What if you were told to remove one kidney because of your cancer? That’s okay. I have a patient and friend,  who had a kidney removed because of his cancer. He took herbs and was on our diet. He is living a good life for the past sixteen years.

But what if you were told to remove one and a half of your kidneys? That would be a dilemma. The remaining one half kidney may not function. You may need to go on dialysis for the rest of your life.

And what if removing your kidney does not really solve your cancer problem? Surgery does not cure cancer. It just buys you time. Cancer can recur. What if the cancer recurs? That means you need the toxic chemotherapy treatment besides having to undergo dialysis to keep you alive.

What if you live in a place where you are not sure if there is a “good” dialysis facility? That is not your doctor’s problem anymore. 

I am not “cooking” up these questions. I had to deal with this problem not long ago – while I was on a vacation. I received this email on 20 November 2011.

To: Dr. Chris K.H. Teo,

My father had been diagnosed with kidney cancer. I am now confused as to what to do. A friend recommended me to see Dr. Teo. Hopefully Dr. Teo can help. We are now in Singapore, if it is possible to meet, I will be looking for flights to Penang today. Thank you. (Translated from Indonesian)

Knowing that he was desperate, I told him to come and see me as soon as I was back in Malaysia. So on 24 November 2011, SK and his two sons came to Penang. Below is our conversation that day.

SK’s problem started about two years ago. He had blood in his urine. He consulted an urologist who prescribed him medication. The problem disappeared. Then in May 2011, there was again blood in his urine.

An ultrasound of his abdomen on 27 May 2011 indicated a 67.2 x 64.2 mm mass in his right kidney and a 70.5 x 56.0 mm mass in his left kidney.

SK was again prescribed medication and the problem disappeared after taking it. In mid-November 2011, SK again had blood in his urine. Accompanied by his two sons, SK went to Singapore for further consultation.

A CT scan done on 16 November 2011 indicated a large mass, 6.7 x 8.4 x 7 cm in size in the left kidney. The right kidney has a nodular mass, 6.6. x 4.9 x 6.4 cm in size. Appearances are highly of bilateral renal neoplasm.

A blood test on 16 November 2011 showed elevated creatinine (141.0) level. His alkaline phosphatase was at 165 (high) and GGT at 228 (high). Other parameters, including AFP, CEA and PSA, were within normal range.

A bone scan done on 21 November 2011 indicated no conclusive evidence of any bony metastases.

Based on the above, the doctor in Singapore said he was 95 percent sure that SK has kidney cancer. SK was asked to undergo an operation to remove the tumours in both his kidneys. This would involve removing one and a half kidneys. There is a 50:50 chance that the remaining one half of the other kidney may not function after the surgery. If this happens, SK would have to be on dialysis. In spite of this set back, the doctor said the tumours must be removed.

SK and his sons refused further medical treatment. SK told us, “What the doctor offered me is not going to solve my problems.” He opted for our therapy. On 24 November 2011, SK was prescribed Capsule A and B, Liver Tea, Kidney Tea, Detox+ WF Tea and Lung Tea. While back in Indonesia, we kept in touch via e-mails through his son.

E-mail Communication

1 December 2011

I wish to inform you about my father’s condition. After taking the herbs for 6 days and following your diet recommendation, he felt weak, sweat very frequently, lost his appetite, felt nauseous. Are these expected?

Reply: Continue taking the herbs and let me know what happen after one more week.

2 December  2011

Today my father vomited and could not eat anything. After eating he vomited. He felt nauseous. Should he continue taking the herbs? Because of the vomiting he cannot even drink the herbal teas. Please advise.

Reply: Okay. Take Capsule A only. Then see what happen after that. If okay, drink Detox tea + WF + Capsule A – see what happen. Let me know. Chris.

9 December 2011 

I wish to inform you about my father conditions:

a)      After stopping Capsule B, his stomach felt better, he vomited less but he still vomited at night.

b)      His whole body was very uncomfortable – very tired, sweating, blurred vision, dizzy when standing up. Are these the side effects of the herbs?

c)       Now my father is taking: Capsule A (1 capsule, 3 times per day), Energy and Kidney Teas. He does not take: Capsule B, Detox tea + WF, Liver and Lung teas. What is your advice? Should continue or stop any one of them?

d)      After 10 days on the herbs, we did a blood test. The results are attached. Please have a look if there is any improvement? What do you think?

