RZ (S-143) is a 48 year-old Indonesian. He came to seek our help on 18 March 2012, immediately after being discharged from a private hospital. And he was in severe pain. How could this be? This is RZ’s story.
About one and a half months ago, RZ was told by the doctor in Aceh, Indonesia that he had kidney problem. In early March 2012, he came to a private hospital in Penang for further management. A CT scan was done and showed a 10 x 9 cm enhancing lesion in the left kidney with renal vein thrombosis. The right kidney was normal. There were multiple nodules noted in the left upper paraaortic area. Histopathology report confirmed a poorly differentiated renal cell carcinoma, sarcomatous type, Stage 3 – 4 (T2N2Mx). Four of 8 paraaortic lymph nodes had metastatic disease.
X-ray of his left shoulder showed a large lytic area with pathological fracture of the left scapula. Actually RZ came to Penang because of the severe pains in his swollen left shoulder (picture below).
RZ was admitted on 5 March 2012 and underwent surgical removal of his left kidney. Nothing was done for his swollen left shoulder which according to the surgeon was due to the cancer that had spread from his kidney. RZ told us that the pains became more intense after his kidney surgery. He was unable to sleep at night and had to endure pains throughout the day and night.
The kidney operation cost him RM 14,000. RZ was told that with this surgery he will be cured. If he did not undergo the surgery, but only take medication, he would be 30 percent cured. After being discharged from the hospital, the surgeon scribbled these words on his medical report: Targeted therapy + DXT to (L) shoulder. RZ confirmed that he was asked to see a radiologist for radiotherapy. However, he was not able to do this because he had run out of money and could not afford anymore treatment in Penang.
RZ was prescribed Tramadol for his pains. This medication helped relief pains for about two hours only and the pains recurred.
Comments
This is the second of such case – after surgery patients were in pains and they came to seek our help instead of asking the doctors for help. And they came immediately after being discharged from the hospital. This is the story of an earlier case: http://painandwellness.org/2011/12/10/ovarian-cancer-after-surgery-left-leg-swollen-painful-and-uncomfortable-herbs-and-e-therapy-helped-her/
When we looked at RZ we really felt sorry for him. The reason he and his wife came to Penang was to find relief for his shoulder pain – but after spending RM 14,000 the pains became worse. And they had no more money for more treatment. He could not afford the radiation treatment in Penang. And to tell him to take the Target Therapy medication as suggested by the surgeon is unrealistic. If I could guess rightly, that would involve taking Sutent and this is going to cost about RM 18,000 to RM 20,000 per month. This medication does not cure cancer! How can RZ ever afford to pay for such a treatment? If you wish to know what Sutent can do click these links:
https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2011/09/18/sutent-for-advanced-kidney-cancer/
RZ and his wife said that they were about ready to go home to Aceh in the next three days. The question in my mind then was: What can I do to help this unfortunate man the next days while he is here in Penang ? I suggested that RZ come to our centre every morning and try the e-Therapy and at the same time take the herbs: Capsule A, C-tea + WF tea, Kidney Tea, Bone Tea and Pain Tea (six times per day). This is what happened:
18 March 2012: e-Therapy – detox program. The night after this treatment, he felt better. He could sleep about half of the night. The pains were less and he did not take the Tramadol prescribed by the doctor.
19 March 2012: e-Therapy – detox program + program for shoulder pain. He felt much better. The pains were less and he could sleep throughout the night. He woke up at about 5 a.m. due to coughs.
20 March 2012: repeat of the e-Therapy as yesterday and he was ready to return to Aceh.
The following is the gist of our conversation.
Part 1: Remove your kidney – 100 percent cure. But doc., the cancer had already spread to the bone!
Wife: His kidney problem surfaced about one and a half months ago.
RZ : There was no pain in the kidney.
Chris: You have removed your kidney?
RZ: Yes.
W: After the surgery, the doctor asked him to go for radiotherapy. We did not want to do that yet. We want to go back to Aceh first. We can do the radiation in Aceh.
C: What did the doctor say about the pain in your shoulder?
W: It is a cancer. But the doctor did not do anything about it. The whole night he was not able to sleep.
C: How much does it cost you to operate the kidney?
W: RM 14,000.
C: And now you are in pain?
