Singapore Cancer Free Celebration!

Let's Celebrate!!

My and my sis checked out from the hotel and went to our very good friend's restaurant where he works there as the Head Chef for a company called One Concepts. The restaurant he currently works is TBone - which stands for Tiong Baru One.

What did we do there?
1. Visit a good friend
2. Celebrate Cancer Free with a good friend

We've known him for ages I guess. Oh, by the way, his name is Permana - we call him Nanang. And he's a good cook! Great, malah..
God knows how he got that sense of cooking. I wish I could be like him - have a good sense of cooking. Even sometimes I have to text him all the way to New Zealand just to ask whether a baking soda is the same as baking powder. Stupid me, even if he say that it's different and put poison instead I probably might do it.

How he ends up in Singapore? Good question..
He got an offer while he was still in NZ. We talked about it over the Messenger, and I think I managed to persuade him to move to Singapore. C'mon, it's way much closer to home. Besides, he can go back and forth Singapore-Jakarta to visit the family. And it's true. Last Lebaran, he went back to Jakarta to be with his family. And he must be very happy. His family must be happy. I can't imagine him in NZ celebrating Lebaran. Ugh..

So, there at TBone he got us 1 hell a big steak. If I clearly remember, he said it was only 700 grams - which we all can share eating. T-Bone steak marinated with .. pepper?? God knows.. With mushroom sauce on the side. Served with salad that I couldn't eat (my sister ate it), and wedges (love this one!). Hey, it's a celebration. I know I should not be eating that much of food. So, I made a promise to myself: No beef until January!

Seriously, we ate too much that day. After we finished eating, he then told us that the steak was actually 1 kg!!
For God sake, man!! What are you trying to do, kill me????

But it was really good.

Too bad we couldn't stay longer. We've got other things to do before we leave Singapore.

But for sure, in 10 years, he'll make it big as Chef Nanang or Chef Permana.
TV shows, cooking books, biography, maybe even his own brand.
You'll never know.

Congratulation, Mas Nanang!

We're so damn proud of you..

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8th CHEMO - At Last!

FINALLY!

My LAST CHEMO!!


I left the hotel at 8:00 for my 8:50 PT Scan. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a cab right away. Business people were lining up. So, gotta beeeeeee patient a tiny bit. When I finally got a cab, told the driver to speed up a bit. Well, they don't drive like the way I drive. Singapore always has rules for this and that including speed limit. But it was a rush hour so not much can do there lah! It was almost 8:50 when I got in the cab and Ivan was in the hospital already waiting for me. He's an on-time baby. God knows how many times he checked on me just to make sure I was in the bloody cab. Of course I was late when I got there and he was in the lobby with his laptop browsing I dunno what. Gave him a good morning kiss on the head, left him there again, and ran straight to the Imaging Center.

First thing to do in the hospital was to get the CT Scan done. I'd been fasting since 6:30 in the morning, and felt so hungry and thirsty by the time I arrived at the hospital. Believe me, even my boyfriend's thumb looked so yummy. After I registered at the Imaging Center, they gave me this yellow colored drink. The nurses said that it wasn't suppose to taste good. Hell with it! I was thirsty and according to thirsty Stephanie: GOOD!
If I thought about it over again, it was actually taste like a stale Lemon Juice. YUCK!
So, drank that 09:30. Enjoy the drink? Gila apa..???? Blagak enjoy aja dech. My Ivan aja yang kept asking: how's it, sayang..? enak, sayang..? Dalam hati gue: abis ini loe yang gue seret buat chemo. Bolak balik nanya lagi..


While waiting for the next drink at 09:50, I went up to the 8th floor to get the FULL blood test. First torture of poking the needles begun. CRAP! These people don't know how to find my veins. Sure, they kept telling me: oooh, you have such fine veins.. it's a princess (whatever lah!) Tapping my arms just to get the veins, it's just soooo.. blah.
It's very different than Indonesia. The nurses in Indonesia are able to to find my veins in a second, and... it doesn't hurt.
Tapi gak segitu kerasa kali ini. Mungkin karena around me there were Ivan and my sis. Yeah, as usual, my sis ya sibuk sendiri. Sibuk ambil photo sana sini. Terutama ambil foto gue pas lagi disuntik. Dan selalu nge'guyon gak jelas. Meanwhile, Ivan mukanya sudah memelas gak tega liat gue ditusuk2. Tapi apa dikata, blood test must go on.

After the blood test - and still couldn't eat yet, I went back down to the Imaging Center to get the CT Scan. Drank the last gulp of the pee-like drink, changed and used the robe, and wait there along with the Singaporean grandmas and grandpas. Begitu dipanggil.. jantung gue rasanya dah mau copot. I didn't remember that they were going to INJECT something again to my hand. Duh! How can I forgot. I did this on my first chemo. And now I had to do it again. Ya uwes. Pasrah aja dah loe.
Tusuk lagi.. tusuk lagi.. Enakan ditusuk di tempat lain kali yah daripada ditusuk di tangan pake jarum.. HAHAHAHAHAHA..
Tangan gue rasanya sakiiiiiiit banget waktu dimasukin cairan buat highlight seluruh badan gue. What worse was that they were going to put some liquid into my anus to highlight the pelvis. Bayangkan! ada botol yang harus dimasukin ke pantat gue. Gila, bo!!! Anal sex aja gue tolak mentah2, itu lagi.. Go to hell, dude!! Tapi setelah tawar menawar, akhirnya gak jadi juga.
PHEW!
Kalo sampe kejadian mati lah gue.. Gak tau lagi bakal jadi apaan gue. Jalannya dah pengkor kali..

Anyway, done with CT Scan. I could finally eat!
Damn, I was so hungry. I ate roast hainamese chicken rice, Ivan ate nasi Padang, and my sis ate Yong Tau Foo. Lunch was good, as well as the talk. Disini gue bener2 bisa liat that they, Ivan and my sis, really care for me. Mereka selalu memastikan that I got enough nutrients. Ntah mereka maksa apa gimana tapi gue dipaksa makan buah mulu. Telen aja deh. Dari pada rame..

To kill the time till 2 PM, me and Ivan sat down on the sofa at the lobby. Cuddle up in public, make everybody jealous (gak penting deh!), relax.. serasa dunia milik kita berdua yang lain cuma numpang. Ahhahahahahahaha.. Sampe TENG! dah waktunya naik - belum banget sih.. tapi Ivan gak mau telat aja. Duile, bo! dari lobby ke lantai 8 doang gitu.. Again, ngikut aja dech. BTW, yang di chemo gue kenapa yang semangat dia yah..? *garuk garuk*

Akhirnya kita ketemu sang dokter juga. Setelah di tensi.. cek sana sini.. Baru dech masuk dipanggil dokter.
Dokternya yaaaa.. lumayan lah. Buat ukuran orang Singapore mungkin he's quiet a catch. Hehehehe.. Tapiiiiii.. asal pitaknya ditutupin. Every time my sister and I went to his practice room, he looks happy. Ada hiburan gretong kali yeh.. Si mbak lagi, wuiiiih.. kalo nganterin gue ke dokter atribut dandan dan gaya gak pernah lepas. Kadang pake belahan dada yang ampun ampun bikin dokter pusing (tukang taxi aja puyeng liatnya..). Meanwhile, gue ala kadarnya tapi masih tetep oke lah (gak mau kalah bener dah gue..) Hihihihi...Dasarnya aja gue gak mau repot. Abis itu tangan kebas, bo. Have mercy, dech..