Reply:

a)  He should not have such side effects – is he the kind of person who is fussy about his food? Difficult and selective about the taste of food?

b) Feeling of discomforts is because of his stomach? Any gastric problem before? Did he take Capsule A + B with honey water?

c) What about his blood pressure? His blood counts were low but I don’t expect such problems.

d) I have no other way. If you take the herbs and they are not helpful, go and find someone else to help you.

e) Go to this link and read what it takes to be a winner. http://cancercareindonesia.com/2011/09/11/kanker-paru-otak-suatu-penyembuhan-yang-tidak-mungkin-1-harapan-setelah-suatu-bencana-empat-puluh-siklus-kemoterapi-iressa-tarceva-dan-sutent-tid      Read this carefully.

f) Don’t expect after taking the herbs for 10 days the blood test results are going to be better. 

15 December 2011

Dr. Chris. Thank you for the information. My father is improving. He is now taking all the herbs, except Capsule B as you have suggested. In the next 5 days our herbs are going to be finished and we plan to come and see you on 21 December 2011. Would you be able to see us?

Reply:  Okay come and see me, 10.30 a.m. Chris 

Second Visit to CA Care – 22^rd – 23 December 2011

SK, his wife and son came to CA Care after taking herbs for three weeks. On the second week of taking the herbs, he experienced healing crisis. He had more problems and was not getting better but these problems gradually resolved by themselves. If you know more by what we need by healing crisis, click on this link: https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2012/01/18/healing-crisis/ 

E-mail Communication 

6 January 2012

The e-Therapy machine is helping all my family members, including me. All of us are using the machine. Day by day my father’s condition, after coming back, is getting better. Now, his appetite is getting better, physically he looks more fresh and energetic. We celebrated Christmas eve by watching the movie at the cinema. He was so excited at the moment. Thank you for your advice and support, Dr. Chris. GBU

Reply:  Very good and happy to hear that. Yes, make your father happy always. Please let me know the following:

a) Before he vomited, now does he still vomit?

b) Any pain in the stomach?

c) Does the machine help him with the stomach problem? I asked you to use the program for Stomach function program.

d) Is there any pain any where?

Thanks so much and keep well always. Chris

6 January 2012

Yes, I hope day by day will be better and better.

a) No, a day after coming back from Penang he felt better with his stomach. He told me that after winds came out from his stomach, he felt so good. He never needs to take the Vomit herb until now.

b) He said that there is no pain in his stomach, but he felt so much wind in there.

c)  After coming back from Penang, and after he felt better with his stomach, he never used the Stomach function program at all. He does the cancer programs only.

d) According to him, there is a little pain in his kidney (more in the right kidney), the pains  comes just sometimes. 

Reply: Thanks so much for your answer. I am happy to note that he is not vomiting anymore. And he continues to take the other herbs? Chris

7 January 2012

Yes, he takes all the herbs: Energy, Liver-P, Kidney, Lung, Capsule A & B, Detox tea. And he is doing the machine program like you taught me. Morning, midday and at night – everyday.

Reply: One more question — After he took all the herbs — did he vomit this time? Before he came and saw me the second time and before using the machine —- he vomited after taking herbs or even drinking something. Now is he , no vomit? Chris

7 January 2012

Morning Dr. Chris,

Alright, no vomiting anymore. Even after taking the Capsule B (before you suggested that he stop taking it because he vomited after taking Capsule B).  Now he is taking all the herbs, except Vomit Tea.

Reply: Great and thanks. Chris 

15 January 2012

Dr. Chris,

My father vomited again this night. He told me there was a lot of gas in his stomach. Morning and mid-day he felt good, but in the night not good (every day). What do you think? Is it the effect after take capsule B? Your opinion please.
Thank you.

Reply: Can you try #72 -Stomach problem and there is also #124 Stomach Gas. Try one first and see what happens. Then later try another and see what happens. I think his stomach is not good. Let me know. Chris

16 January 2012 

What happen to the vomit now? Chris

20 January 2012

Dr. Chris,

My father is not vomiting anymore.

Reply: Okay thank you — next time you know what to do if he vomits again. You use the machine for his vomit? Chris 

26 January 2012

Hello Dr.Chris,

Happy Chinese New Year. Yes, my dad used the machine for his vomit. Thanks.

Comments 

This is indeed a sad story. I fully empathize with SK. He was in limbo having to choose between the “devil and the deep blue sea.” As a rule, any patient who comes to us with kidney tumour will be told to go back to his/her doctor for surgery. Get the diseased kidney out! Then come to us for herbs. But in this case, it is not possible for me to say that to SK. If surgery can ensure that the cancer does not recur and spread to other organs then I am tempted to “push” him towards surgery.  At least SK will end up with only just a problem –dialysis for the rest of his life. But what if the cancer comes back, example to his lung? Chemo would be the obvious answer! I have fully explained this scenario to SK and his two sons.

