Cancer-Related Fatigue

Image courtesy of http://absence360.com

Reading a short article about cancer-related fatigue on Medical News Today, and one important fact got my attention: "Tumor Size was a predictor for cancer fatigue." Suddenly, I got a lot of flashbacks in my head for those times when my mom complained about feeling extremely tired, and I shrugged it off as old age. The message is simple: PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY. Listen to what it may be telling you. Do not disregard fatigue, headache, pain, etc. These may be symptoms of a more serious disease. See a physician immediately. And a lot of times, we abuse our body. We make excuses not to see the doctor because we're so busy with wok, meetings, chores, etc. We're busy with other people but ourselves. It's a simple message, but it can save lives. 

This and That

Image courtesy of http://jigzone.com

It's been a busy couple of weeks, but I hope to be back in FIGHTINPINK to continue the fight against cancer. Just to update you on my mom's health, she's now on a new protocol called "Gemcarbo", which is a combination of gemzar and carboplatin to treat metastatic breast cancer. It's a Day 1 Day 8 cycle, meaning she'll take the Gemcarbo chemotherapy on the first day, then take a Gemzar push on the 8th day. Then there's a rest period of 1 week, then she'll do the Day 1 Day 8 thing all over again. She started her Day 1 last Tuesday, and was able to use her portacath, which is really less painful but a bit tedious to prepare. The doctor had to make sure that the portacath area was sterile, so a lot of preparations had to be done. It turned out well, but Mom didn't continue with her Day 8 because her WBC was too low. So now, she's resting a bit, and trying to gain enough strength for next Tuesday.

The night before going to the doctor, my mom had a minor anxiety attack. We were praying the rosary, when she stopped in tears and when I asked her what was wrong, she said she felt like God wasn't really listening to our prayers. I had to assure her that God was listening, and He will remain present throughout this entire chemo. She even entertained the idea of stopping chemo, because she felt much happier and more alive without it. But it also came out of her that just won't work, because if she doesn't get treatment, the cancer cells will proliferate. The next day, during our doctor's appointment, I also mentioned this to the doctor. It's really great to have a doctor who cares, and Dr. Querol took the time to assure Mommy that she was doing well, even better than some of her "batchmates". He really believes that my mom will get through this, and I'm really just happy that he gave those reassuring words. What's more, there's a glimmer of hope for triple negative patients. Dr. Querol mentioned a new drug from Sanofi Aventis for triple-negs, which is something that we're really looking forward to.

So that's it for now, thanks to those who continue to visit my site. God bless you all, cheers! :)

Tropical Fruit Guyabano

Image courtesy of http://guyabano.com

Sourspo, or guyabano as we call it, is another wonderful tropical fruit that is known locally to kill cancer cells. I used to think it's native to the Philippines or in Southeast Asia, but I found out from Wikipedia that it was actually brought here from Mexico via the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade. Funny how I don't remember Mexicans in history class, only Spaniards. Well, whoever brought the guyabano here, a million thanks fellas!!! Guyabano is now all over Southeast Asia, and I was even surprised to see preserved guyabano sweets in Bali. Yum! :)

So what does it taste like? Wikipedia describes it as this, which I find totally confusing: "Its flavor has been described as a combination of strawberry and pineapple with sour citrus flavor notes contrasting with an underlying creamy flavor reminiscent of coconut or banana." (To read more, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soursop) Say what?? Well, to be honest, I'm not really that big of a fan of guyabano in terms of taste. It's sweet and sour at the same time, and just thinking about how sour it can be makes my jaw tingle. But if you like eating sour food, you will really enjoy eating this fruit!

More than the taste though, it's the health benefits that are really awesome. A study in 1976 suggests that it actually is tons more powerful than the chemo drug adriamycin. Of course, you can't rely on articles like these, so until there are more evidence from reliable sources, until your doctor says so, chemo's still best. However, if guyabano is available in your country, go ahead and indulge. There's no harm in it. Aside from the fruit, some people also boil the leaves and bark to make guyabano tea. They say that also gives the same healing effect as the fruit.

Portacath Redo

 

The doctor called up my mom the other day, and said they have to redo the operation because upon seeing the x-ray, he wasn't happy with the placement. Of course my mom's feeling low because she'll have to go through the whole thing all over again. Whether it's a mistake or not, I'm just happy that the doctor cared enough to say, "Hey, that's not right!" and is acting on it. That will definitely prevent complications along the way. So we'll go to PGH again tomorrow, this time, at the UP FMAB, which is a private medical center inside the PGH compound. Sadly, surgical redos happen and are part of the journey, and let me tell you, this isn't a walk in the park.

The youtube video above is a glimpse of the chemo journey of a brave lady who calls herself "bizzybeaver". She's taking chemo from a portacath (that's the portacath on her chest).

Mom's Portacath

Image Courtesy of 34andhopeful.blogspot.com

My mom already finished her CMF treatment and we got great results, so she will start a new set of IV therapy in a couple of weeks. While we are sad that appear to be remaining cancer cells in her body, it's really uplifting that her doctor sees her fit enough to go through another set of chemotherapy. Go go go! We're not stopping till she's declared cancer-free! So in order to avoid the needles and having painful and collapsed veins, the doctor suggested that she get a portacath.

What is a portacath? Well, it's a small device that is installed underneath the skin and is connected to a big vein, and that's where the IV meds go through. It lessens the pain on her hands, where everything is performed with needles, even blood tests. It can be either plastic or titanium, but I understand that titanium is better because it elicits less tissue reaction.

Portacath surgeries are performed by vascular surgeons, and they can range from P75,000-P115,000 or roughly 1,800-2,800 USD in private hospitals here in the Philippines. I believe the most expensive is in MakatiMed, and surprisingly, Asian Hospital has good rates. It can be an outpatient procedure,even though it requires a general anesthesia. My mom will have her portacath surgery done in a couple of days by Dr. Catalan, a well-known thoracic cardiovascular surgeon at the Philippine General Hospital. I have absolutely no doubt that he'll take care of my mom. Godspeed Dr. Catalan! Cheers and lots of love to all :)))

Season 2!

Breathtaking Sedona '10

Welcome to Season 2 of the Pink Fighter! Sorry to have been gone for a few weeks. I took a break from blogging when I went to Bali for a conference (Bali pictures to follow), and afterwards I took care of a few things including my mom's PET scan. But now I'm back and on a roll! And I'll be tackling a few exciting topics like the miraculous guava fruit, PET scan, St. Luke's Global City, etc. So stay tuned, and again, many many thanks for visiting my site and for taking part in the fight against the BIG C!

Cheers and lots of love,
Janis

A Meaningful Heart's Day 2012

Before and After Sendong, Image courtesy of lccdo.com

As a project in school, our class sold roses for V-day, and all our proceeds will be for the rehabilitation of Sendong through our partner university in Cagayan de Oro. Sendong is a catastrophic tropical storm that happened last year in the southern part of the Philippines, and it had taken at least 1,257 lives. I sold a total of 6 bouquets, that's about USD220..whee! :) I'm really happy to have taken part in this worthwhile activity, it just feels incredible to help and serve others. Try to google Sendong images, and the results will tell the story of its wrath. Peace and love everybody, and Happy Heart's day to all! :) :) :)