My Last Few Days With Dad Before He Left Us

by Sherine

LHF was a 74-year-old man from Kuala Lumpur. Blood test done on 14 October 2020 showed low levels of red blood cells, haemoglobin and platelets. He was subsequently diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). He did not undergo any chemotherapy for his AML. The doctors in the university hospital were more concerned about his low blood levels. LHF was in and out of the hospital undergoing blood transfusions. Sadly, LHF died.

29 January 2021.

My dad was admitted to the hospital on 29 Jan 2021, did the blood test and he had fever. The doctor said my dad’s stools had blood and suspected internal bleeding.They wanted to do a scope and made him fast for 72 hours.

30 January 2021.

They first stabilised him on 29 January and made him fast on the 30 January. Throughout this time, my mom was not allowed to visit him or to bring him food at all. My dad was not responding to our calls. My mom had to call the ward several times and the doctor reassured us that my dad was doing fine. 

2 February 2021.

He was supposed to do his scope on 2 Feb but they didn’t do it.

3 February 2021.

My dad texted mom on 3 Feb at 2.30am and told her to bring the wheelchair because he wanted to go home.

My mom called me at 7am on 3Feb and we went to the hospital. We prepared porridge and celery juice, called the hospital and the doctor said they decided not to do the scope as there was no more blood in his stools.

We insisted to see him but was not allowed. They said he cannot take porridge but okay to take the celery juice. We had no choice but to go home. My dad was without food for at least 72 hours. He only had drips.

4 February 2021.

My dad called me on at 3 am of 4 Feb and asked me again to bring the wheelchair as he wanted to go home.

At this point, he was slurring his words and I couldn’t make out what he was trying to say. I told him I would come in the morning to bring him the wheelchair.

So my mom and I went to the hospital and the professor in charge of my dad finally allowed us to see him. When we saw my dad, we were shocked as his condition deteriorated by at least 70%.He had difficulty breathing and his hands and legs were swollen.

While in the hospital, they only gave him blood and platelet transfusion and he was on glucose drips. – yes, he was on an empty stomach.

We fed my dad celery juice and some vegetable smoothie. He was not able to eat on his own. He could not even suck the juice from the straw.Before he was admitted, he was very weak. He could not stand without assistance. But he could still talk.

At this point, my dad was still responding to us. He could still utter a few words but most of it we couldn’t make out what he was saying.

I cried all the way home that day after leaving the hospital. My dad did not look good and I felt he was not going to make it. 

5 February 2021.

We went to the hospital again the next day, 5 Feb. His condition had deteriorated further. He refused to eat and he was sleeping most of the time. His breathing was laboured. I called my sister to visit him as his condition wasn’t looking too good.

I left the hospital at 3pm. I told my dad I would come again tomorrow. He nodded his head and he acknowledged it. 

I arrived home after 5pm. Shortly after this I received a call from my mom. She said the doctor called her and told her that my dad’s pressure was dropping and told us to be prepared for the worst.

The doctor told us that we could come over if we wanted to.

Evening of 5 February 2021: I saw a vision.

So I drove back to the hospital. My mom and I arrived at about 7pm together with my sister. When we arrived, my dad’s pressure stabilised. It was normal although he was not conscious. 

I spoke to him and prayed.

At this point, my dad was already not responding to us. My mom called out to him and told him we were there for him. He opened his eyes and closed back. He did not seem to respond (i.e, nod or gave hand signal – none of that).

I was at the side of his bed. My mom was holding his right hand and I held his left hand. He would open his eyes from time to time, but it did not look like he was responding. We learnt later that he was given morphine because the doctor said he was agitated and kept pulling off his oxygen mask.

While I was praying, I saw a vision of my dad. I was not asleep and I was not dreaming.

I saw my dad standing and he was looking at something in a distance. I called out to him. I said Daddy, what are you doing here, please come back okay?

He heard me and he said to me, Look, I can stand and I can walk now, I am not sick anymore.

I told him,Please don’t go, Please come back to us

He hesitated for a while and he replied me, I can’t come back, my body (physical body) is not working anymore, I have to go. 

I told him, We will miss him and we are very sad.

He replied and told me not to be sad, as he is no longer sick. He told me to take care of my mom. 

I asked him where he was going. 

He said that he saw a light in a distance and he wanted to go towards it. 

I asked him if he saw Jesus. 

He said, I don’t know., He said he wanted to walk towards the light to find out. 

After that, the vision just disappeared. 

My dad’s condition stabilised when we were there at the hospital.

We left the hospital at about 10.30pm.I did not tell anyone of what I saw that night. 

I couldn’t sleep that night and kept checking my phone for news of my dad and because of that, I woke up late. 

Morning of 6 February 2021: Dad passed on.

My mom and my sister went to the hospital at 9am the next day, 6 Feb. And they started to call me to come over as my dad’s pressure had started to drop again. I rushed to the hospital and at 9.30ammy sister texted me and said that my dad was gone. 

I arrived at the hospital at 10am. My dad’s body was still in the room. My mom did not take it well. When I told her what I saw the night before and she was comforted by it.

Writing this to you was harder than I thought. I broke down half way thru the email. I just miss my dad so much. 

It was less than 4 months from his diagnosis to his passing. My dad did not suffer much and he was not in pain. I would say our family bonded so much during these 4 short months. My mom said his last moments was peaceful. His breathing slowed down and then it stopped. 

10 February 2021: His funeral.  Email: 9 February: My dad wished to be cremated and his ashes scattered to the sea. We will get all that done by tomorrow. Email: 11 February: We just finished my dad’s funeral service and scattering of ashes yesterday. It was a really emotional time for all of us but we take comfort that my dad didn’t suffer very long and he passed away peacefully. 

Two days after the funeral.

I said a prayer and asked God to show me how my dad was doing, I saw him briefly. He was walking and talking to a young chap – a guy in his late 20’s or early 30’s. He could not see me or hear me but that was a reassuring vision that he had some company. I do not know who the young chap was with but he seemed to be listening attentively to my dad talking – and my dad loved to talk. 