As you can hear from our conversation, SK and his family have already decided to decline further medical intervention. The treatment plan proposed by the Singapore does not make sense to him. Likewise, I tell all patients – evaluate what your doctor has got to offer you – if it makes sense, go for it. If it does not make sense, don’t go for it! It is your responsibility to make whatever decision that you are most comfortable with.

Sometimes before making a decision, it is wise for patients or their loved ones to “read and read”. Don’t just listen and believe what your doctor or friends said. Find the necessary information yourself, if you can. In this way, at least you can go to the “battle” well prepared.

This is exactly what I did in SK’s case. To be better informed, I searched the internet for the answers to the questions below. And you will be surprised that there are many others asking the same questions and there are equally many others who are willing to share their own experiences with you.

1. Could You Live Without Your Kidneys?

• A person can live with only one functioning kidney if the other is diseased or has been removed. But no one can live without both kidneys, unless he undergoes almost daily treatments on a dialysis machine.
• I recently had both kidneys removed and only require dialysis 3 times a week for 4 hours each visit. In each session I filter approx 68 litres of blood. I have to take tablets for blood pressure as well as other conditions and can only drink 500ml of fluid a day as I no longer make any pee. I have a low potassium, sodium and phosphate diet. So yes, you can live without kidneys, but it’s not straightforward or easy.
• I don’t have any kidneys and I haven’t had any for 6 years now. I do my dialysis 3 days in a week for 5 hours at a time.
• About 9 months ago I had both kidneys removed. I need dialysis 4 times a week for 4 hours. I can drink 0. 5 litre to 1 liter per day, but for example I drank about 8 liter last weekend. Drink-throw up, drink-throw up, drink-throw up – that’s the answer.
• I currently have half a kidney on one side and one 3rd on the other half of my body. So I don’t have one full kidney. I am still living an awesome life … doing anything I want.

2.   So, what is your life like on dialysis?

• Obviously it is going to be a life changing thing but something that we must learn to cope with and becomes part of our life. No one would choose dialysis versus normal functioning kidneys. However without dialysis life is not possible at all. There are risks of taking off too much fluid or not enough fluid. There are risks of infection, both blood infections and infections of the fistula.  Again, no one volunteers to do dialysis but it is definitely better than dying from renal failure. In my experience, patients usually learn to cope well and make it a “normal part of life”.
• I went on dialysis at age 45 and did very well. Most of the time I felt very good. I was in good shape. Here is what worked for me. I was very compliant with my treatment. I did not skip dialysis sessions and I didn’t end them before my time on the machine was done. I followed the diet, which can make a big difference in how you feel.  I did not have fluid restrictions. I took all my medicines. I had very good doctors and an extremely good nursing team at dialysis. I tried to educate myself about dialysis & kidney disease.
• My brother suffered total kidney failure and had to go on dialysis. He feels constantly tired and generally ill, he’s on a massively strict diet plan (rule of thumb: if it’s nice, you probably can’t have it). Although he can do occasional driving work on my uncle’s farm, anything more than a half-day’s worth leaves him exhausted.
• My mom was on dialysis. My mom has said she would rather die than do dialysis again. The restrictive diet was really hard especially the drinking less liquid part of it. Having said all that her Doctors were quite firm with her that she should continue working and have as normal a life as a possible while doing the dialysis, they said and I can see this to be true, that removing the things that normalize her life would make her more prone to depression and more apt to feel awful about her treatment. So she continued to work.
• I am a 37 yr old female. To be perfectly honest I HATE dialysis, I hate having to sit in a chair for 3 and a half hours,  bored, and  senseless out of my mind, hardly a soul to talk to, having to sit without moving in case the stupid perm-a-cath in my neck decides to play up, the fact my pulse races anywhere up to and over 150. If it wasn’t for my husband, son and mum and dad I think I would just tell them to get lost and do without it. I am starting to hate Monday, Wednesday and Friday – the days in between aren’t much better. If I am not out in hot flushes in throwing up, but because of my family I keep going.
• Deciding not to do dialysis is not suicide!!! It’s natural. I personally do not do well on dialysis but I see other people that do better. No one in my center is happy about being there especially me. On dialysis days I go from 5:30 am to 8:30 am. I can’t drive after this because it takes such a toll on me so my husband picks me up and takes me home and goes back to work. I am down for the day. They next day I feel a little better so I get some house work done and cook dinner for 2 days in advance. I always said I would not do dialysis but here I am doing it with the hope of getting a transplant and that is the only reason I have continued for 5 months. My quality of life stinks. I have nothing to look forward to. It is starting to take a toll financially. My marriage is suffering in several ways. So what I am living for is not to disappoint other people. I feel like a burden. I want my life back.
• My brother has been on dialysis for 5 years now and is 24. The only thing that bothers him about dialysis is it can become an inconvenience. It does make him weaker and very tired, but only on the day he has it, and this usually only lasts a few hours. But as most people have said there is a fluid intake limit and if the patient exceeds this limit it can have side effects such as sickness. The machine affects everyone differently.
• I have been on dialysis for almost three years. At first I liked going because it made me feel so much better. Then it was annoying and boring. Then I hated it with a passion and resented having to go. Now I just accept it and go, trying to make the best of it with books, CDs and my portable DVD player. Those three days a week make the rest of my life possible. On the regular days, I am reasonably energetic, I exercise and eat well, so I look as healthy as anyone else, maybe more so.