So, what did the doctor said..? *dug.. dug.. dug..*
He said that that everything was good!
From the scan, it shows no spread of of cancer cells.
EVERYTHING IS FINE!

yeeeeeeeehhaaaaaa...!!!!

I couldn’t be happier.
Especially my sister – Ibu Bandar hehehehe.
Well, Ivan didn’t hear the whole thing since he was outside waiting. I think he just couldn’t bear listen to whatever the doctor would say about me.
I couldn’t even picture how happy I was. Happy but still confuse: is that it??
I realized that the label Stage 3 Colon Cancer will always be with me for the rest of my life. Even though I’m free, but it doesn’t mean that I’m completely free. It’s a heditary disease, so I better watch out. It is now the part that I really have to pay attention to everything I do.

BTW, I don’t know when my sister find the time to send SMS to everybody in her phone book about this good news. But this is what she sent:

We thank God 4 our Good News.
Final CT Scan of Stephanie showed NO evidence of cancer spreading J
Penyebaran sel2 kanker berhasil diSTOP.
Bersyukur, hari ini Chemoteraphy yang terakhir.
Thanks untuk doa yang diberikan.

Now, chemo time!
Ivan was next to me holding my hand when the nurses were trying to find my vein. I was squeezing his hand so hard that he couldn’t stand it anymore and called my sis to take his place. Hahahahaha.. I just don’t understand why the nurses started with my arm instead of my hand. It was supposed to start with my hand first, then if they still cannot find it they should go up to my arm and so on. Ah, they know better.. what do I know except screaming my heart out?

After the needle went in, Ivan has the guts to came back to the chemo booth.

There we sat for about 2 hours long. Just me & Ivan. Waiting for the chemo infusion to finish. He was surprise to see how strong I was (according to him) that I didn’t scream and was able to pull myself together. He said that I was strong. Really? I didn’t realize that.
It was nice to be accompanied by someone you love during that painful time.
Numbness on my left hand started just 30 minutes before the chemo was done. And it’s time to take the needle out. Phew!
Wait.
No “phew”.
It was AARRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH….! Breath in, breath out.. Hold your breath..
Even Ivan had to hug me from the side, closed my eyes and didn’t let me see the whole thing until the needle was out. And finally it was out. And by 6 PM we were out of the hospital, heading to the Grand Hyatt by cab. My sister dropped us at the looby, and she went straight to the mall did some shopping.

Ivan & I just relaxed for awhile in the room. Hey, couldn’t do much here. Left still numb and in pain. So, we just wait in the room till we get hungry. Take some pics just like banci foto getoooooh…

Please, deh.. nothing to do here for us.

No matter how tired I was.. I was happy with the last chemo. Surrounded by the people you love and have the Good News.

I survive cancer!

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Leaving for last chemo

Sunday morning I left Jakarta for my last chemo.
Excited? I dunno for sure.
I was excited to see my boyfriend and my good friend - oh, going to Singapore is now so much fun!
So, arrived there in the afternoon. Went here and there with my sister while waiting for those two people done working.

In the evening, my boyfriend got off from work and we met in CK Tang. Well, I left my sister at Zara and let her have fun with all the shopping - meanwhile my friend Nanang was still busy somewhere in the kitchen. So, continue with my bf. We went to Dome at Shaw. A cup of coffee for him, and a cup of weird taste tea for me. Ah, well..

Then my sister and Nanang came along. Good chat and laugh at Dome till we all got hungry. As usual, Nanang came up with the idea of having dinner at the Marina.

Nanang has good taste in choosing food. Yeah, no wonder. He's a chef of course! He knows what he's doing. We had crab, fried mantau, yummy kailan (just for me!), steamed fish (ordered especially for me, again). Goodness, I don't even remember what we ordered. I could only remember that Ivan was looking at me all the time because I ate the veggies like a hungry dragon - yes, darling, it's me who ate all the greens!

Hang out with the people you love with was so much fun. Really!
I'd rather have them around me when I have my chemo instead of my mum. Not that I don't love her, but I'd rather have people who don't talk much during my chemo (ie: cheer me up).

*sigh*
Let the last torture of chemo ends tomorrow..

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St. Peregrine - patron of cancer patients

I recently do the novena prayer for my cancer to this saint whose name is Peregrine. He's a patron of cancer patients.
I found out about him when I went through my dad's drawer. So I guess my dad also did the novena to St. Peregrine.

Here's an outline about St. Peregrine, which I took from Catholic Online.

Peregrine Laziosi was born of a wealthy family at Forli, Italy, in 1260. As a youth he was active in politics as a member of the anti-papal party. During one uprising, which the Pope sent St. Philip Benizi to mediate, Philip was struck in the face by Peregrine. When Philip offered the other cheek, Peregrine was so overcome that he repented and converted to Catholicism. Following the instructions of the Virgin Mary received in a vision, Peregrine went to Siena and joined the Servites. It is believed that he never allowed himself to sit down for thirty years, while as far as possible, observing silence and solitude. Sometime later, Peregrine was sent to Forli to found a new house of the Servite Order. An ideal priest, he had a reputation for fervent preaching and being a good confessor. When he was afflicted with cancer of the foot and amputation had been decided upon, he spent the night before the operation, in prayer. The following morning he was completely cured. This miracle caused his reputation to become widespread. He died in 1345 at the age of eighty-five, and he was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. St. Peregrine, like St. Paul, was in open defiance of the Church as a youth. Once given the grace of conversion he became one of the great saints of his time. His great fervor and qualities as a confessor brought many back to the true Faith. Afflicted with cancer, Peregrine turned to God and was richly rewarded for his Faith, enabling him over many years to lead others to the truth. He is the patron of cancer patients.

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Wish me luck for the Last Chemo

Wish me luck y'all!
On Monday I'll be getting my last chemotherapy.

This time I'll be staying in S'pore a liiiiiiiitle bit longer - yeah, that means I'll be taking 2 days off from work (yippiiiiie). Be leaving Jakarta on Sunday morning with my sister ONLY.
My appointment with the doc is actually on Monday, but in the morning.
The doc said that I'll have to take the full blood test and the CT Scan there - since it's my last treatment.
Damn it! Another blood test. Another poking here and there on my hand. Now some of my fingers are numb, poking here and there just gonna make it worse. *sigh*
And the CT scan.. nooooo!
The CT Scan itself doesn't hurt a bit. It's just scanning my body. That's all. What I cannot stand is the injection to highlight whatever in my body for scanning.
Ugh, let that be my joy of pain on Monday.

Even though I'm scared to face this last chemo, somewhere in my heart I feel a bit relief. Perhaps it's the fact that my friend (or TTMB - teman tapi mesra banget. Oh, please dech.. hare geneee..), the so-called boyfriend (my sister said: "he's the complete reincarnation of your husband!") who's willing to take a day off from his work to take me to the hospital and reschedule all his work for Tuesday as well, and last: my sister..they'll be around me during my last chemo.

