Father Cancer Fight

Funeral 3rd Day

Thanks many friends and relatives for visiting the funeral. Special thanks for all those who have help in the preparations for the funeral.
There were smelly water flowing out from the bottom of the toilet and we activate the contractor. The contractor inform us it was due to the man hole got stuck and have to inform the Town Council. Response was fast today as they know a wake was taking place.

Hospice Stay Update

I have realized that even with modern medicine and technology, doctors are still helpless against Cancer. Two weeks ago, a new patient who sleep beside my father with nose cancer was admitted. He complaint of pain last week and the doctors just gather feedback regarding his pain and apply the necessary medication.I visited my father today and found out that he has passed away.
My father condition is still good. He nows look older than previously and getting thinner. He love lunch time as he get to enjoy a small tub of cold ice-cream.
The volunteer has help to cut his hair. There are volunteers working to help the nurses to feed the patients during their meal times. They also spent time talking to them. Volunteers help patient families as most of them need to work during week days.

Hospice Updates

I am working night shift these few days and will be unable to visit my father. My mother will be visitng her. His condition is quite stable and is well taken care by the Hospice doctors.
He has some cough today and my mother has ask the nurse to give him some cough mixture. There is less intake of food but he will always finish the small tub of ice-cream given to him during lunch. The nurse also give home COKE everyday as it is his favourite drink.
I have received the letter from Dover Park Hospice on the payment matters. The charges is $210 per day. After going through the MEANS Testing of the Ministry of Health, 50% of subsidy is given . In addition, we also get $90 deducted off daily from the donors fund and so we end up paying $20 per day and is deductible by Mediasave. I would like to express my sincere Thanks to the Singapore Government and the Donors.

Dover Park Hospice Update

My father is used to the hospice lifestyle. He has been given diaper as he has diarrhea. He looks bright and is able to communicate well with us.
My mum sister has slowly prepare my mother mentally if there is any drastic change to my father condition. Coke is now my father favourite drink especially with ice added. He insisted on eating medicine with it and we did not stop him also.
Today Dover Park Hospice is much alive with many patients family members and alive. Volunteers will visit on week days to help out as many family members are working. Thanks for all visitors and the concern u have shower our family.

Stop medicine for one week

In view of the pain the patient is incurring and the tiredness, the doctor wanted him to stop the trial medicine for a week. The doctor wanted to know whether the trial medicine is causing the pain to the patient.
My father went to the scan this morning as the doctor want to evaluate whether the tumor has reduce in size. The doctor will reduce the dosage to 10mg for the trial medicine next week at the review. This is the final reduction of the dosage.
My father weight has drop to 55kg. He is still getting the cough and this made him unable to have a good night sleep. Generally he is still able to eat but the intake is lesser.

Stop Trial Medicine

My daddy has decided to stop the trial medicine just a few days before seeing the doctor again. He complains of pain within the body and still have persistence cough throughout the day and night.
The greatest battle of cancer is the pain the patient feel within their body. Pain killers are needed to help ease the patient pains. Sometimes we feel helpless on how we can help the patients.and doctor can only prescribe pain killers or drug to help them.

Coughing Worsen

The dosage for the trial medicine has been reduced and there is no much complication. But the coughing has returned and feeling of pain Is also happening. It is something that all cancer patients will have to endure.
There is really not much we can do in relations to the pain. Taking pain killers is one of way to relief the pain.

Health Update

Thanks for all that has visited my father. He is now still eating as normal but prefer cold stuffs. We have to ask him what he want to eat for three meal as he is now particular about food.
The trial medicine ABT 869 has been keeping my father condition under control. The downside is it affects your daily lifestyle as before. My father feels very tired and spent about 80% of the time sleeping.
Recently he has been coughing badly at night and he is taking the normal cough solution prescribed at polyclonic to control it.

Trial Study Collection of Data

My father has to bring along 1 packet of Ensure milk and the ABT-869 to be consume at the NCC. He has to spend 1 whole day at the NCC as there are some blood samples need to be taken for the study of this trial medicine. The blood sample will be taken every one and half hour and the last will be around 545 PM. It has been a tiring day for him as there will be no place to reset except at the sofa in the NCC.
This is the disadvantage of participating in a trial study as you are a study subject. We can understand that collecting of bloods, doing X-Ray and scan and urine collection will assist in the study of the effectiveness of this trial medicine. This will be further improve if they allow my father and other similar patients in this study to be admitted to hospital for a half day stay. Patients taking this medinice are physically and mentally tired although it can help them to substain their life.

Poor Communication of staff

The clinical coordinator has requested my father to go the NCC for a urine test today. He went there as requested but was told that he need not take the test and can go back. I understand that she has went for a meeting that morning and the doctor has advised such a test was not necessary.
If this was the case, she should not have made the request to us if she cannot made this kind of decision. Furthermore, she should have consulted the doctor before asking us to made the trip to the National Cancer Centre.