3.   How long can a person live on dialysis?

• Until they die.
• I’m 62 yrs old and have Agent Orange Cancer and diabetes type 2. I will be stopping dialysis, just too tired to keep going. Yes I know that it is death warrant but it is time to let go.
• My wife is on dialysis. I have heard of people being on it for over twenty years, So, if you take care of yourself, it should be able to go indefinitely if needed.
• I have been living with dialysis for the past 24yrs (I am 43yrs old) and I still doing quite well.
• So how long can a person live on dialysis. As long as they need to, or as long as they want to, or as long as they can. It’s just like how long can you live at all. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, regardless of their health!
• My great aunt has been on dialysis for about 15 years! She’s living a long and healthy life so far. As of now, she is 89 years old!
• The answer to that varies with individual. I have been on dialysis for 3 1/2 years now. It has been a horrific experience. One, the big dialysis machines (hemo) WILL KILL YOU. They beat you senseless so you have the shakes the rest of the day and get NO sleep at night. So you just sort of try and recover the next day, so you can get pasted all over again. Two, have a career? Forget IT. Once you have been tagged as a sicky you are going nowhere fast, no matter your degrees or training. Three, hemo dialysis just weakens you in the short run, medium run, and long run so other diseases can take hold. The person who answered that you can have a long productive life on dialysis is a quack. probably one of these quack doctors in the field. They probably never did one hour on dialysis. YOU WANT REALITY? Take it from a REAL patient.
• My father just passed away last month, he had dialysis for almost ten years. I can see him getting weaker and weaker each day. Finally his heart became so weak that he cannot take dialysis anymore.
• There are a lot of good answers in here. Unfortunately, it’s tough to give an accurate number since every case is different. One patient might make it for 20+ years, another might not make it to 4. A lot depends on how well the person takes care of themselves during dialysis and how much kidney function they have left. It seems to me, the less kidney activity you have the worse off you’re going to be.

Outlook of Kidney Cancer

The prognosis for kidney cancer is usually good when a single kidney is removed and the cancer is at its early stage. If both kidneys are removed or the remaining kidney does not function well enough, patients need hemodialysis or a kidney transplant. Unfortunately kidney cancer has a tendency to reoccur after surgery. When that happens, the game is virtually over because metastatic kidney cancer is generally resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

You may then ask, “So what can CA Care has got to offer?” As I have always said to patients. “We have nothing to cure your cancer – for whatever cancer you have!” Go to your doctor if you want a cure. Go to your doctor if you want to put up a good “fight” with your cancer. Come to us if you want healing. At CA Care we teach you how to live with your cancer and with our herbs and change of lifestyle and diet, hopefully these will help restore your health.  We hope to help rebuild your life so that you can still continue to live a pain-free and   meaningful life without fear. We want you to recognise that death is an inevitable part of life. Therefore you should be living your life without fear. Don’t you not realize that the day we are born, we are destined to die? No one can escape this ultimate destiny. Medicine cannot win over death no matter how heroic your doctor’s effort is or how great the technology applied is. Rather than fight, let’s accept the inevitable so that we can live a more relaxed and happy life.

Professor Jane Plant went to war with her cancer. At the end she said,

 

Update: 24 February 2012

Hallo Dr. Chris, My father’s health as a person is not bad. He can do some activities every day. He is in Jambi now. He came back to Jambi at 12th January 2012. Dr. Chris, do you think that my father have a hope to survive with his condition, your opinion please. He does all your suggestions, diet etc. Do you think the sciatica and sore in his waist is normal? Thanks.