But even though they're there for me, deep deep deep inside I'm still scared to face this last chemo:
What else the doc's going to say?
Is my cancer spreading?
Do I need to go through another 8 set of chemo again (hopefully, not!)?
I'm so hoping that this son-of-a-bitch cancer is not spreading.

Yes, I haven't been a good girl lately.
For the love of food..
Can't really pull myself together when it comes to food.
My vegetables and fruit intake is quiet low - according to my boyfriend, and I hate to say that he's right.
Not only that, he even noticed that my water intake is somehow not enough - again, I can really punch him for being right all the time.
Well, this is more like a food confession from me: I even ate my niece KFC leftover. Even though it's just the bones I crunch, it's not like I'm inhaling the whole chicken. I also still eat some fried food - last week I found Tempe Goreng that my niece's nanny made at my sister's house. Ooooh.. it's heaven! Not too crunchy, too. Enak, booooooo.... I don't know what else I've been eating since May. I realize that my gaining weight now is supposed to be questioned: have I been eating healthy food or whatever food? Some people are just happy to see me in my doesn't-look-sick shape. Yeah, with 60 kgs who would think that I've got cancer.

Besides from these things that keep haunting me at night, I'm still grateful that I'm still able to do lots of things that I thought I won't be able to do like girls night out, work till late night, hangout with my friends, do the Body Combat exercise, bake cookies and lick the dough straight from the bowl.

I'm even grateful to see the fact that people around me are still very supportive and fussy when it comes to food (can't eat that, Steph.. or that's spicy, Steph.. or sometimes even nastier: they (or you, even, again..) take my plate away and start measuring how much I can eat.) Whatever banget gak seeeeeh... but it does something good for me - Thanks!

Tapi ya sudah.. Yang terjadi ya terjadilah..
I just keep my fingers crossed till Monday. Wish me luck! Should unexpected things happen to me, you'll be hearing it from my sister. Hehehehe..

Last, thanks for being around and always be there for me..

Let you know more with my progress after chemo.. Let's hope it's a good news.

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2 more to go

Monday the 8th, 2007 will be my 7th chemo.
That's actually 1 more chemo to go - minus the one next week.

What do I feel now?
A bit numbness at the edge of my tounge (still).
Dryer skin on the tip toes and around the cuticles
Fingers a bit numb. Not so much.. but I don't think I could stand the AC anymore.
I've been getting more cramps on my claves while I sleep at night - there was a night when I had to go through calves cramp on both legs. Jesus Christ! I'd rather die..

I've noticed that I haven't been eating good food (healthy) lately. Need more veggies and fruits. That's a hard committment to make.

At this point, I've reached my weakness in emotion. I'm so damn scared that I won't get the best result as I (and my family and friends) hope. There are moments when I keep thinking: Would I make it through? Would I have to get another set of this damn chemoteraphy? Would I be able to live for another year or longer?

Yes. I'm scared as hell.
The only thing that I can think of is that I have to live .. for my family.
Realizing that my family has sacrfice lots of things - especially my sister, is what motivated me most to live. Of course, besides my dream: my own damn family.

A promise I gotta make to my father minutes before he died: I'll take care of the family with all my strength and with whatever God give me, and, yes, I can take care of myself.
I guess that, too, motivates me, to live.

I'm so scared at this moment.. I just wish I could pass through this tiring moments of beating cancer and be a cancer survivor.

2 more chemo to go.. with lots of fear..

But at least my trip to Singapore for chemo isn't boring as it used to... A good friend and a love one is waiting.. :)

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Fight the damn cancer..

It is actually easy to fight for cancer. Not hard at all. Really!
What's hard is the temptation.

We know already that there are 3 obvious risk factors for getting colorectal cancer which includes:
1. Age
2. Family Medical History
3. Your own medical history

However, there are other risk factors that we know already but often ignored. Start with the easy one..

1. Food - yes, baby.. FOOD! Alert: your chances of getting colon cancer is higher if your diet is high in calories, protein, fat (animal fat that is) and low in calcium. How about those protein powder and the rest..? Let's give it a rest, eh? Unless if you're ready to have bumps on your colon.

2. Smoke. Quit now before you regret it. I regret I didn't quit last year. I quit on February 28, 2007. Right on Ash Wednesday. Well, did not exactly quit. More like a break (fasting) from cigarettes for 40 days (until Easter) because of some religious reason. During the break I did smoke..4 times I guess, but after that I haven't smoked again. Can you call it quit? Yeah.. I quit. I quit even before I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer stage 3. But studies shows that smokers have greater chance of getting colorectal cancer.

3. Exercise. Hey, exercise is good you know.. do it now! Once you get the disease you'd need more time for your body (i.e. not too tired). Do whatever exercise you like, but start NOW. I love Body Combat and Tae Bo and I used to do it 3 to 4 times a week. Now that I need more time for my body, I need to reduce those exercise. Of course I'm still allowed to do exercise, but not as much as before.

4. Your weight. We watch our weight from time to time. Most of the time we're scared of gaining even an ounce. And true, if you're overweight you're most likely to get colorectal cancer. Before we believed that if we're overweight we would likely to get heart disease because of the fats that cover the heart. Well, not anymore. It's either you get both or one of them. But don't you just love it if you're on the right proportion? Having extra fat in the waist area is a greater risk than having extra fat in the hips or thighs.

5. Alcohol. Hey.. do I need to give comments on this one, too..??

Have a good day everybody.. I'm going on vacation!

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How you doin..?

Up to this point of my life I feel that I'm so damn lucky to stay alive.
My treatment does good thing for me. What I still can't believe is just too good to be true.
Anyway.. I was just a bit bored in the office. Not bored to be exact, but my runny nose kept me from doing things and all I've been doing since the morning was actually listening to my iPod and read through some articles about the disease that I'm having now.

Remember that at the beginning (if you really pay attention to my blog that is) my brother was saying something about hereditary disease? Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)? Yeah, it's still colon cancer but the FAP one..
Now I just found this articles from Cancer Consultants. Hope it gives you (or whoever who has the same disease like me) clearer view of what's going on..

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a rare genetic syndrome that causes hundreds of adenomatous polyps to form in the colon or rectum. Most cases of FAP are the result of mutations of the APC gene. Individuals who inherit an APC mutation are at a high risk of developing colonic adenomas and eventually colorectal cancer. Studies show that 90% of people with FAP will develop adenomas and without interventions, most people with this syndrome will develop colorectal cancer. Attenuated FAP (AFAP) is a genetic syndrome similar to FAP in which fewer than 100 polyps develop in the colon or rectum. Individuals with AFAP often have family members who have FAP. AFAP is equally as rare as FAP.

Most cases of FAP and some cases of AFAP are the result of mutations of the APC gene. Individuals who inherit an APC mutation are at a high risk for developing polyps and eventually colorectal cancer. Nearly 100% of individuals who are APC gene mutation-positive will develop colon adenomas. APC gene testing is now commercially available and the results, whether positive or negative, can assist individuals in their choices regarding future medical care.

