Living with Lung Cancer

After been dizzy, having vertigo fainting spells at the end of Jan.2008 my roommate was thinking I have a bigger problem than labyrinthitis. I had already visited and ENT doctor and a Chiropractor thinking I had screwed up something in my neck while I was sleeping. Somehow around Feb.20 I was so ill I couldn’t even get out of bed. I had complained of sever headaches over the last week and somehow I fainted and was rushed to Mission Hospital Emergency on the afternoon.

I can’t recall anything up till Feb 20. as I was so out of it, but the initial interviews by the doctors when I was admitted was really bad (so I was told) I was not making sense in what I was saying and couldn’t even understand the simplest questions. I was sent to get a CT scan and the results showed a brain tumor about the size of a small lemon in the back of my head. The situation was so dangerous that the doctors only allowed 30 minutes for me, my roommate and sister to decide on the operation or else the game would be over by the following morning.

Papers were signed and was followed by a 3 hour operation to remove the tumor. The tumor went to the Pathology lab and I was in the ICU for the next 5 days. I woke on the 3rd day to be informed I had a tumor removed from my brain and the pathology report came back that it came from an advanced Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer which metastasized into the brain tumor. The shock was overwhelming but at the same time I was relieved I was still alive, but for how long?

Somehow, a very strange calm came over me and I realized that God was in charge. I was never religious but somehow, it was clear that it was not just the miracle of science that I happen to be alive. God was showing me his infinite grace and has blessed me to be his instrument of witness. Further research showed me that the 2 Neurosurgeons who operated on me we 2 of the finest surgeons in the entire Orange County, CA. with accolades and awards that were phenomenal, and they were both very very young doctors.

I recovered from that surgery by the 5 day I was in ICU. Two more young doctors came to visit me, one was a Oncologist specializing in Chemotherapy and the other in Radiology. I was moved to the 3rd floor Cancer ward of the hospital when they came to visit and told me of the Lung cancer situation. Their primary diagnosis had not been good but they wanted to get started immediately with the treatment and it began with Radiology to the brain area. There were also shadows and spots in the brain which could’ve been cancer cells and after 8 days of treatment, I was given a clean bill of health.

The Lung cancer proved to be more problematic and the Doctor wanted to get a PET scan to get precise locations and conditions before he proceeded with a treatment. There was a 2 week delay since I had no insurance and couldn’t get Medi-Cal to help with the coverage. Luckily again my friends from RESCU and REC came thru to help with the billing and their advocacy program made it possible for me to get the scan and together with the Radiologist’s report a plan was devised for the treatment.

Throughout this entire ordeal, I felt and knew that prayers and well wishes from my family and friends help sustained me. God in his infinite mercy kept me going and blessed me abundantly and showed me beyond a reasonable doubt he was in-charge and that he had plans for me. I was able to get started on my Chemo session at the beginning of the week, 3 weeks since the last consultation with both of my Oncologists in Orange County. I had flown home to Hong Kong, to be with my elderly mother and by pure chance (more by the grace of God) found Dr.William Foo who is the Head of the Radiology/Oncology Dept. at the Baptist Hospital.

It’s been 3 days since my first session, and I’m still hanging in there, I feel fine but I weary of the side effects Dr.Foo has described. This will be a life-long fight but at least I’m not fighting alone, God has poured out his blessings on me and have granted me with huge favors and I may live to serve him.