy to survival.

Eva Segelov in an editorial (Australian Presciber 29:2-3; 2006) suggested that:

Chemotherapy has been oversold. Chemotherapy has improved survival by less than 3% in adults with cancer.

M. Veroort & Associates (British J Cancer 19:242-247; 204) concluded that:

Breast cancer mortality reduction caused by present-day practice of adjuvant tamoxifen and chemotherapy is 7%.

Guy Faguet (The War on Cancer: An anatomy of failure …) wrote:

An objective analysis of cancer chemotherapy outcomes over the last three decades reveals that, despite vast human and financial expenditures, the cell-killing paradigm had failed to achieve its objective … and the conquest of cancer remains a distant and elusive goal.
Chemotherapy for cancer is based on flawed premises with an unattainable goal, cytotoxic chemotherapy in its present form will neither eradicate cancer not alleviate suffering.

In my book, Understanding Cancer War and Cure, I quoted the following experts:

Dr. John Lee, author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer, wrote:

Chemotherapy is an attempt to poison the body just short of death in the hope of killing the cancer before the entire body is killed.
- Most of the time it doesn’t work.

Alan Levin, professor of immunology, University of California Medical School said:

Most cancer patients in this country die of chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy does not eliminate breast, colon or lung cancers.
This fact has been documented for over a decade.
Yet doctors still use chemotherapy for these tumours.
Women with breast cancer are likely to die faster with chemotherapy than without it.

In the book, Enter the Zone, Dr. Barry Sears wrote:

Everybody knows that our present cancer drugs are lousy ~ Wolfgang Wrasidlo, director of drug development, Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California, pg. 164
The existing treatments for cancer are probably the most barbaric in modern medicine, pg. 166.

Nearer home, a renowned oncologist of Singapore wrote this in the The Straits Times, Mind Your Body Supplement, Page 22, 29 November 2006:

Oncology is not like other medical specialties where doing well is the norm. In oncology, even prolonging a patient’s life for three months to a year is considered an achievement.
Achieving a cure is like striking a jackpot.
Not all cancers can be cured.

For a patient to receive a cure is like striking a jackpot. Get that? But, take a pause and ask: Who is more likely to hit the jackpot first? Patients or oncologists? Read this story: https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2011/03/01/breast-cancer-she-died-even-after-multi-million-dollar-medical-bill/

My final comment, Beware of the Propaganda by the Mass Media

Do you think the newspapers, magazines and TV news reports present medical information fairly and objectively? Think again.

Medical propaganda is rampant. Its goal is to mislead, confuse and coerce you into supporting conventional medicine and enhancing the cancer industry’s spoils of war ~ Burton Goldberg, An alternative medicine definitive guide to cancer.

Breast Cancer: She Died Even After Multi-Million-Dollar-Medical Bill

We spent the last weekend of February 2011 in Singapore. Actually the trip was to attend a church wedding ceremony of a friend’s daughter. At the same time we had the privilege of being “pampered” by the hospitality of Im’s brother, who lives in Singapore. He put us in a hotel in Raffles City. We could see the amazing city of Singapore from our room on the 54^th floor. We took time to window-shop. Through the glass windows we could see watches on display. One showed a price tag of S$150,000 a piece! Wow, such an amazing price! In short it is always wow, wow and wow when it comes to Singapore.

Another wow struck me the next morning. The Sunday Straits Times of 27 February has a banner headline: Doctor’s charges: How much is too much?

BACKGROUND STORY

There is an ongoing case of medical fraud making the headlines of leading newspapers. A well renowned surgeon of Singapore, Dr. Susan Lim, is accused of over blowing the medical bill of a Bruneian patient.

Read more: Dr. Lim Embarrassed the Medical Fraternity http://topnews.net.nz/content/212192-dr-lim-embarrassed-medical-fraternity

The total medical bills that Dr. Susan Lim charged this special patient are as follows:

In 2004 total of $2.8 million
In 2005 total of $3.8 million
In 2006 total of $7.5 million
In 2007 total of $24.8 million

So what is a fair and reasonable fee a renown doctor can charge his/her patient? These are the figures given by the various medical doctors of Singapore:

Dr. Hong Ga Sze said a reasonable daily fee is $1,000 to $2,000 per day.
Dr. Tan Yew Oo, oncologist at Gleneagles Cancer Centre said $10,000 to $20,000 per day.
Professor Soo Khee Chee, head of the National Cancer Centre said $100,000 a day is fine and agreed that on a day Dr. Susan Lim could have charged as much as $450,00 per day.

Don’t you think these figures are worth many, many, many wows?

