Jul

12

In Memory of My Father

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I would like to share cancer experience of our father when he was diagnosed with BLADDER CANCER.What I want to say to everybody, early detection save lives.

Since 2006, my father always complaints on blood in his urine. He also urinate more frequently but a sense of incomplete after each session. Sometimes the urge for urinate force him to wear diapers. When several time he met doctor and was being given antibiotic. The doctor simply said its was due to infection. After several checkup by doctors at different hospital, some said its was bacteria infection and other said its was kidney stones.

When he came for a visit at our place in end of June 2006, my brother sent him to the Subang Jaya Medical Center. After CT Scan, he was warded on 3th July 06 and being diagnosed with Bladder Cancer stage 4. Its was too painful for us to accept the facts about his condition and we did not have courage to tell him and our mother. (Our mother was just wakeup from coma and recovered from Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) During that time, I was eight (8) months pregnant with my first baby.

After being warded for a week, my father request to be transfer to specialized hospital at our hometown. Reason : more relatives can come to visit him and the medical cost also less costly.
So after a discussion with all our siblings, we decide start from that day, we will fulfill and do whatever he request from us.

He was transfered to Hospital Kubang Kerian at Kelantan and registered for radiotherapy treatment. This is when we could not explain to him on, so we ask the doctor to tell him the bad news without us around. The doctors advice us to avoid surgery. The reason : he already >60 years old and at that age, the risks of surgery is higher. Moreover, even the surgery successful the recovery will be very slow and the results after surgery might disturb his psychology. This will cause this body will suffer together with his emotional. For better understanding on the bladder surgery, i did lots of research.

My father was given schedule for radiotherapy or radiation therapy which he need to attend every 5 days per week (working days) and the treatment will be completed after 12 sessions.
For get to the hospital, the traveling takes about 1 hour drive and before start he need to wait for 1/2 days to queue. Each day after the treatment, he looks and feel more weak, no energy, loss appetite and cannot sleep. After each meal, he will vomited and due to frustration, he did not want to eat at all.

After 6 session of treatment- in September 06 (the session was cancel several time due to various problem, machine problems, holidays and etc), he request to stay in ward to continue the therapy. He is so weak and so thin. It was so sad to remember the look at his face during that time. I was at my parents home waiting for my delivery date and on 5th Sept 06 I was giving birth to my first baby, NABIL ASIF.
the story became long although the period from he was diagnosed with Bladder Cancer in July 06 until he left us on Oct 06 was only 4 months.

After he was sent home by doctor, he did not want to continue for the treatment anymore. At that time, the therapy was stopped for 2 weeks because the machine was under repair. So, we sent him for further checkup at Kota Bharu Medical Center (KBMC) the private hospital. The results was given to us a week after that. During that period, my father request for oxygen supply. So we bought oxygen tank and the mask and tubing to ensure he felt comfortable even at home. The oxygen tank was so high and how we wish we get the potable one which less dangerous especially when our kids visited him and play beside his bed.

Since his last visit to the hospital, he never slept either at night/day. When my baby wake up and cry at night, I will take a look at his room. Sometime he called my name when my baby wakeup at night, crying. He even called and try to persuade my baby to stop crying.
He look very weak compare to the week before. He only stay in bed. I have his photo two days before he passed away, but I could not look at it anymore.

Five days after received the results from KBMC, doctor advice us to be prepared for the worst. And only two days after that, I still remember that night.

3 Oct 06

6.00 pm - My father asks about my brother from Kuala Lumpur. He though he was coming home today.

8.00 pm - My brother came home from Bentong with his family. He never slept at our house before but my father want him to stay and slept in his room.

9.00 pm - I called my brother told him that the oxygen supply just enough until tomorrow morning and estimated finished by 6.00 am. My father said he could not breath without oxygen supply. We was so worried and wished the oxygen enough until we get the supply tomorrow morning. We already ask the supplier that afternoon, but they also got no supply.

10.00 pm - My father ask my youngest brother to slept beside him.

4th Oct 06

2.00 am - He wakeup my youngest brother and my mother saying that he not feeling well. Later, my brother, my sister and I also wakeup. All of us stay beside him and try to calm him. Usually every night my baby cried but this morning he stay quietly on my lap.

4.00 am - My mother ask me to call all my siblings.

5.00 am - My father left us in calm.

Jul

12

My Sister - Breast Cancer Warrior

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Warrior is the most appropriate word to call all the breast cancer survivors out there. I more than impress with their strong will, courage and determination to fight against cancer. Its their inner strength is the most powerful weapon to kill cancer cells that attacked their body system. Those who weak and surrender to faith will be loosing the battle and just waiting for their time to come. I realize and learn about the power of inner strength from my sister, Aziyan@Azalina who was diagnosed with breast cancer in year 2004. Read more about her story by downloading this free ebook:

FREE EBOOK : Secret Letter To Cancer Warrior