Individuals at risk for FAP and AFAP can benefit from presymptomatic genetic testing. Both positive and negative test results can impact future medical choices and the frequency of screening procedures. A positive test result indicates that an individual has a known mutation that causes FAP or AFAP. Nearly 100% of individuals with this mutation will develop adenomas; therefore, those who test positive may use this information to increase the frequency of their screening procedures. A negative test result does not necessarily indicate freedom from risk. Individuals with negative test results may not need to undergo screening as frequently as those who test positive; however, these individuals need to be aware that they could still develop colorectal cancer, as the majority of cases are not the result of genetic conditions.

More significant than the test results is the course of action that follows. Again, the main reason for undergoing predictive genetic testing is the potential opportunity to take preventive measures against developing colorectal cancer. Many individuals who know that they are at an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer can choose to be proactive in their health maintenance and their utilization of screening procedures for early detection. While they may not always be able to prevent cancer from developing, they may be able to catch it early when it is most treatable.

Individuals with FAP and AFAP need to undergo frequent screening for polyps by sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy. Usually, screening in individuals with FAP or AFAP begins in the early teens. Historically once an individual with FAP or AFAP manifested polyposis, the only effective management strategy was colectomy (removal of the colon). In 2000, the Food and Drug Administration approved Celecoxib, previously approved for the treatment of individuals with arthritis, to be used in conjunction with the usual therapy for individuals with FAP. Celecoxib has been reported to reduce the number of colon polyps that develop in individuals with FAP, thus significantly reducing their risk for developing colorectal cancer. Patients should be seen in a medical center by an expert in FAP and AFAP to best understand their options.

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Lesser White Blood Cells

When I had my 4th chemo a month ago, the doctor told me that my White Blood Cell count was too low. Very low. That low that I had to take extra medication to make my white blood cell a bit higher. The doctor supplied me with 5 injection that I had to do it on my own after I finish with the Xeloda pills. The name of that medication is NEUPOGEN. This thing was injection in 5 different days and in 5 different place of the fatty tissue of my tummy, arm, and leg.

Of course this has side effect. No, duh! all medication have side effects. As for me, the obvious side effect is Headache. I also felt some chills, tho. I thought my headache came from the stress I've had recently. Hey, maybe that one, too. Actually, it really breaks my heart that I want to cry. But leave it. What comes around, goes around. Believe me.
What the hell am I talking about?? Back to Neupogen..

Here's a bit about White blood cells..

White blood cell is part of our immune system and fight infections. So, when the white blood cells is low, I can easily get infections. And what surprise me more is that it is normal because after each chemoteraphy, the white blood cells count begins to fall. When the white blood cells count fall, I could easily feel tired - which I hardly feel it. Some people also say they feel depressed at this time - and this happened to me, which I thought broken heart has something to do with it.

I got some hints to improve my low blood cells:
1. Keep as clean as you can
2. Eat healthy diet - lots of fruits, juice, especially cherry - it's good to improve the low blood cells
3. Make sure any cooked food is properly to kill off bacteria
4. Avoid injury
5. Rest when you feel tired
6. Avoid doing too much acitivity in the middle of each course of chemotherapy, as this is when your blood counts will be lowest and you may be feeling washed out.
7. Be happy!

Confused? Me, too.. :)

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Friday Night Fever

Here we go again..
One crazy nite spent with the people I love dearly..
I accompanied my brother to his work for doing some project with a bank.
He needed my beautiful voice to fill in for the whatever show.

Seemed we had a good time - at least I think I had a good time.
Look at us in the picture! We seemed to have fun

Enjoy the picture..

How about Saturday nite..? I'm going to spend it with my friends.. Stay tuned for more crazy pictures

By the way, I don't look like I have a stage 3 cancer, do I?

God loves me, then.. :)

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Election Day & Baking Day

It's Election Day today in Jakarta where we have to choose a new governor. We have a 1 day holiday for this election day. So, after we elect some booth provided near our house we just got nothing to do. As for me, I've planned this day as a Baking Day since Monday when I found out that today is a holiday.

My 9-year old niece helped me with mixing and messing up the kitchen. She just can't see me baked only the Fudge Brownie, so she kept telling me to bake Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies. So, I baked both. Tiring, though, but it was good. I had a good time, everybody happy. The cookies are almost gone before it goes to the cookie jar. Very yummy.

I consider myself as a lucky person. I'm lucky that I have the ability to cook. I enjoy cooking.. baking..
What to cook next? Pasta! Looooove pasta.
I'll include some yummy pasta recipe so you can enjoy it..

Any idea what kind of pasta I should try..?
Glad to hear some input..

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3 More Chemo To Go..

It's been 4 months since my first chemo, and on August I'll be getting my 5th chemo.
In Bahasa we'd say: Gak Kerasa (Can hardly feel it)
Yes, I could hardly feel it. The nausea was quickly gone as well. Except the numbness on my hand, this time it took about a week for it to be gone. Hugh!

After the 3rd chemo, I've been driving everywhere. Work.. party.. shopping.. or just killing time round around Jakarta.
I was back with my overly active life. Hahahaahhahahaa... And from that time, nobody can stop me. Including my mom, isn't that amazing..???

But really, my condition is not bad at all. No hair loss, too. I hardly feel tired. I just do whatever I normally do.

Nothing to tell much, though. Except that now I'm working at different school - BTW, I just resigned about a month ago, and in less then a week I gotta phone call from other school and they wanted me to be their librarian. So, this summer I only had a week of vacation. *sigh*
Salary wise, well.. it's much lower than my previous school. But I can cope with it. I still have my piano students and I still make my millions.. Hahahahahaaha...

Another good news is that my handsome brother is finally home. Home is now so much different with him around. Sometimes I feel happy to have a "personal driver" around. He'd drive whenever I tell him to. Hahahaha.. What's a brother for, heh??

Anyway, nothing much change during my chemo. This magic drug really works on me very well that I don't feel a thing. Well, except every first three days after the Oxaliplatin is injected.

With the cancer I have, I could only ask God for cure. But then nobody's perfect. Just like anyone else, I ask for something else. A complete family of my own - apart from the family I have now. Hey, you know what I mean. Just be real. I need to settle down, too, you know.

Ah, well.. let you know with more news from me..

BTW, here are some pictures taken after the 4th chemo. Right hand was still numb, but there's no day without style and being chic! Hey, you may have stage 3 cancer, but you still gotta look good..! First picture is my brother - handsome, heh? He just got braces on as well. Second pic is of course, me! Third pic is me and my pretty cousin - I wouldn't even call her my cousin, she's my baby sister!. The last one was with my friends from Syracuse University.

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2nd Chemo

I survived the 1st chemo!
Now I just passed the 1st week of the 2nd chemo.
Not bad at all..

As soon as the Oxaliplatin infusion was done, my hands was a bit numb. I thought my hands were paralyzed. So, I put my hands under the warm water, and it turns out that it's just the little side effect of the chemo. I was ready to go home - well, at that time to the hotel, that is.

The nausea feeling was there and it was pretty bad. I couldn't even swallow anything except water. Just like the first chemo, all fluids tasted cold on my tounge. I remembered back to the first chemo, the nausea lasted for 3 days. The whole nausea thing was over by Monday night!
Phew!!
Finally, I could swalllow that meatball soup.

Ah well.. Back to work..

-stephanie-

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New Haircut!

Just before I'm getting my second chemo next week (Friday, 1st June 2007), I'm getting a new haircut - thanks to my sister (again) for treating (again) this fancy haircut.