Comments by Chris

1. What a wonderful story. Some people may say Sherine just made this up this story. It is all in her mind – her own imagination after being brain washed by her religious beliefs. But rest assured, this could be true and not made-up. Over the years, I have patients who shared with us stories of their encounters with the World Out There. Here are some stories for you to reflect on.

a. Divine Presence.

Mary was admitted into the hospital on 8 May and throughout those days she was vomiting and purging severely.

Then on 22 May, at about 2 a.m. something unusual happened in her two-bedded hospital room. This was what Mary said: I found myself crying and crying non-stop. I prayed and prayed asking Jesus to heal me. Suddenly, I felt overwhelmed. The hairs on my arms stood on ends. My body felt very warm. I never had such a feelingbefore in my life. I knew then that there was a Divine Presence. I sensed “Someone” was standing by my right side. This whole experience lasted about fifteen minutes.

The next morning, Mary regained her health. The vomiting and purging stopped and she could eat. She was discharged from the hospital two days later. Her doctor told her husband: This is a miracle.

(From our book: Cancer of the Colon & Rectum, pg. 254-255).

b. My father came to me in my dream.

Then, my father appeared in my dream. He walked in through the door from the balcony, clad in a maroon checkered sarong with a tongkat (walking stick) in his hand. In a serious tone he told me that one of my family members is going to die. I was terrified and was struggling in the dream. That was when I woke up in pain.

My father again appeared in my dream. This time, he was clad in a green checkered sarong. He was in my garden and was pointing to a plant on the right and indicated to me that it should be placed on the left. The plant had green stems that were about a foot high with slightly rounded to heart shaped green leaves with white streaks in the middle.

(From our book: Liver Cancer, pg. 236-237).

c. My relatives who died visited me.

Before I came here, I used to have dreams everyday when I slept. My sleep was not good and disturbed.

What did you dream about?  My relatives and loved ones who have died visited me. They told me they have already built a house for me there and invited me to come “home” with them.

You dreamt of your loved ones asking you to come “home” with them?  Yes. But I told them I didn’t want to go. We even sat down together to have a feast – eating together but I told them I did not want to stay there. In one dream, my husband and I visited the “Garden of Eden.” He was carrying a big luggage containing all my clothes.

(More: https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2011/10/30/breast-cancer-herbs-and-e-therapy-restored-her-wellbeing-after-106-times-of-radiation-treatments-part-5-my-dreams-and-near-death-experience/)

d. My God Mother appeared in a Dream: She was smiling!

One of my relatives. She prayed that night. And then her mother appeared to her in a dream. I was very close to her mother. She was like my god mother. Her mother was smiling. The next morning, she told me about it. So I said it was okay!

(From our book: Your Breast)

Sherine: Yes, Prof Chris. Even myself, I thought I made it up in my mind, that’s why I did not share it with anyone. It was only when my mother was not taking it well that I decided to tell her. The story had such a calming effect on her and only then I realized that this sort of thing cannot be made up in the mind.

2. The following are questions I posed to Sherine.

a. Your dad was not a Christian and you are a born-again Christian?

My dad was not a Christian. My mom is also not a Christian. My dad was a free thinker and in around 1997, he brought home a statue from Thailand and he said it was to ‘jagapintu’. It was a statue of a living monk in Thailand at that time but who had already passed away.  When my dad was diagnosed with leukemia, he said he wanted to give away the statue as he felt he was not able to take care of it anymore. It was finally taken away after my father passed away. One of our relatives ‘adopted’ it. I was a free thinker like my parents but accepted Christ in 2004. That was about 17 years ago.

b. For all these years in your life, have you ever experienced such a vision (like you shared above) when you prayed?

No, I have not experienced visions before. They are usually dreams. This is the first time I saw a vision. I only have dreams of people who are close to me who passed away. Only dreams, no vision.

In 2017, there was a man who “disappeared” and was never found. A week after this happened, my dead friend visited me in my dreams and told me, Look who is here with me. I took a look and he was – this man. My dead friend and I knew this man because we had attended his church service before my friend passed away in 2016.

Just last year (2020), I dreamt about my uncle who had passed away due to lung cancer in 2019. He appeared in my dreams. I knew he was already dead and I asked him what was he doing there. He said he was looking for his mother (my grandmother) but could not find her. He told me he saw 7th Aunty a few moments ago.

My 7th Aunty is still alive and when I told my dreams to my parents, they told me not to tell this to my 7th Aunty. She  may  interpret it  that she will die soon as she had breast cancer. Later when my parents siblings got together and my dad related my dream to them, they said my uncle used to have this babysitter called 7th Aunty. She had passed away a long time ago and this 7th Aunty was my grandma’s best friend.

There is another dream I remember very vividly. This dream came to me more than 10 years ago. When I became a Christian, I prayed for my parent’s salvation. One night I had a dream. I was in a place which was very chaotic, people were screaming and in fear. Everyone was unsure of what to do and they were filled with anxiety and hopelessness. However, I saw a group of people walking towards one direction, all of them very calm and composed. They knew where they were going. I saw these group of people and I immediately knew that they were walking towards Jesus.

I saw my dad with me. Dad looked confused. He saw that I was calm and the rest in fear. I told my dad that we had to follow these group of people. I told him I knew where they were going and asked him to follow me. My dad replied that he didn’t want to go there because he was not sure where this group of people were going to. He told me to leave him behind and asked me to follow the group to save myself. I told my dad that if he was not going, then I would stay here with him. The situation did not improve. In fact it got worst. My dad somehow saw how calm I was and then he finally said to me, Okay, I will follow you.

I don’t know why I am able to remember this dream that I dreamt some 10 years ago. I take it as a message from God reassuring me that my dad will finally receive salvation and I had to show him the way.

I had several occasions, when I was younger, when I could see spirits. Not very often, not scary and often times, I was left wondering if I imagined it.  It stopped once I became a Christian.