It is further reported that for the period from January 15 to June 16, the total bill charged by Dr. Susan Lim amounted to $26 million. It did not include work done by Dr Lim and her team in Brunei in June and July of that year. In early August, Dr Lim, decided to waive some charges effectively halving the amount owed. In November that year, she decided to waive her fees entirely, charging the patient only the third party payments which amounted to slightly over $3 million.

MORE OF THE SUSAN LIM SAGA

That Sunday afternoon we flew home to Penang. I was rather curious about this Susan Lim Saga and started to surf the net for more information. These are some of the information I managed to gather.

Who is the surgeon?

A Brunei online newsportal, Brudirect News, had this report: Singapore Doc Probed For Charging Millions Of $$ From Bruneian. Dr Susan Lim is a famous surgeon who carried out Singapore’s first liver transplant about two decades ago. She has two clinics, Susan Lim Surgery, at the Gleneagles and Mount Elizabeth medical centres. Her clinic’s website lists her also as a transplant surgeon and Visiting Professor at Blizard Institute of Cell & Molecular Sciences, Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, and a Fellow of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

Who is the patient?

Reportedly, the victim was the late Pengiran Anak Hajah Damit, the younger sister of the Queen of Brunei and cousin of the Sultan. She had breast cancer and was treated by Dr. Lim from 2001 until she died in August 2007.

Read more: Doctor bumped up $500 bill to $93,500 AsiaOnline http://health.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20110224-265072.html

How figures were inflated

An article, Straits Times on 24 February 2011, had this headline: Surgeon inflated $400 bill to $211,000. http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_638329.html#

The article said:

A specialist who treated surgeon Susan Lim’s patient sent a bill for $400. She marked it up to $211,000 when she billed the Brunei High Commission here.
Another doctor charged $500, but Dr Lim bumped that up to $93,500.
Yet another bill for $3,000 was raised to $285,100.
Shockingly, when the patient got admitted to the intensive care unit, she asked for $450,000 for the first day and $250,000 for the subsequent four days, in the name of “monitoring services”.

Read more: Dr. Lim Embarrassed the Medical Fraternity http://topnews.net.nz/content/212192-dr-lim-embarrassed-medical-fraternity

Online USA News: Susan Lim Singapore Medical Council http://www.onlineusanews.com/susan-lim-singapore-medical-council-11491.php

WHAT BLOGGERS SAY

1. The Great Singapore Rip off – Medical Tourism and the Dr Susan Lim Saga

With specialists like Dr Susan Lim and some members of her fraternity saying doctors can, when warranted, charge up to S$300,000 a day in fees, Singapore can well forget about emerging as the healthcare destination for those in need of medical attention. Dr Lim has become a symbol of extreme greed. The amount was not just astronomical by any stretch of imagination but was loaded with fraud. For instance, when she brought in a specialist outside of her domain, he charged less than S$1,000. But she produced a bill of more than S$300,000 for the Brunei royal family. I think this involves a combination of greed, criminality and stupidity.

2. I was also shocked …

I was also shocked to read the testimony by Dr. Soo Khee Chee, head of the National Cancer Center, that a fee of $100,000 a day was fine and, in Susan Lim’s case, it was all right for the fee to be $300,000, without the extras, for a particular day’s consultation. How does the head of a publicly funded speciality center get the impression that this is an acceptable level of fee? No wonder, Singaporeans are “frightened” about their medical bills. They must have heard stories of these astronomical fees. There is an important lesson from this case. After the patient spend $26 million, the patient still died. No amount of money can reverse the inevitable.

For a wealthy family who can afford the high cost, it is all right to spend the money. However, for the vast majority of ordinary families who are not extremely wealthy, they should not be spending $100,000 or more for treatment that have a low chance of success. It is better to let nature takes its course.

Read more: Angry Patient http://easyapps.sg/sgep/admin/file.aspx?id=58

3. Most doctors doesn’t see anything wrong with Dr Susan Lim’s fees

The problem with Singapore doctors is that they are in the profession for the money. Many medical professionals in other countries are doctors because of a desire to help their fellow human beings. The money, although nice, was a secondary consideration. Many sinkie doctors are also from privileged families, and were told to become doctors so as to be rich and prestigious for their families. Ever seen sinkie doctors do this? They are too busy charging outrageous fees to Indons, Malaysians, etc.

When you go and see a doctor in Singapore next time, ask yourself whether they are in it for the money or really in it for your welfare.