RZ: Yes. It is a dull kind of pain – not pulling type. If I massage my shoulder, the pain goes away for a while and then comes back again. The pain becomes more intense when I move. At night, I am not able to sleep because of the pain.
C: Did you have this swelling on your shoulder even before your surgery?
RZ: Yes. But it was not as painful like now. The pain just came on and off. Even when I was in the hospital, the pain was not serious. I felt more pain after being discharged from the hospital.
C: So, even before the surgery, the doctor already knew about your shoulder – and he did not say anything?
RZ: No. I did ask him about this swelling in my shoulder. The doctor said: “Just wait first, we need to remove the diseased kidney first.”
C: Did you ask the doctor why there is this lump in your shoulder?
W: Yes, the doctor said this is due to the kidney cancer that has spread to the bone in his shoulder.
C: How long were you in the hospital? Did you derive any benefit gong into the hospital?
W: He was in the hospital for two weeks.
RZ: Before the operation, I was very weak. I became better after the operation. But the pain in my should became worse after coming out of the hospital.
C: Before you agreed to the surgery, did you ask the doctor if the surgery is going to cure you?
W: The doctor said the cancerous kidney has to be removed – it was an aggressive type. If he (the patient) only takes medication, there is only a 30 percent chance of cure. But if he goes for surgery, it will cure him a 100 percent.
C: Is this why you agreed to the surgery – to get a 100 percent cure? Do you really understand “cure” really means when the doctor said the operation can “cure” you? Do you really understand him?
RZ: If the kidney is not removed, the cancer will spread. If the kidney is removed, the cancer will all be gone. No more cancer.
C: Did he tell you how he can cure the bone cancer in your shoulder?
Part 2: After one session of e-Therapy: Pain was less and he slept through half of the night
C: Last night you took the herbs and did the e-Therapy. How do you feel now?
RZ: There is improvement. I could sleep on and off.
C: After the e-Therapy, did you have any difficulty?
RZ: No, no problem. And I felt better. The pain was much less.
C: Before you came and see me, how was your pain?
W: He was in pain throughout the night but now the pain is much less.
RZ: The pain came on and off only. I woke up three times last night and went back to sleep again. Before I came to see you, I was not able to sleep the whole night.
C: This pain now, is it the same type of pain? Is the intensity of the pain the same when you feel that pain?
RZ: Same type of pain and the intensity is also the same. But the pain did not last long. It came on and then went off.
Part 3: After two sessions of e-Therapy: Pain gone and he slept through the night.
C: Yesterday you did the e-Therapy one more time. How are you now? Do you have more or less pain?
W: Less pain. There was no pain the whole night. Early morning, at about 5 a.m. he had coughs and he felt “heaty”.
C: Okay, did he drink a lot of water? He should drink more water. And you said there was no pain throughout the night.
W: Yes, no pain. Only at about 5 a.m. when he woke up he felt the pain. Before we came to see you, he had pain throughout the night. We have done the e-Therapy twice. After the first therapy, the pain came on and off. It helped him nad he could sleep at least half of the night. After the second therapy, he did not feel any pain for the whole night. Only when we work up at about 5 a.m. that he felt the pain again.
C: Let me ask you again. Before you took the herbs and did the e-Therapy, did you need to take the pain killer (Tramadol) that the doctor gave you?
W: Yes. He had to take the painkiller. It was effective only for about two hours, then the pain came back.
C: Now, after the herbs and the e-Therapy, do you still need to take the painkiller?
W: No need to take any painkiller.
C: So, you did not take the painkiller for the past two nights?
W: No need for painkiller and he only took your herbs.
RZ: Now, I feel better. The pain is very much less. Before this I was not able to sleep because of the pain.
C: Did the treatment of the past two days, helped you?
W: Yes, it helped him very much.
C: That’s about all that I can to help you. It seemed that he able to walk with more strength?
W: Yes, more strength and his movements had also improved.
Reflection
This is indeed a sad story. Reflect on this case again and ask some questions:
- If you were RZ, what would you have done differently?
- The surgeon said surgery could cure his cancer 100 percent – what you think?
- Do you think, surgery is really necessary given that the cancer had already spread to his bone?
- The doctor suggested radiotherapy and then possibly the Targeted Therapy – what do you say to that? Is this a genuine attempt to “cure” the cancer, or it is just an effort to feel that he is doing the right thing? A hero with no realistic chance of success?
CANCER STORY 
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