Besides the dreams, I sometimes, hear God speak to me. Also not very often. I can’t explain it, but I seem to know that it’s Him because I felt peace and I felt the authority and reassurance in the message.

When my dad had leukemia, I poured out my heart to God. He said in a still small voice, I will prolong his life but you have to trust me. I read articles that AML without treatment would only take weeks. My dad had about 4 months – so not sure if what I heard was really from God or not. I can only hear him when I am in great distress.

c. At his bedside, you prayed. What did you say to God?

I prayed that God would heal him as the story of the centurion who asked Jesus to heal his very sick servant at home. The centurion asked Jesus to just say the word and his servant would be healed. The centurion, like Jesus, is a man with authority and he just had to say the word and it will come to pass. Jesus commented that he had not seen such faith and he said, it is done. I replaced the word servant with my father and I kept repeating this prayer again and again.

I also said the prayer that if my faith is as small as a mustard seed, I can tell the mountains to move and it will move. So I prayed for my dad’s leukemia to take a hike.

I also said the prayer that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and by His power He raised the dead. I asked for that power to heal my father and make him well. I did not lose faith, even when my dad did not look good, I wholly trust and believe that my dad will witness a miracle.

d. After talking to God, did God say anything to you?

No, God was silent. The vision appeared while I closed my eyes and as I prayed.

e. How long did this “vision” last?

Maybe less than 5 minutes.

f. Why do you say “vision”?

I was not sleeping, the chair I was sitting on was not very comfortable, my heart was anxious. I do not think I fell asleep and dreamt. I was very much aware that I was awake and I saw this vision/image in my head.

g. In this first vision — you seemed to be able to talked to him. Was the conversation like a normal humanly communication? Was it very clear like a video clip playing?

Yes, I called out to my dad and he turned to looked at me. It was like a normal conversation I would have with my dad. It was very clear. The background was clear and white. I could also see what my dad saw, the bright light up in front. It was quite a distance away. My dad was staring at the white light before I called out to him.

I can’t remember the timeline as I kept repeating the prayers again and again and again like meditation. In between the prayers, I also spoke to my dad. I did not say this out loud, I was saying this as a prayer to him and then repeated the sequence. I closed my eyes for a moment and I caught a glimpse of the vision of my dad.  

h. You only saw clear and white bright light? I supposed that was a glimpse of what heaven is like. Did you see any trees, river, animals etc?

I only saw a clear and white background. There are no trees, no river, no animals, it was just my dad and me. It felt peaceful.

i. When you prayed to God that day, did you expect God to answer you with this vision?

No. I did not expect God to answer it like this. What I expected was that my dad would suddenly wake up and said he is well and the doctors will tell me it’s a miracle. Well, I suppose God did answer my prayer, my dad was well indeed but in the spiritual realm.

j. Two days after the funeral, you said you prayed and you saw your dad with a young guy — in this one you were not able to talk to him. This was a dream? Was there any difference between this dream and the first vision?

I only saw him in a distance. This would like watching a movie and there were 2 guys walking and talking. My dad seemed to be very confident and he seemed to know his way. He did not look lost and this young guy seemed to be listening attentively to my father. I could not make out what they were talking about. This only lasted a few seconds. Just a glimpse, nothing more than that.

k. After the first episode and the second episode  — how did you feel as a person? What meaning did these give you?

I accepted the fact that it was time for my dad to go. Ever since my near death experience, I don’t try to understand why things happen but I trust and believe that all things work out for good to those who trust him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28) My dad had lived a good life. He did all the things he wanted to do and he had no unfinished business left to do. The only thing he is concerned about is my mom and he had instructed me to take care of her. I have learnt not to take things for granted and be grateful for each and every passing moment. The moment my dad was diagnosed with leukemia, I surrender unto God, and that does not mean that we do nothing. We continue to seek help as guided by the holy spirit and it had led me to find you and many other resources that came along our way.

Before my dad died, he thanked me for the support that was given to him, he said he was happy and told me to be prepared because everyone had to go at some point. I had no regrets, all of us gave unselfishly of our time, effort and resources.

The lessons I learnt, I suppose, that we live to serve, to Love and give unselfishly. One day when we get to heaven, we will hear these words said by Jesus, Well done, my good and faithful servant, you have been faithful with the little, I will put you in charge of many things, Let us share your master’s happiness.

BEFORE SEEING THE VISION IN THE HOSPITAL.

l. Did you ever hear of stories from friends or read in books about life before death or after death?

I was not a Christian before, stories of life after death was told to me by my older relatives and friends. We had no religion and the understanding of it was like ‘rojak’. My relatives  beliefs were more towards Taoism and I was taught that when a person dies, his spirit has to be ‘shown’ the way by the chanting made by the Taoist priest and after 100 days, his soul would have to be ‘invited’ to the family altar. As a child, when a someone in the family passes on, we had to burn paper money (hell bank notes), paper cars, paper house so that the spirit can receive them in hell. What I find odd was, everyone who dies goes to hell. 

When I became a Christian, I learnt that the state of the dead is very different from what I was brought up knowing. I learnt that there is a heaven and everyone can get there and death would not separate us from our loved ones. I learnt that when a person dies, he is asleep, they do not know anything or become spirits until the resurrection happens. The experiences I have seem to say otherwise. I don’t try to understand them as there are so many different types of interpretation depending on which sources you are reading it from. If this vision I had of my dad gives comfort to my mom and helps her to heal and come to terms with my dad’s passing, then I believe it is a good thing.

I had a near death experience about 3 years ago, I had a respiratory arrest shortly after dinner and my sister sent me to ER at a small hospital. The hospital was not equipped to handle my case. They did not have a ventilator and the nurses had to pump my lungs for 4 hours while waiting for the ambulance to send me to a bigger hospital. The hospital, while they had an ambulance, did not have a driver. The doctor was looking high and low for morphine as they had to intubate me. When the doctor stabilised me, they called several hospitals and none of them wanted to take my case because of the seriousness of the problem. Later, Pantai Hospital in KL called back and agreed to take my case with the condition that I had insurance coverage. This was told to me by my sister. 