4. Dr Susan Lim: The High Cost of Living … Unwell

The infamous doctor in this outrageous case (yes, the news has reached as far as New Zealand–and not just Brunei & Singapore) is a surgeon, Dr Susan Lim. According to her website, she is the first Singaporean & also the youngest Fellow of Trinity College. Oh, and she has a Wikipedia article about her too! I guess all these may lead to the ridiculously high bill?!?!
And the sad irony is despite all these fantastic amount of money involved, the patient still died of her breast cancer.
Surgeon Susan Lim treated a patient linked to the Brunei palace for seven months in 2007. Her bill: $24.8 million.
Dr Lim also charged the patient for cancelling two conferences, on top of treatment fees, with one bill costing $78,000 and the other up to $180,000.
She also charged between $35,000 and $45,000 a day when her employees accompanied the patient for radiotherapy sessions at the hospital, the newspaper reported.
When the patient was in intensive care for five days in May 2007, she was attended to by the doctors and nurses and for that, Dr Lim charged $450,000 for the first day and $250,000 for the other four days for “monitoring services”, according to Straits Times.

Comments

I was baffled when I saw the $150,000 watch at the poshy shop – who on earth is going to buy such an expensive item? But I am sure there are buyers, otherwise the shop would not have displayed so many of them. Space cost a lot of money in Singapore! Then I looked at what I wore. I only have a less-than- $50 watch! And I am proud of it. I had it for many years now and I have not missed any of my plane flights yet – meaning my $50-watch has not failed me at all. I wonder what is the difference between my cheap watch and that expensive one?

Besides the watch, today, I have also learned that medical treatments can be extraordinarily expensive in Singapore. It can amount to millions of dollars. I have heard of many expensive charges before but not as expensive as this one. Some years ago, someone sent his wife for leukemia treatment in Singapore. He spent about RM 1.8Million on her treatments. But, at the end his wife also died. The royal patient incurred millions on her medical bills and she also died. Not much difference from my $50-watch.

Let me repeat what Angry blogger wrote: “After the patient spend $26 million, the patient still died. No amount of money can reverse the inevitable. For a wealthy family who can afford the high cost, it is all right to spend the money. However, for the vast majority of ordinary families who are not extremely wealthy, they should not be spending $100,000 or more for treatment that have a low chance of success. It is better to let nature takes its course.”

Perhaps he is right. When we have no money to throw around, it is better to let nature takes its course.

It is not for me to comment on the ethics, morality or the right or wrong of the above saga. I believe each of us lives our life guided by our own moral compass. Fairness, morality, etc. are but perceptions and they reflect our upbringing. I came from a poor family. My mother taught me to be thrifty since I was small. So please excuse me for wearing a $50-watch.

When cancer patients come to see me, I too want to try to save as much money for them – just the way my mother taught me to be thrifty with what I have. I fully understand that patients want the best – but the best may not necessarily be the most expensive. I wonder how much better is a $150,000 watch compared to my $50-watch? There is a good lesson which cancer patients can learn from this story. When consulting infamous experts ask them these questions:

Can you cure my cancer?
What would be the total cost?
Are there side effects associated with the treatments?

Then make your decision wisely after critically evaluating the answers given.

When we started CA Care in 1995, I was mindful of the “get-rich” temptation that we may encounter as we become more effective and well-known. After all I am also as educated as those experts. I am a Ph.D. and was a full Professor in the University. I was awarded a research fellowship by the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany and also the Matsumae International Foundation of Japan. So, I am not short of valid credentials. For the past fourteen years, I have counseled thousands of cancer patients. Sometime I would spend many hours with a patient to help him/her through his/her problem. I would fly to Kuala Lumpur and stay for two days there helping patients. For all these, I accept NO consultation fees – it is all for free.

To ensure that I would not stray and remain true to our mission, I adopted this prayer for CA Care.

Make us Lord,
An instrument of Your love and a light in the path of darkness.
To those who are lost, help us show a way
To those in despair, let there be Hope
To those in sadness, let there be Joy.

Grant us Lord,
Wisdom to do things rightly,
Strength to humbly help others, and
Courage to resist greed and self-glorification.

Throughout all these years, when I wake up each morning, I would say this short prayer: Today, show me Lord Your way. So help me Lord. And let Your will be done.

P/S A medical doctor who read this post wrote me this message:

Dr Susan Lim saga – all the riches in the world can’t buy happiness. Her greed will eat her up someday.

Update:

Susan Lim issued bills in ‘arbitrary, opportunistic’ manner

SINGAPORE – The Court of Three Judges, after analysing the bills issued by Dr Susan Lim, said the invoices were issued in an “unsystematic, arbitrary and, ultimately, opportunistic manner”. Dr Lim has lost her battle to overturn her conviction for overcharging a royal patient from Brunei. Dr Lim faced a total of 94 charges of professional misconduct …. found her guilty of professional misconduct over the $24 million bill.

http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/susan-lim-issued-bills-arbitrary-opportunistic-manner