Before I went to the hair salon, I was thinking of getting my hair really really short! Like Demi Moore in Ghost, not like Dudley Moore in Foul Play :D
But then, the stylist, which happen to be the owner of the hair salon, did not recommend that such short hair since he didn't want me to get a shock of my life. I thought,'what the f*$k?? It's my hair..!'I'm the one who should be in shock later if I go bald. Imagine if one day I brush my hair and all of a sudden my hair fall out. Then the stylist told me one thing that I didn't think of: ENJOY YOUR HAIR!

Why should you cut your hair really short like you're sure that you're going to go bald tomorrow?
Why not enjoy what you have now: Full Hair - Hey, you're just on your 1st chemo. So, take it easy..!

And all that.. I didn't think of. So, I said "Go ahead. Do whatever you want to my hair, but make that quick" As if he's listening to me at that time. What I thought it would take around 30 minutes to get a haircut, it ended up 3.5 hours! He used something to straighten my bang (I usually have a "crown" along with my bang.). He didn't cut my hair too short, but he make it a bit lighter. But all that waiting for 3.5 hours was worth it!


-Stephanie-

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Me & My friends

Just this Friday, May 25th, my friends came to my house to hang out.
That was fun.. lots of gossiping.. eating pizza..
They're my friends from my previous school - not that I'm still going to school, helooow..

Nothing much we talked about, tho.. But when we're together we feel like sisters, if not we could punch one another.. hahahahaha. But we can't just get enough of talking about our bosses.

So, there's food, cable TV that people hardly pay attention to, and gossip here and there with every personality complete in our friendship.. We've got the one who has a particular leisure activity of sending dirty emails, one who like to comment on everything (basically, we comment on everything), one who's always hungry all the time, one who cannot leave home without her hair rollers, one who's trying so hard to be funny.. Well, basically, everything!

What's the most important thing here is that they (or better say "we") always be there for one another - especially when it comes to FOOD!

There's not much I can say about them, except that I'm very greatful that I know them and they've always been very supportive to me at this moment of my life. In sickness and health, good times bad times, thick and thin.. No matter what happen, we always have things to laugh on even when we're at our lowest part in our life..

Here are the pictures we just took on Friday .. Some of them are not there.. next time I'll get the full picture with the whole gang!


- stephanie-

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A Bit About XELOX

Here’s a bit about my chemo using XELOX.. Always something new for you and me, of course..

XELOX is a kind of new chemotherapy thing (Well, not so new I guess. I heard it’s been around for the past 2 years.). It is actually a combination of Xeloda + Oxaliplatin. Hint hint! That’s where they get the name.

Using this chemo combination means less going to hospital because with XELOX patients are getting infusion of Oxaliplatin for 2 hours and the patients can go home and take the oral Xeloda pill for 14 days (in my case). Isn’t that convenient? What more is that they say that this treatment is pretty good to handle metastatic colorectal cancer – like what I have now! WOW.. Yippiiiiieeeee…

Before I started using this treatment, the doctor told me not to take or drink anything cold as I may experience tingling and numbness in the palms of my hands or my feet. He said something about hand and foot syndrome, so I guess that’s what they are. He also told me that I might have difficulties in playing piano while on this treatment since my fingers would all be numb. Was I going to cry? Yes! I was devastated. Playing piano is my way of having fun and my source of living. What do I do about it? FIGHT! Practice practice practice! I don’t wait until the numbness comes to start practicing and exercising my fingers on the piano even though I feel easily tired when sitting in front of my piano. Just play as usual. I haven’t felt the numbness, yet, and this is my 6th day on Xelox already. So, I hope it’s a good sign.
As for tingling, well, I already had that on my first 2-day of treatment but then it disappeared. So, I guess these were just temporary – or probably I should not experience this at all. The first time I had this when I just had my Oxaliplatin infused. I took a first drink of mineral water just outside the hospital. The water was at room temperature, but when I took a sip my mouth ... brrrrr… that’s what tingling feels like. No wonder the doctor told me not to drink anything cold. I could already feel it in my mouth, imagine that in your body! But that’s not only in my mouth, apparently, but also in other part of my body such as the vagina. Well, kind of embarrassing to tell. But it’s the truth. After I pee in the airport’s toilet, as usual I had to clean up. With just toilet paper was not enough. Pretty disgusting, I have to say. So, I took my drink, which I just bought from the sushi bar at the airport, and started to clean up when all of a sudden my vagina start to feel tingling as I begun to clean up. It’s like I was just pouring cold water from Antarctica down to my vagina!! Ugh… So bad experience.

I started to take Xeloda at home. The side effect couldn’t be seen until the next day, but the nurses at the hospital warned me that I’d have diarrhoea, dizzy. I’d also experience nausea and vomiting. Before I left the hospital, they also gave me 2 kinds of medicines just in case I have nausea and vomiting, and diarrhoea. I did experience this at home couple hours after I took my first Xeloda. I even lost appetite. Whenever I see food I just want to vomit. Luckily, I have not vomited yet. With me, they’re gone as I reached my 6th day taking Xeloda. What’s still there is the lost appetite, but whenever I feel hungry I try to eat as much as I can even though it’s just a bit or two.

Well, this is just my experience taking Xeloda.
If you’re interested – and ONLY if you’re interested - to know more about this Xeloda pill I’m taking, go to www.edrugsearh.com drug information: Xeloda


-stephanie-

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Conquering Colon Cancer

A segment from CBS NEWS about Colon Cancer.

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My Sister's First (of 8 total) Chemo Experience

So, here I am with 7 more chemo to go.. or 8?

We (me, my sis, and my brother in law) went to 2 oncologists on the first day.
Some of you might be wondering 'what the hell is oncologist??'
Well, get the dictionary and find it! :D

First doctor was from The Gleneagles Hospital (same hospital when my dad got his chemo 3 years sgo, just different doctor) suggested the Folfox. And if I'm not mistaken, he also suggested Xelox but I can't quiet remember since my mind was on this thing the doctor said that it's going to be put/planted in to my chest and that I'd have to go under mini surgery.
Damn!
I couldn't even think straight anymore. So, whether the doctor said something about Xelox or not my mind was somewhere nowhere and all I could hear from the him was bla.. bla.. bla.. bla.. bla..
All I could think at that time was, how mini the surgery could be if he'sgoing to plant that shit into my chest?? Well, it's not like I haven't seen one. I remember my Dad had it 3 years ago when he was under chemo. But let that be his problem and incovenience hehehehehehe.. I reallly don't want to go through that so-called mini operation and have that incovenient thing inside my chest, especially with the fact that I just had a pretty big surgery a month ago and another fact that in that mini surgery they were only gave me local anaesthesia.
Hell with it!
I need drug, man!

Now, you're probably wondering what are Folfox and Xelox?
Well, they're type of chemo. See my blog forfurther info - that's if I'm (or my bro or sis..whoever) done writing.