I remember walking into the hospital and waking up 2 days later in a different hospital. I was in a coma for 2 days. I had no memory of what happened. I should have died that night but for some reason, God preserved me. The only thing I remembered was seeing a bright white light before regaining consciousness. It was the bright light that woke me up. I woke up with a tube in my mouth, lines coming out from my neck and there were bruises on my arms. I could not talk and I pointed to my hand to ask the nurse on duty the time, it was 12 midnight.  The doctor came to see me in the morning, checked my vitals and removed the tube that was in my mouth. He then told me if I arrived at the hospital just a little bit later, they would have lost me. 

3. Thank you very much Sherine for sharing.

I learned many things from this experience. Yes, God is real and He is a living God. There are people who are “closer” to the spiritual realm — you are one of them! I have never experienced dreams/vision like you but I have experienced God’s blessing! Unbelievable. What I asked God in my prayer I got it! So I learned to appreciate and are grateful of what I have. I am satisfied, contented and am ready to go anytime.

Yes, I understand what you wrote: My dad had lived a good life. He did all the things he wanted to do and he had no unfinished business left to do. The only thing he is concerned about is my mom and he had instructed me to take care of her. That is exactly my philosophy of life.  Do all the good we can while we are temporarily here. When all is done, go home in peace and with a sense of full satisfaction. Mission accomplished!

Your dad’s story showed me that God is always loving.

Sherine: You’re welcome Prof Chris. Yes, I suppose if it’s time to go there is nothing we can do to stop it. And if it’s not time yet, then there is nothing that can make you go. Indeed, God is good, I have learnt over time to trust Him even though things may not go the way I want it. But He is always faithful. 

One last and final question. Do you want to share this experience with others? I can put this up in our website. Others may be able to learn something from your experience. But if you don’t feel comfortable, it is okay. If you wish to share, what name do you want to use – need not be your real name if you don’t want others to know who you are. 

Sherine: Yes, I am okay to share this experience with others. I have learnt so much from others who shared in your website and I want to be able to return the favour and let others learn from my own experience. I am also okay to use my own name. 

The Treatments My 74-year-old Father Went Through After Being Diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

by Sherine

1. The first email

22 October 2020: Hi Dr Chris Teo:  My name is Sherine. I came across your website while searching about Acute Myeloid Leukemia. My dad was recently diagnosed as having AML and he is still in the hospital. We are exploring all available options and have decided to seek your advice. My dad has not done chemo yet and we are not quite sure if that is the direction we want him to go through. 

We understand that there is no cure for cancer and we are also not expecting a magic bullet. We want a more humane, less toxic way, so that my dad can have a better quality of life while dealing with this leukemia. 

Chris: Why don’t you want to do chemo? After all, everyone who has cancer … everyone goes for chemo! Right?

While my dad was in the hospital, I read up everything I can on AML, both chemo treatment as well as alternative treatment. The countless sharing and stories of people undergoing chemo does not show favourable results. Everyone goes for chemo because that is what the doctors will tell you to do and they often don’t give you time to think. Looking back, if my dad did not have pneumonia and delayed the treatment, my dad would have already done the chemotherapy. We did not know better at that time.

The issue is now we are in KL and we are now not allowed to travel to Penang due to CMCO and my dad is still in the hospital. I am not quite sure how we can seek your consultation on my dad’s matter. 

Chris: No problem, we can discuss over the internet.

2. How it all started.

Sometime on 10 October 2020 my dad complained about being tired and he said felt like sleeping all the time.

On 13 October 2020, he had some trouble breathing. The next day, 14 October 2020, my mom took him to Sunway Hospital where they took his blood samples and diagnosed him with having dengue. The doctor said that he has to be treated in the ICU. The doctors cautioned us about the cost. It would cost up to RM10,000 to RM15,000 per day.

The blood test results of 14 October 2020:

Red blood cell (RBC) = 1.17 Low

Haemoglobin = 3.6 Low

Platelet count = 96 Low

White blood cell (WBC) = 8.2

ESR = 44 H

My dad does not have any health insurance. He was not admitted into this private hospital. He was at A & E for about 3-4 hours. We then transferred him to a university hospital where he has a record there for his asthma condition earlier.

3. Treatment at the university hospital

Admitted into hospital on 14 October 2020:

  • They did further test and noticed that his haemoglobin had dropped from 3.6 (blood test from private hospital) to 1.
  • From 14 October to 21 October my dad underwent the following procedures:

a. Blood transfusion – four times.

b. Platelet transfusion- one time.

c. Bone marrow biopsy – done on 15 October. This resulted in pain in the back.

  • The blood test results from 14 October to 26 October were as follows:
 HaemoglobinWhite cell count (WCC)Platelets
14 October 20203.79.261
15 October5.05.847
16 October6.05.752
17 October6.6?50
18 October6.75.138
19 October6.23.939
20 October6.79.121
21 October7.62.530
22 October7.22.747
23 October7.94.639
26October4.57.355

Results of the bone marrow biopsy dated 15 October 2020:

  • The bone marrow findings show trilineage dysplasia with excess of blast (18%). (Another report indicated 28% blast cells. Immunopheotyping report said 14% myeloblast)
  • Differential diagnosis includes: 1) Myelodysplatic syndrome with excessive blasts and erythroid predoinance. 2) Acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes.

16 October 2020:The haematologist asked to meet all family members and told us my dad had Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). He (haematologist) said that my dad needed chemotherapy and he would have to undergo this treatment in another government hospital that specialises in leukemia and this treatment would take about 2 years. This was the initial plan. The haematologist told us to start the chemo treatment immediately and told us they would transfer him out to another government hospital within 1 – 2 days time. He also told us that the cure for leukemia was a bone marrow transplant and that would be decided later after he had gone through the chemotherapy.

4. Chemotherapy – RM7,000 per cycle!

His attending doctor informed us that my dad had 4 options:

 1) The normal chemo which was a combination of different drugs.

 2) A lower dosage of the chemo (20% of the normal strength).

