Tuesday, May 15, 2007

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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