On the same day in the afternoon, we went to National University Hospital. Went to see the doctor (again),told the same story about me (again), and the next plan (again). But with this one, they took my bloodtest.
AAAARRRRRGGGHH...!!! Mati lah gue.. matiiiii..
My inner vein is very hard to find and this means PAIN!
They poked the needle for 2 times! They found it at first, but once the needle went in .. my veins were running and the nurse lost them. Second try with 2 nurses holding and tapping my arms. Aduuuuuuuh... that needle was in already and they lost them again! That's starting to get a bit pain in the ass. Last try with 3 nurses holding me, but before they poked the needle they gave me warm Milo so that my veins can be seen asily (aaaaah.. maca' ciiiih..???).
So there you go.. me screaming like I don't know what.
Inhale exhaleinhale exhale like I was going to give birth plus answering the phone call that's been ringing for the whole 30 minutes in the lab. Short torture of taking blood test was done. We should come back to the NUH to see the oncologist and to have a CT Scan the next day.

The next day before we went back to the NUH, we went to National Cancer Center (NCC). For some reason, we already have this appointment made before we left JKT. The NCC itself .. well, okey.. lots of cancer patience. Masya Allah! Iyalaaaah.. gimana coba..?? namanya jgua National Cancer Center! Lo liat orang sakit gigi semua apa ceritanya coba..???
Kurang begitu "kena" di hati gue.
Kiri kanan kulihat saja.. banyak pasien kanker'aaaaaan (nyanyinya harus pake gaya Naik2 Ke Puncak Gunung). Yang lebih gak mengesankan lagi, waktu gue intip dokternya (associate doctor tepatnya..gak penting banget gak seeeeeeh!) CULUN, bo! Ampun culun banget!!
Gue intip dia lagi baca riwayat pasien aja tangannya sambil garuk2. Garuk2 kegatelan sama garuk2 bingung kan beda yah..? Nah, yang ini garuk2 bingung. Mampus dah gue kalo sampe dapet doi. Untung kawan juga agak lama diagnose pasien di dlm, kita punya wkt pun juga gak ada banyak alias kita harus CT Scan ke NUH. Ya sudahlah, pamitlah kita..
(blagak) reschedule buat besok aja dah..
So, kembali lah kitake NUH tapi langsung ke imaging center buat CT Scan.
Sama aja gilanya!
Tangan gue mau disuntikin cairan yang katanya biar bisa liat/highlight semua isi badan gue. DUUUUUH.. poking here and there.. Ini tangan kalo bisa tereak udah tereak dari kapan2 kali. Sama aja susahnya. Tangan kiri udah diocba, gagal! Tuker lagi pake tangan kanan. At the end of the day, tangan gue sebenernya udah biru sana sini dan memar sana sini. Tapi gak apalah, daripada dipasangin yang di dlm badan gue??

Selesai semua, ketemu sama oncologist yg di NUH (he's the chief there, btw).
Sebenernya sih pilihannya juga sama aja.
Folfox atau Xelox.
Kalo pake Folfox, ada tube yg ditanam di chest gue (ogah kan..?). I may have to have the treatment up to 12 times, each treatment lasts 2 weeks. In other words, every 2 weeks I have to go back to S'pore for a 2-day treatment.
While with Xelox is different. Xelox is a Xeloda (chemo pills) and oxaliplatin (chemo drug as well, but given by infusion for 2 hours only).
Actually, Folfox also uses oxaliplatin. But, anyway, Xelox is pretty much very convinience and more advance. I only have to stay in the hospital for 2 hours, and the rest of the chemo is in pill form that I must take for 14 days. Length of treatment is different. I have to go back to S'pore to get another infusion in 3 weeks time - next one will be June 1st. Cool, huh??

*sigh*

Well.. welcome home me! Right after the first chemo, I was in the plane back to JKT at 9 PM. Technology these days..
Suprise.. suprise..

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New Picture!

Here's the latest picture of my sis after the cancer verdict. Out of the hospital, looking good, and grabing a REAL FOOD! Note also on the left her new cool cellphone. ENVY!

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12 myths about colon cancer!

This article are taken from eMaxHealth.com:

12 Myths About Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and the No. 1 cause of cancer death among non-smokers. More than 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year, and 52,000 will die from the disease.

It doesn't have to be that way.

"Most colorectal cancers are predictable by early diagnosis and screening. If colonoscopy can identify a problem early, we could completely prevent colorectal cancer," says D. Kim Turgeon, M.D., clinical associate professor of gastroenterology at the University of Michigan Medical School.

In fact, colorectal cancer screening prevents more deaths due to early detection than breast or prostate cancer screening.

Here, experts from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center address some of the common myths and misconceptions about colorectal cancer.

Myth 1: Colon cancer is a white man's disease.
Truth: Colon cancer affects both men and women equally, and it affects people of all races. In 2007, the American Cancer Society estimates, 55,290 men and 57,050 women will be diagnosed with colon cancer. About equal numbers will die from the disease: 52,000 Americans altogether. The No. 1 risk factor for colon cancer is age

Myth 2: I don't have any symptoms, so I must not have colon cancer.
Truth: "One of the most common misconceptions is that symptoms will be evident if a person has colorectal cancer. In fact, the most common symptom is no symptoms at all," says Emina Huang, M.D., assistant professor of surgery at the U-M Medical School. More than half of people diagnosed with colon cancer have no symptoms. Symptoms such as a change in stool, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss can all signal colon cancer. But once these symptoms begin to develop, it may be a sign of more advanced disease. Half of people diagnosed after symptoms develop will die from colon cancer.

Myth 3: Colonoscopy is difficult to prepare for.
Truth: Preparing for a colonoscopy involves cleaning the colon with the help of prescription and over-the-counter medications. Typically these are liquid drinks that must be consumed a day or two before the procedure. "People shouldn’t be afraid of it because they don't want to drink the laxative. There are many more options so you can find something that is tolerable," Turgeon says. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about your options.

Myth 4: Colonoscopy is unpleasant and uncomfortable.
Truth: It's not as bad as you think. Most people agree the prep is the worst part (see Myth 3). During the actual procedure, patients are sedated to eliminate discomfort. The procedure itself takes 15-30 minutes and you can resume normal activities the next day

Myth 5: I saw Katie Couric get a colonoscopy on the Today Show, so I should get one too.
Truth: Colonoscopy screening is recommended for men and women beginning at age 50, unless other risk factors exist. If you're 50 or older, talk to your doctor about screening. If you are younger than 50 but have other risk factors – such as family history, obesity, smoking, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease – talk to your doctor about your screening needs. But remember, age is the most significant risk factor for colon cancer.

Myth 6: Colonoscopy is the only way to screen for colon cancer.
Truth: There are several screening options for colorectal cancer, including flexible sigmoidoscopy, fecal occult blood test and double-contrast barium enema. But colonoscopy is considered the gold standard. It detects more cancers, examines the entire colon, and can be used for screening, diagnosis and removing polyps in one visit.

Myth 7: A polyp means I have cancer.
Truth: Polyps are benign growths that, if left unchecked, have the potential to develop into cancer. Polyps can be easily removed during colonoscopy. Not all polyps are pre-cancerous.

Myth 8: Colonoscopy is just a screening technique.
Truth: Colonoscopy is an all-in-one tool. It can find and remove polyps and small cancers all during one procedure. If your colonoscopy reveals a polyp, your doctor will remove it immediately. By removing the polyp at this stage, it prevents it from becoming cancerous. If colonoscopy reveals cancerous lesions, further treatments may be necessary.