 3) Vidaza or

4) Palliative care

Due to my dad’s age and health and after observing him for 2 weeks due to the infection, he may not be able to take the chemotherapy which is a combination of different drugs. A lower dosage of the chemo may not work and they suggested another alternative drug which is called Vidaza. My dad would have to take Vidaza long term and each cycle would cost about RM7,000 (which is 7 shots). If it works, then he has to be on Vidaza for long term for maintenance. If we didn’t want to do any treatment, the hospital and doctors will give palliative care which was to give him blood/platelet transfusion as and when he needs it.

What is Vidaza? This chemo-drug is used to treat blood or bone marrow disorders in which the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells. Such people usually have problems – such as infections, anemia, and easy bleeding or bruising. Vidaza is believed to work by helping your bone marrow grow normal blood cells so you will need fewer blood transfusions. It is also said  to kill abnormal blood cells that have grown too fast and do not work properly.This drug is given by injection under the skin or into a vein, usually once a day for 7 days in a row. A 7-day course of this medication is called a cycle. This cycle is repeated every 4 weeks. https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-90394/vidaza-injection/details

I personally spoke to the doctor and his blood test marker showed that it is at 28%, citing that his cancer is not critical yet at this point and we still have time to decide what we want to do with him.

5. Developed hospital-acquired pneumonia, chemo was put on hold.

He developed pneumonia on day 2 of his (first) hospital admission. He was weak. He could not even walk to the toilet due to the lumbar puncture test they did. They put his chemo treatment on hold while they sort out his infection.

The doctors expected the infection to be resolved after 1 week of antibiotics. But he still had fever after 1 week. They changed to a stronger antibiotic after they identified the pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae which is a hospital acquired pneumonia. They gave him a stronger antibiotics which was Eraxis. My dad responded well to this antibiotics. His lung function was OK, no issue there.

What is Klebsiella? Klebsiella pneumoniae is a bacterium that normally lives inside human intestines, where it doesn’t cause disease.But if Klebsiella pneumoniae gets into other areas of the body, it can lead to a range of illnesses, including pneumonia, bloodstream infections, etc. It is spread through direct person-to-person contact, such as when someone with contaminated hands touches a wound. Infections can also occur through the use of contaminated medical equipment. Most cases of K. pneumoniae infection occur in a hospital setting  they are contracted in a hospital or healthcare setting through the use of contaminated medical equipment.

People who have weakened immune systems, or sick or injured people who are undergoing procedures for various health issues, are more likely to get a K. pneumoniae infection than the general population. Healthy people usually don’t have to worry about getting K. pneumoniae infections.https://www.everydayhealth.com/klebsiella-pneumoniae/guide/

6. Antibiotic treatment for infection.

We anticipated my dad to be discharged on Monday (3/11/2020). Unfortunately, he developed a fever (38.1 C) on Sunday and they did a CT Scan and found that he had fungal infection in his spleen and at the adrenal glands. He had to stay another 2 weeks in the hospital – yes, non-stop taking antibiotics. It was one infection after another. First lung infection, then fungal infection. The doctor then said he would have to continue to be on antibiotics for 2-4 weeks and depending if the infection can be cleared by then. 

14 November 2020 (while in the hospital): At about 530pm, the nurse came and administered the antibiotics. Half an hour later, my dad suddenly felt cold and he couldn’t breathe. He tried to calm down and it did not work, be buzzed the nurse and told them he couldn’t breathe. The nurse immediately alerted the doctor and about 3 doctors came, gave him oxygen and nebulizer to breath. After a while his breathing was normal. We learnt later that they changed the antibiotics and caused him to go into an anaphylactic shock. My dad is allergic to the drug Vancomycin IV

7. Discharged from hospital.

19 November 2020: Was finally discharged after day 37. He lost 13kg and was malnourished. He had to continue his fungal infection oral meds for another 2 weeks. 

Chris: Do you have to pay for this hospital stay? Total cost for this first hospital admission?

Yes, we had to pay for the hospital stay, here is the breakdown:

  • Private Medical Centre (blood test and diagnosis) RM2,957.35
  • 37 days in university hospital (blood transfusion, infection treatment and admission) RM5,101. Each blood transfusion cost RM 44.00

8. Hospital experience.

On first day of admission: He was very weak and in a lot of pain after the lumbar puncture. Feeling breathless as his hemoglobin dropped to 1. He felt better after the blood transfusion, but was breathless again the following day.

Chris: In view of the Covid-19 lock down, were you able to visit your father?

We were not allowed to visit due to the Covid lockdown. My mom was able to visit him for a few hours initially. After about 2 weeks, they stopped her from visiting. She could only pass my dad food through the nurse. We could only visit my dad when the doctor wanted to talk to the family members.

No one took care of him, that’s why he was so miserable at the hospital. The nurse gave him a urinal to pee and he would poop in his diapers as he couldn’t walk.

It was a mental struggle for him as the food was bad, hospital environment is just bad and family not allowed to visit due to Covid. I would call him twice  a day and share with him what I read and the options for his treatment. I told him I found your blog and share the testimony of Pak Jam’s wife to him. He felt better and encouraged after hearing that story. 

9. On discharge from the hospital: He was weak but very happy to be home.

19 November 2020:While at home he was seated on a chair while taking his shower. My mom assisted him. After he finished, my mom went out of the bathroom to grab a towel. When she returned to the toilet, my dad was nonresponsive. He started to slide down from his chair. My mom grabbed him and called for my cousin. They assisted him out of the toilet. He seemed unconscious and as they moved him, he passed motion while in that state. When they got my dad to the bed, my mom started to call the ambulance, while giving the description to the operator, my dad regained consciousness and asked to cancel the ambulance. He was okay, dressed himself, had a snack and watched TV shortly after that — a scary episode.

My mom who cleared his poop saw that there was blood in his stools. He had haemorrhoids.

