This is an e-mail we received on 16 October 2010.
Dear Dr. Chris K.H. Teo,
My mom’s oncologist told us her cancer had recurred and if she does chemo it will extend her life by another six months, and if lucky another twelve months. But the oncologist does not recommend chemo and thought the treatment would make her worse. He suggested waiting until her condition becomes painful or other symptoms appear. He told us chemotherapy does not cure her cancer and it does not make much difference.
I found out about you from the internet. I would like to bring my mom to see you to help treat her.
We are living in Singapore and planning to go to Penang next week to see you. I think we may need to stay in Penang but not sure how many days to stay. Are you able to advise how many days we should stay? I saw the video on healing crisis after taking your herbs. I’m afraid if we just take your herbs and go back, my mom may experience pain, vomiting or has diarrhoea, Then my mom may think the herb is not working and would not like to continue taking the herbs. I think your presence and guidance will give us confidence to face the battle against her cancer.
Here is what I know of my mom’s condition and cancer.
Histology report identified the cancer to be mucinous adenocarcinoma of the iluem which has invaded the muscular wall and peritoneal surface. Conclusion: Pseudmyxoma peritonei, stage 2B.
Surgery was done to remove 10cm of iluem and 7.5 cm of caecum. This was March 2010.
She refused to undergo chemotherapy immediately after surgery.
Subsequently doctor ordered blood tests and PET/CT scan. Her CEA marker has been rising from 5.4 to 6.3, 9.6 and yesterday the oncologist said her CEA was12.9. But the PET/CT did not show any tumour.
My mom easily gets stomach and intestine bloating and discomforts, after she takes cooling food or if it is cold/rainy weather. Even some vegetables make her have loose stools and diarrhoea. Ginger tea helps remove the wind.
Other than that she is losing weight, about 0.5 to 1 kg every 3 to 4 weeks.
She can eat, sleep and has no pain. She has been taking some Chinese medicine to help her but her condition is like above with CEA rising. We do not know what the Chinese medicine contains. Please reply as soon as you can. We pray for God’s help and yours too.
Patient (H-434) and her son came to see us in Penang on 22 October 2010.
e-mail 28 October 2010
Hi Chris,
My mom … is happy and confident about the herbs you prescribed her. She fell asleep Tuesday morning and I didn’t want to disturb her. So we did not come to see you on Tuesday. Please accept my apologies for not turning up Tuesday morning. I’ll keep you updated about her progress via email. Many Thanks and God bless you and Ms Teo.
e-mail 29 October 2010
Thanks for the update —- when she goes home, how is she? Does she feel any better now?
Chris
e-mail 1 November 2010
She feels better after taking the herbs you have prescribed. Thanks for your concern and please take care too.
e-mail 18 May 2011
Hello Dr Chris,
After taking your herbs, her cancer marker came down from 12.9 to 8.8 and the doctor advised her to come back in six months for checkup. My mom feels okay now. I made vegetables and apple juice for her once a week. But she finds them ‘cooling’ and gets diarrhea / indigestion or lots of gas after that. Taking ginger soup helps though.
The patient came to see us for the second time on 21 May 2011. Listen to our conversation that day
Comments
The doctor conveyed this gloomy prognosis:
- Since cancer has recurred, patient had only about six months more to live – or at best with luck, a year!
Since human beings are not God, we always tell patients, Believe the diagnosis but don’t believe the prognosis. It is sad that the practitioner of noble profession has come to a point of not realizing what he says is insensitive or damaging to the patient whom he is supposed to help. Telling patients that they are going to die soon is inflicting a nocebo effect.
The oncologist did not recommend chemo and thought the treatment would make her worse. How many oncologists would admit to the fact that there is no cure for metastatic cancers and that chemotherapy will do more harm than good? In most cases and most of the time, chemotherapy seems to be the standard fare “dished” out to all patients – irrespective of age or stage.
Given that this patient has come to the end of the road, there is no option left other than alternative medicine. In spite of that, we often have to remind patients that they have to relax and take it easy. Face the fact squarely and fairly. Do not come expecting us to “dish” out an instant or magic cure. One patient wrote that after taking herbs and the change to vegetarian diet and juices for a month, the tumour is still growing in her colon! What do you expect? Cure cancer with herbs and juice within a month?
Another mistake that caregivers often commit is to over-react. After reading about the purported benefits of juices, raw diet, supplements, etc. they would go over-board feeding their loved ones with all these stuff, sometimes resulting in more problems. In this case, the enthusiastic son thought that juices might perhaps cure his mother. His mother has a yin (cool) body and cannot tolerate raw food and juices. So she ended end up having diarrhea.
Listen carefully to what this patient said if you want to live well with your cancer. She had clearly accepted her lot and has a positive attitude. Relax, be happy and take life easy. Enjoy your days while there is still time to enjoy. You don’t have to give up but at the same time you don’t have to live each day with fear of dying. Go out and smell the flowers.
Update: 27 February 2012
Hello Dr Chris,
My mom is getting better. Just 2 weeks ago she went for medical test and the doctor said he cancer CEA marker has dropped to 5.9. Thank you Dr Chris. And wishing you good health.
Reply: Wah, your mom is doing well and her CEA is 5.9 ? What did her doctor say? Did the doctor ask her why? Did he know that she is taking herbs? And is your mom taking the herbs without stopping?
Yes my mom CEA was as high as 12. She continues to take your herbs. We now add ginger into the C-Tea so that she does not get stomach bloatedness.
Doctor did not even ask why the marker reading is low or ask whether she is taking herbs. All they do is blood tests for cancer marker. Also because her doctor got promoted he now passed my mom to one of the doctor in his team. We only found out on the day of the medical appointment. Also I learned from the nurse that the promoted doctor attends to private patients only. What a surprise to us the way they handled patient.
CANCER STORY 