Myth 9: If I have colon cancer, it means I am dying.
Truth: When colon cancer is caught early, it has a 95 percent survival rate. That's why screening is so important. Once colon cancer has spread to the liver, it's usually deadly, with only a 9 percent survival rate. But even then, treatments are improving. Radiation oncologists at U-M have developed a method to shrink tumors that spread to the liver, in some cases allowing them to be removed with surgery. This has led to higher survival rates even in the most advanced cases.

Myth 10: Surgery will be disfiguring and recovery painful.
Truth: New surgical advances allow for minimally invasive procedures that leave only a small scar. Patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery may have an easier recovery than patients who have open surgery. Some evidence suggests cancer control is better with a minimally invasive approach.

Myth 11: If I have colon surgery, I’ll need a colostomy bag.
Truth: A colostomy, in which surgeons create an artificial, external method to collect excrement, is rarely done anymore. Surgical techniques have improved so that the cancer can be effectively removed while sparing the rectum. In the past, cancers within 4 inches of the anus routinely required removing the anus for effective surgical control. Now, 80 percent of these cancers may be effectively removed while sparing the anus.

Myth 12: Few research advances focus on colon cancer.
Truth: Much exciting research is occurring in colon cancer. At U-M, research has focused on improving radiation techniques, including using radiation to shrink tumors that have spread to the liver. Researchers are also working with colon cancer stem cells, the small number of cells within a tumor that fuel its growth. It's believed that identifying the cancer stem cells will allow more effective drugs to be developed. Other research is looking at multiple genes involved in colon cancer and at improving screening techniques so more cancers can be detected early. This includes searching for markers in blood, stool or urine that might provide an easier screening tool to early signs of colon cancer. In the area of prevention, researchers are looking at the effects of curcumin (found in curry), resveratrol (found in red wine), ginger and the Mediterranean diet on the growth and development of colon cancer.

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Gotta Be Strong Before Chemo!

So,

The whole troops - me, my mom, my aunti, my sister and her husband, my nephew and his nanny - went to take me to see 2 doctors yesterday. The internist and the digestive surgeon. They both told me that I should start my chemo ASAP and I should keep eating during chemo. In a way, he told me to "force" myself to eat. Hey, I wonder why.. it turns out that during chemo, I'll be losing my appetite. Hmmm... Make sense. No wonder they kept telling me "eat whatever you want as long as they're clean" so that I have lots of energy for the chemo.

After the doctor announced that I'm allowed to eat whatever, we celebrate a little.
Hahahahahahahaha... For the past 3 days I'd been craving like a mad person for pizza!
So, yesterday after we left the hospital, my auntie took me for a treat at Pizza Hut!
Only me, my mom, and my auntie went dining at Pizza Hut, the rest gotta go pick up my my niece from school. But it was (kinda) fun. Imagine, I ate that pizza slooooowly. Really get the taste of the food just like I've never tasted pizza before. Hey, it's been 3 weeks I only ate that same puree food! Have mercy on me!

Anyway, I actually have a picture of me taking a delicious bite of that pizza and enjoying my new cellular phone I got from my sister. But, poor Stephanie, doesn't really know how to upload the photo - I knew actually, but it's just goddamn slow. Let that picture come up next time I have enough patience. :)

-stephanie-

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Funny Clips Of The Day III

This one is not a clip from a sitcom. Rather is a stand up comedy. Just for a quick laugh. Enjoy!

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What Colon Cancer Look Like

Colon on an X-Ray-Red part is the Cancerous Ask Your Doctor: Colorectal Cancer ( Taken from New York Times Article May 1, 2007) 1) When should I start being screened, how often should I be tested and which test is best for me? 2) Are there colorectal symptoms that should prompt me to see a doctor? 3) How long does it take for the doctor to examine the colon during a colonoscopy? (A recent study indicated that doctors who take fewer than eight minutes are most likely to miss polyps.) 4) Will the doctor provide a written report of my test results in layman's English? 5) How likely will this test give a false-positive result - mistakenly indicating that something is wrong - or a false negative, which fails to diagnose a cancer or precancerous condition?

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New Articles From New York Post

Hi All, here's a new articles about Colon Cancer. A little bit scary but worth the read. By the end of the day, early detection is the sure way to beat cancer... How to Halve the Death Rate From Colon Cancer By DENISE GRADY Published: May 1, 2007 EVEN though screening tests can prevent colorectal cancer or find it early enough to cure, the disease is still the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with nearly 165,000 new cases and more than 52,000 deaths expected this year. Rates of colorectal cancer have been declining in recent years, by about 2 percent annually, thanks mostly to increased screening. Yet fewer than half the people who should be screened bother to do so. If they did, the death rate could probably be halved, cancer experts say. The reason this cancer is so easily prevented or cured is that most of the time it begins as a polyp in the lining of the intestine, progressing slowly and possibly turning malignant. Tests that examine the colon can find polyps, and doctors can snip them out before they become cancers. Or the tests can reveal early tumors that can also be removed. But tests for colorectal cancer are not popular. Most adults should start being screened at age 50 (sooner for people at high risk because of family history, certain bowel disorders or gene mutations), but many put it off. Some are squeamish about the tests, which require patients to collect stool samples or have an instrument inserted into the rectum. Screening advocates point out that the unpleasantness is a small price to pay to avoid a painful and deadly disease, and most people who have had the tests say they are no big deal. The worst part of a colonoscopy, many people find, is not the test itself, which is usually done under sedation, but the “prep,” which requires a day at home to take supercharged laxatives to empty the intestines. “Data tells us this is a problem of people not feeling a strong impetus to be screened from their primary care physician,” said Dr. Robert Smith, the director of screening for the American Cancer Society. “Doctors think patients won’t want to do it, so they don’t bring it up. And they may be ambivalent about which test to endorse. Some patients get a referral, leave the office and the process of scheduling is so esoteric it just doesn’t happen. Everybody’s intending to do the right thing, but it doesn’t get around to taking place.” For people with an average risk of developing colorectal cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends that screening start at 50, with one of five tests: ¶An annual fecal occult blood test, or a new version called a fecal immunochemical test, to look for blood in the stool. ¶Every five years, flexible sigmoidoscopy, in which a scope examines the lower part of the colon. ¶An annual stool test with sigmoidoscopy every five years. ¶A test involving a barium enema and X-rays every five years. ¶Every 10 years, colonoscopy, in which a scope is inserted into the rectum to examine the entire large intestine. If one of the first four tests finds anything abnormal, colonoscopy is needed to check further. The first test developed for blood in the stool required that patients avoid eating red meat or raw vegetables for several days beforehand, to avoid false positives, but that is not required for the newer immunochemical test. This test is also easier to perform and may replace the old one, but it costs more and not all insurers cover it yet, Dr. Smith said. Patients must do the stool tests themselves at home on several samples, the cancer society emphasizes. Polyps are less likely to bleed than actual cancers, so the tests for blood are more likely to find cancers than they are to detect polyps. The drawback of sigmoidoscopy is that it examines only the lower part of the colon, so it misses polyps or cancers higher up. Barium-enema tests do not find as many small polyps as colonoscopy does, Dr. Smith said. But colonoscopy can also miss polyps, especially if doctors rush it, studies have found. Yet it is still the best test, Dr. Smith said, because when done carefully it finds small polyps, which can be removed right then. For most people, the test does not have to be done more than once every 10 years. “But is it available or can you pay?” Dr. Smith said. “Can you get the examination in a timely fashion? You may have an eight- or nine-month wait to get one.” Some doctors do tests for blood in the stool when patients are in the 10-year interval between colonoscopies, but Dr. Smith said that is “excessive and not justified.” “Virtual colonoscopy” sounds less onerous to some people. It involves using a CT scan instead of a scope, and doesn’t require sedation. It does require the same prep as colonoscopy, with a tube inserted into the rectum to inflate the colon with gas to create clearer images. Polyps cannot be removed during this procedure, so if any show up, the patient has to go back for a colonoscopy. The virtual test is being heavily marketed by some clinics, but the American Cancer Society and other groups are not recommending it yet, saying it needs more study. But Dr. Smith said, “I think the data from expert centers is really quite promising.”