10. First encounter with CA Care.

I went thru your website and I have discussed this issue in depth with my father and my family members (my mom and my sister) and we have all decided to come to seek you for help. I have also bought your book Cancer – is there another option and have shared the book with my mother and sister to read. 

Yes, we know there is no cure. I have made that very clear to my father and I told him the only way we can do is to improve your immune system as what you have suggested in your website: i.e.: Don’t be complacent, ONLY eat food that improves your immune system and look forward that you want to take care of your health for the next 10,15 or 20 years of your life. 

He is eager and keen to hear from you and know what is next for him. We have the assurance from his doctor that he still needs to come for check up even though we decide not to do chemo, so that we can keep abreast of his health condition from time to time. 

My dad is currently taking a supplement H. He is currently taking 6 packs (120ml per day).

5 November 2020: (Although Sherine contacted CA Care on 22 October 2020 by email, it was not until 4 November that the patient was prescribed Capsule A, C, D and M).

We straight away started him on Cap A, C, D & M on Wednesday (4/11/2020). He is also taking the super protein together with Naturex combined with Supplement H (6 packets a day), Probiotics and Vitamin C. Are there any additional herbs that can help him with the fungal infection? Do you have any advice for us on how to help him fight this infection? 

11. No herbs while in the hospital

 He took the herbs for 2 days. On 6 November the doctor saw him taking supplements and confiscated everything and pass it back to my mom when she brought food over. The doctors told my dad his blood showed indication of steroids and warned him not to take any herbs while in the hospital.

At this point, he was able to move about and walk about 100 steps in the toilet as his exercise routine (the toilet it seems is quite big)

12.  Trying other therapies.

Me and my mom had a long chat with Mr. Yeong. He told us to read up as much as possible about other types of cancer treatment and we should have a backup in case CA Care’s herbs did not work for my dad. Mr. Yeong told us about X-Therapy, oxygen therapy, etc.

One of my relative had told us about the X-therapy but we did not explore further into it and when Mr. Yeong mentioned X-Therapy we decided to look into it. I spent about a week reading and downloading books (World Without Cancer) about X-Therapy and found a guy who can supply us with X-Therapy supplement. We were actually quite convinced with X-Therapy and we wanted to try that for my dad.

The X-Therapy was to be administered via IV for 21 days, taken with a combination of Vitamin C IV, DMSO and Glutathione IV together with X-Therapy tablet, Sabah Snake Grass (capsules), Bromelain (capsules) and Tripsin (pancreatic enzyme) supplement. This guy, Mr.R said he can arrange a nurse to administer the X-Therapy IV after my dad was discharged. We were not very comfortable with that arrangement and asked him to recommend us a doctor who can administer this X-Therapy. That was how we got referred to Dr. X.

Dr. X is a qualified medical doctor and he practices both the mainstream and alternative treatment for many types of illness including cancer.  I called his clinic on 19 November and set up an appointment to meet Dr X on 20 November provided my dad was discharged. My dad was allowed to be discharged on 19 November and we proceeded to meet Dr. X.

20 November 2020: We went for our initial appointment with Dr. X. We told him we wanted X-Therapy for my dad and asked him how to go about it. He wanted to do a thorough medical checkup first and only then can decide what should be done.

He did a blood test and a physical examination and found that my dad  had a tear in his anus and told us my dad has haemorroids. He told us that my dad was underweight, undernourished and he (Dr. X) needs to start nutritional therapy before treating his cancer as his body is too weak to take X-Therapy.

Dr. X started my dad on 20 mg of Vitamin C IV and gave my dad a list of supplements to take. His weight at this time was 49kg. We were told that this initial consultation and checkup would cost RM850 and we ended up paying RM5,131 as he gave us a whole lot of supplements and vitamins to take.

21 November 2020: We visited Dr.X’s clinic again and my dad was given another bout of Vitamin C IV, this time they increased the dosage to 30 mg. He did seem to look better after the Vitamin C IV. We checked with Dr X again on the X-Therapy treatment for my dad. He said X-therapy is not very effective for AML and he said he will check with his other counterparts and let us know later. We checked with him several times and realized he didn’t really have the protocol to treat AML. He seems unsure and kept telling us to worry about the infection first. The cancer can be dealt with later.

23 November 2020: My dad had his appointment in university hospital. His hemoglobin was at 6.2 and platelets at 27. He was given 2 bags of blood on this day and his next appointment would be in 2 weeks time (7 Dec 2020).  My dad was getting treatment from Dr X’s clinic every alternate day until 7 Dec 2020 when he was admitted. This treatment was continued after his discharge on 13 Dec 2020 until 19 Dec 2020. The last date we consulted Dr. X. was 19 December.

7 Dec 2020: Follow up and blood transfusion at university hospital. Upon checking, his CRP (infection marker) was at 10.2 and he was admitted immediately for antibiotics drip. He had fever at 38.7. They did blood culture and it turned out negative. They were not able to identify the pathogen causing the infection. At this point we have not started on (CA Care’s) herbs yet as my dad was under Dr. X’s treatment.

When my dad was admitted, we checked in with Dr. X again. He was quite difficult to reach. We only had the clinic whatsapp and we had to wait a few days before he called us back. We asked him again what was the next course of action as the constant Vitamin C IV my dad was getting still resulted him in getting an infection and had to be admitted. He suggested to bump up his Vitamin C to 70 mg and suggested homeopathy treatment after he was discharged.

13 Dec 2020: Dad was discharged from the hospital. His arm was red from the IV with slight swelling, the hospital gave some cream to be applied on the area. He lost about 4-5 kg after this admission. Weight dropped to 45kg.

The affected area at this point was just a red bump on his skin. It was nothing major. The swelling developed around 19 December or rather the swelling was so big we only noticed it on 19 December.

13.  Second hospital admission – more antibiotics!

Dad went for his scheduled check up and developed fever on the day of the check up and they immediately admitted him. They put him on antibiotics. Did a blood culture test and could not identify the pathogen that caused his fever.He was discharged after a week.

My dad’s 2nd admission was on 7 Dec and was discharged on 13 Dec 2020 (Note: my dad’s first admission was 37 days and second admission 1 week).

14. High Vitamin C infusion again.

17 December 2020: We went to Dr. X and was given Vitamin C, albumin, nutrition IV to reduce inflammation.The swelling of his right arm was not significant and we did not place any emphasis on it as there was no fever and no pain. Dr. X also did not comment on it.

19 December 2020:  We noticed significant swelling on the arm, and my dad went to see Dr. X.Dad was advised to put cold compression on the swelling. This treatment reduced the swelling slightly but his arm was still quite swollen. Dr. X gave albumin IV, fat lipids supplement injection, nutrition IV to reduce inflammation, IV to increase nutrition absorption and Vitamin C IV. 

Dr. X gave my dad an injection that was supposed to help with the swelling but it did not help. The swelling did not reduce until we took the papaya leaf on 23 December 2020 (4 days later). The injection was about RM120.

Was the alternative treatment effective?

He was doing okay at home. He could walk about slightly and if he over exerts himself, he would feel breathless. He would be okay after taking a rest.

At this point, he lost more weight (about 4-5kg), physically was weak but mentally was doing good. At this point we checked with Dr. X and he suggested us to do the homeopathy treatment for his leukemia when he was discharged. 

We still went back to Dr. X after his discharge and found that my dad was feeling weaker.

We were at crossroads at this point as we have already spent about RM 30,000 for Dr. X’s treatment and saw not much signs of improvement after a month. He now requires blood transfusion every week.

15. Back to CA Care again!

20 December 2020: We somehow got acquainted with Ms. S whose mother has colon cancer and was also taking herbs from you. So we decided to stop going to Dr. X and started taking your herbs on Monday 21 December 2020.

25 December 2020: My dad said he felt better after taking your herbs. My dad was due for his routine blood transfusion on 23/12 and although his hemoglobin was at a low of 4.6, he was doing better than before.

I would like to check with you, with your experience in treating AML with your herbs, does he require frequent blood transfusions after taking your herbs? We were told by the doctor that he will have excess iron in his blood and may cause heart problems later on due to the prolong blood transfusions he needs to take on a regular basis. 

Reply: To help him with his blood production. Drink one papaya leaf per day …. Ask Yeong how to make the tea. It is extremely bitter. It may help with the blood production. Go read these articles in our website:

1. Leukemia – A Miraculous Healing.https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2013/06/30/leukemia-a-miraculous-healing/

2.From God’s Awesome Natural Pharmacy — papaya leaf for stubborn high fever!  This is about my son — who is now a medical doctor. https://cancercaremalaysia.com/2016/03/07/from-gods-awesome-natural-pharmacy-papaya-leaf-for-stubborn-high-fever/

29 December 2020:My dad went for his check up at the university hospital today and his hemoglobin is at 6.6. His platelet has dropped to 2 and he received another bag of blood transfusion and platelet. He has some abscess on his right arm due to the antibiotic IV drip he had during his previous admission. They wanted my dad to be admitted on this day itself and we insisted to go back first and come back tomorrow for the admission. They wanted to give him antibiotics drip. I am sending the photo of his right arm for your reference. 

We are very reluctant to admit him again but the doctor said that if the infected part is ruptured, there might be more complication later. The admission for the antibiotics would be for a week. They made it sound so serious, we had no choice but to admit him. As you recommended papaya leaf juice, we boiled some for him to drink the night before the admission.

The doctor asked my dad to take the antibiotics 250mg x 1 every 6 hourly just before his admission. My dad took the antibiotics at 6 p.m., drank the papaya leaf juice at 9p.m., took antibiotics again at midnight and at 6 am on 30 Dec 2020. 

30 December 2020: It was at 9a.m. we realised that his swelling had reduced by half. We were very surprised to see that sort of outcome in just one night. We still made our way to the hospital and prepared for his admission. We gave him papaya juice, ACD capsules before going to the hospital. 

We showed the before and after photo to the doctor and try to persuade the doctor that the admission was not required as the swollen area had reduced in size.The doctor couldn’t decide and she referred my dad to an orthopedic specialist. The orthopedic specialist came and after checking my dad, he consulted his boss and still advised us to admit. We told him my dad didn’t want to and the swelling on his left arm was caused by the antibiotics IV drip and it could happen again on his other arm if we allowed him to be admitted. 

He understood our concerns and allowed us to be discharged with the condition that we sign an indemnity form and gave us the extra doses of antibiotics. This time he had to take 4 x 250mg of antibiotics every 6 hourly.

I took another photo of his arm today, the swelling is still there but the redness seems to have reduced. 

We did not inform the doctor that he was taking papaya leaf juice. We will keep you updated and we really have no idea why he wanted us to take so much antibiotics. The doctor told us it can be very serious and my dad could go into sepsis shock as the abscess can cause these effects in his body. The doctors want to drain the abscess by doing a minor operation and also worried that he may bleed to death due to his low platelet count. They wanted to observe him while he is warded in the hospital. 

Yes, that is indeed the question to ask, was it the antibiotics or the papaya leaf juice that helped reduce the swelling. 

We have been told by the doctors that the oral antibiotics may not work and the most effective way was to give my dad antibiotics IV drip. The swelling was caused by the antibiotics IV when he was hospitalised 3 weeks ago as the IV line was in his arm for a week for the drip and caused the infection.

We have some good news today. We started boiling papaya juice for my dad to drink yesterday 29/12 at about 9 pm. It was after I sent the email to you. He was also taking oral antibiotics every 6 hourly. We woke up this morning to find the swelling on his right arm reduced by half!

We are sending the picture over to you to have a look. 

Anyway, thank you for recommending us the papaya leaf juice, it seemed to have worked like a miracle and my dad is happily back at home today. 

We will be boiling 1 leaf a day for him from today onwards.

31 December 2020:We are all so happy to see results of my dad’s arm condition.

Now the redness in his arm has reduced alot, and it is almost close to his skin colour. We are really very surprised by the speed of how the swelling has reduced. It’s almost back to normal in just 2 days after the papaya leaf juice and also perhaps the antibiotics. I mean, with our experience with antibiotics, the results usually are not that instant. 