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Looking forward for Chemo

This is Stephanie speaking (haiyaaaaaaah....) .. one.. two.. three.. hello.. hello..

hahahahaha...

At this time I really miss yummy food!
With this condition and with lots of foods that I'm not allowed to eat anymore.. it almost kills me. Hey, I'm fine with my cancer. REALLY. My brother wrote, that when the doctor said you got cancer and you should cry out loud. Seriously, I just couldn't cry. What I'm not okey with is the fact that I won't be allowed to eat lots of food. Hey, who doesn't love that Rib Eye Steak?? Who doesn't love that Caramel Ice Cream from Gelatissimo?? And who doesn't love that Iced Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks? Not able to enjoy that, YES, I was going to cry. And the fact that I have to eat vegetables makes it worse!

You know what I'm eating right now..???
No.. no.. no.. even worse than baby food. Even Gerber is much better! Even Marie biscuit with hot milk is better!
Everything must be puree. I can eat mashed potatoes, but they keep making me porridge - I won't be surprise if the 3 bears starting to mess up my mom's kitchen looking for their tastelss porridge.

Before the chemo start, according to my mom - which she said according to the doctor (god knows who which doctor), I should not eat meat and any sugary thing. Why??
Because, apparently, cancer looooove meat and sugary thing. And to avoid from the cancer to increase in my beautiful body, I should avoid that for awhile. But once the chemo starts, I can eat anything I want including ice cream, meat. Why (again)? because it's easier for the chemo to kill the cancer.

Ah, well.. looking forward the for Chemo to start so I can enjoy eating yummy food!
Once the chemo start, I'm gonna get that Caramel ice cream.. spaghetti.. what else..? Hmm.. that's all I'm dying for right now.. But I don't mind getting tempe bacem..

Anyway, why don't I go back resting. I'll update you (if I'm inspired to write) with more news from me. If not, let my brother do the talking..

See y'all!

-stephanie-

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Food That Beats Cancer---> Too Good To Be True!!

Came across some online articles today about "devilish" food that beat cancer from www.prevention.com. Try to sneak them into you diets:

"Cheat" Foods that Fight Cancer A whole new reason to sneak treats on your diet

(Nov. 7, 2006)--Here's a reason to grin. Even your favorite off-limit treats kick in toward your daily choline goal of 425 mg. In recent USDA research, the nutrient lowered blood levels of homocysteine by 8%, a sign of protection from cancer, heart attack, stroke, and dementia. Pack your diet with wheat germ (43 mg in 1/4 cup), baked beans (40 mg in 1/2 cup), and pistachios (22 mg in 1/4 cup), but these surprising choline sources can help, too:

The Cheat The Choline
Chocolate cake, 1-inch slice 162 mg
Blueberry muffin 59 mg
Chicken nuggets, 6 pieces 39 mg
Beef and bean burrito, 3.5 ounces 28 mg
Light beer, 8 ounces 19 mg
Vanilla ice cream, 1/2 cup 19 mg

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PICTIONARY !!!!

i'm bored this saturday night, so i gather up some pictures my sister gave me and VOILA !

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Wish I Was There!

This picture was taken on my nephew FOX birthday. CUTENESS !! By the way, don't you think my sister looks BEAUTIFUL???

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Yet, another one!

Today's 4 sets of Funny Clips's are from Will & Grace, another of my sister's favorite. If you guys missed yesterday funny clips from Golden Girls, go find more at www.youtube.com and search for Golden Girls.

Later Y'all !!

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Addition To This Website!

Hi All !

I add new feature to this blog. FUNNY CLIP OF THE DAY. Every other day I will post funny clips from our favorite sitcoms. First up is the GOLDEN GIRLS. Enjoy!

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What this cancer called...

What my sister have is not an ordinary colon cancer, she had what doctor said:

Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

and yes this kind of cancer is heditary. So if your parents or any of your family had this type of cancer, take out your lazy but out of the sofa and see your doctor!

As for me, i'm gonna get myself tested on 4/27/07 with my doctor Dr. Richard Powell. Excited and anxious at the same time: wish me luck!

For more information about this disease go follow this link: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=familialadenomatouspolyposis

By the way, the pic is my lovely sister Stephanie & Chloe (our niece) . More pictures to come!

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Our First Blog - Ever!

Hi Y'all ! And welcome to our first blog!!

We are the WIDYASTANTO'S and we are Dedeq (the oldest sister), Stephanie (The older sister) and myself Chris (the youngest and the most handsome one--> HEY! give me some credit, i started this blog!)

The reason why we started this blog is because our dear sister Stephanie just diagnosed with colon cancer this mid April 2007. We want to make this blog space as our diary to talk about her, our family, her treatment and those dreaded word:CANCER! We will update this blog hopefully every other day to keep you updated with the recent treatment there is out there to beat this son-of-a-bitch called Cancer. PLEASE, feel free to add comments! Maybe you guys can also give us some news on new treatment that is not widely known yet and share it with all of us.

Here's my top 5 list of what do you NEED to do when your doctor tell you that you have cancer:
5) CRY YOUR HEARTS OUT ! ---> Yes folk, there is no crying in baseball, but if your doctor just told you that you have cancer you HAVE to cry. Hey, you just got cancer! You're a human; not a robot!

4) BLAME YOUR PARENTS! ---> Come on'; you know you've been waiting all your life wanting to blame your parents on something. This is maybe your only chance! Study shows that cancer is actually heditary. Therefore, if there's cancer history in your parents or family, do yourself a favor and GET TESTED. Early detection is the best way to beat cancer!

3) DO A MAKEOVER! ---> Change everything that you always want to do in your life and have new perspective in live. Change your wardrobe, your room, hell, even change your boy/girlfriend! Step in with a New You!

2) START A BUSINESS! ---> Now that you have extra time to reflect on your life, think about what you can do best and make money out of it! Think about what other cancer patients may need during this time. Do they need special kind of food? Do they need a special group? Think! Think! There's no better time to start your own business when you down & desperate.

1) RENT OR BUY COMEDY DVD! ---> Ever heard the saying "comedy is the best medicine"? Well it is ! Forget about your cancer and start thinking about those Will&Grace or Golden Girls episodes; especially keep these handy when you undergo chemo. It will keep your mind off things , chemo, and cancer.

Well that's all folks! Hope to see you in the next update!

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