16. After drinking papaya leaf tea – healing started!

The swelling subsided – 4.8 cm down to 1.7 cm

Wow, almost resolved. The doctor told us then (29 Dec 2020) that the swelling on this arm WILL NOT be resolved if he did not get  admitted to the hospital.

Comments by Chris: How To Deal with His Leukemia?

1. Role of doctors / hospital.

Yes, we need the help of the doctors! So far he was admitted twice. First admission was for 37 days. Second admission was for 7 days. What did they do?

a. Took care of his infection. So we need to be careful. Due to his low body immunity he can pick up any infection from anywhere.

To fight the infections he was treated with antibiotics. The downside of this treatment is allergic reactions.

b. He needs blood transfusion as and when required. His RBC, haemoglobin and platelets were low.

c. Due to his low platelets count, bleeding may occur.

The downside of low blood counts is bleeding and inflammation. What most of us don’t know about is hemochromatosis (iron overload).  You can get too much iron in your blood if you have multiple blood transfusions. This can damage your heart and liver.

Read about risks and complications of blood transfusion –  (https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/blood-transfusion-what-to-know#1)

In general, blood transfusions are considered safe, but there are risks. Sometimes complications show up immediately, others take some time.

Fever: It’s usually not considered serious if you get a fever 1 to 6 hours after your transfusion. But if you also feel nauseated or have chest pain, it could be something more serious. See your doctor right away.

Allergic reactions: It’s possible to experience an allergic reaction to the blood you receive, even if it’s the correct blood type. If this happens, you’ll likely feel itchy and develop hives. If you have an allergic reaction, it’s likely to happen during the transfusion or very shortly after.

Acute immune hemolytic reaction: This complication is rare, but is a medical emergency. It happens if your body attacks the red blood cells in the blood you’ve received. This normally takes place during or right after your transfusion, and you’ll experience symptoms like fever, chills, nausea, or pain in your chest or lower back. Your urine might also come out dark.

Delayed hemolytic reaction: This is similar to an acute immune hemolytic reaction, but it happens more gradually.

Anaphylactic reaction: This happens within minutes of starting a transfusion and may be life-threatening. You may experience swelling of the face and throat, shortness of breath, and low blood pressure.

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI): This is a rare, but potentially fatal reaction. It shows up within hours of the start of the transfusion in the form of a fever and low blood pressure. TRALI damages your lungs. It may be caused by antibodies or other substances in the new blood. Even though it’s rare, it’s still the leading cause of transfusion-related death in the United States.

Bloodborne Infections: Blood banks thoroughly screen donors and test donated blood for viruses, bacteria, and parasites, but infections are still a rare possibility.

  • HIV: Your chance of contracting HIV through donated blood is 1 in 2 million (a lower risk than being struck by lightning).
  • Hepatitis B and C: Your chance of contracting hepatitis B is about 1 in 300,000 and your risk of contracting hepatitis C is about 1 in 1.5 million.
  • West Nile virus: Your chance of contracting West Nile virus is about 1 in 350,000.
  • Zika virus: In 2016, the FDA began recommending that blood centers screen for Zika. Most people who have it don’t show any symptoms.

2. What about his leukemia problem?

Go for chemotherapy? This is not done yet. Will chemo cure?

Then, the family  turned to alternative treatments. The patient was treated by Dr. X.

The X-Therapy was to be administered via IV for 21 days to be taken with a combination of Vitamin C IV, DMSO and Glutatione IV together with X-Therapy tablet, Sabah Snake Grass (capsules), Bromelain (capsules) and Tripsin (pancreatic enzyme) supplement.

Did it help him at all? After spending RM30,000 for these treatments. What good comes out of it?

Then Dr. X said for his cancer treatment – try homeopathy! I too had a diploma of Homeopathy! No la — that’s a long shot!

3. CA Care Therapy.

The patient was on our herbs for about a month. I was hopeful that his blood counts will improve with time. But it was not to be.

On  3 February 2021, Sherine wrote this email.

There was so much drama over the past week until today and I did not manage to update you yet. 

The last update was, my dad had another episode at home when we got home from the hospital. His condition did not improve and he was so weak he could not even walk downstairs to have his meals. 

My mom observed another 2 days, which was a Friday, and then decided to take him to the hospital as he could not walk unaided. 

They took him to A&E on Friday and his hemoglobin was at 5 and platelet 5. His gums were bleeding again and they admitted him on Friday. 

The doc told us that they found blood in his stools and suspected internal bleeding. They want to do a colonoscopy scope but couldn’t as his platelet was so low. 

So they transfuse him some blood and platelet. Don’t know how much. My dad wasn’t responding to our calls at all. 

They make him fast and prepared him to do an endoscope instead. His platelet seemed to be holding up well but his platelet not so much. 

They were supposed to do the scope yesterday (2 February) evening and we thought it was done and was planning to check with the hospital this morning (3 February). 

This morning at 2.30 am, my dad texted my mom and asked her to bring the wheelchair and come now. His message was not clear. My mom only saw the message at 6 am and she called my dad. My dad asked her to come now as he is in “great trauma”. My mom got worried and she called me so we went to the hospital immediately. 

The hospital didn’t allow us in and asked us to wait outside the ward and wait for the doctor to come. The doc only came at about 10.30 am and said that they decided not to do the scope as the blood in his stools are not fresh blood and they called off the scope. My dad has not eaten anything for 72 hours. 

Chris:  Thanks for taking time to update — I am really sad and sorry. Let us see what happen. Things have gone beyond us. Very sad.

Sherine: Hi Prof Chris,  please don’t be sad and sorry. We are not, we witness miracles happening to my dad. Doctors tell us the worst case scenario and somehow my dad’s condition improved. They said he needed scope, then don’t need any more. Let’s see what miracles we have for tomorrow… We just have to have faith.

Next story: My Last Few Days With Dad Before He Left Us