My Stage 3B Lung Cancer Journey

Day 10 after Cycle 1 Chemotherapy SPO2 = 97 BP = 135/85 Pulse = 67 Weight = 66.6 kg Temp : 36.2 C  Had my usual rolled oats for breakfast but wifey added oranges this morning.  The mouth/tongue sores are getting slightly more painful and interferes when eating, but it's in a way different from the usual cold sores or mouth ulcers type of pain.  Bearable for the moment and I hope it doesn't get worse.  Acne-like spots are also popping up over my face and parts of my chest.  No walk this morning as I've arranged to go over to the physiotherapy gym in the afternoon.   Lunch was fishball beehoon mee. A quick nap and we were off to the 3pm appointment with Joel, my trainer.  He took about 45 minutes to put me through my paces in terms of muscle toning exercises.  Nothing too difficult, but then again in my condition, I should not overstrain.  Under the watchful eyes of wifey, I completed all the exercises. Back home again, and made a pit stop...

Day 9 after Cycle 1 Chemotherapy SPO2 = 97 BP = 136/87 Pulse = 65 Weight = 66.9 kg Temp : 36.3 C  Breakfast was back to the rolled oats with kiwifruit.  Took a morning walk with wifey around the estate.  Did a 40 min walk of about 3.16km.  General feeling of breathlessness but ok.  Can feel the initial mouth/tongue growths and even staring signs of a potential pimple breakout.   Lunch was a simple noodle with chicken chunks and roasted vegetables.  Somehow I felt famished and finished a large portion of the lunch.  I felt drowsy and tired (was it because of the long morning walk?) and ended up napping.  Wifey bought an egg tart and made me a strawberry smoothie for tea.  

Day 8 after Cycle 1 Chemotherapy SPO2 = 97 BP = 132/92 Pulse = 74 Weight = 67.5 kg Temp : 36.3C I had very little sleep last night - probably an hour or so.  Just tossed and turned and couldn't get to sleep.  Went to see Dr Chan for a scheduled appointment this morning.  He said that mild side effects is good.  Though I think I better not say it too early.  After all it's only been a week on Tagrisso.  I also mentioned to him regarding the strange growth on the inner side of my cheek in the mouth.  He said that there was some inflammation of the salivary glands.  He checked the lymph nodes in my throat and said that there was nothing abnormal.  He gave me more mouth wash and a cream Oracourt-E to apply to the "ulcer".  I could also feel my gums abit tender. Lunch was my favourite ee-mien at 18 Tai Seng, after Dr Chan told wifey that he doesn't see why I cannot eat minced pork.  We also went to Hougang Poly to collect my Vitamin D, w...

Day 7 after Cycle 1 Chemotherapy SPO2 = 98 BP = 138/96 Pulse = 68 Weight = 66.6 kg Temp : 36.2C After the medication I took last night, there were no signs of hiccups and I slept well.  Breakfast was egg-prata at 18 Tai Seng. Lunch was minced chicken porridge and I tried some luo han guo tea from Hock Hua.  But it seemed to contain too much raw sugar and was sweet.  Maybe I'll try the one that Mei Yee recommended. Also took a lot of pains to organise my Schedule of Assets.  It's a balancing act, especially when I strategised my investments, insurance and loans during the time when I thought I would live to a very ripe old age.  But things have changed and it has thrown a spanner into the works.  I'll need to consult Eric and my RMs again for a review soon. Submitted the appeal to Astra-Zeneca for subsidies.  Hope they can grant me some to ease some of the financial burden.   Soft stools today, but not a full fledged diarrhea.  Also sense...

   Day 6 after Cycle 1 Chemotherapy SPO2 = 99 BP = 126/91 Pulse = 70 Weight = 66.5 kg Temp : 36.4C The irritating hiccups are back!  Woke me up at 4:30am and it was hard to get back to sleep after that.  Went down to the Lor Ah Soo kopitiam for fish porridge.  At least my appetite is still holding up, despite a 1kg weight drop in a day.  Not sure why, I've been eating normally. Downed the 4th table of Tagrisso this morning.  Hope it's working on the tumour!  Tummy feeling a bit queasy and ended up in diarrhea. Texted to Dr Chan and he suggested that I get Imodium.  Lunch was Yong Tau Foo. Taking the Chlorpromazine  made me sleepy most of the morning.   Went out to our favourite HK Street fish soup for dinner.  Iyn joined us.  Was good to be out again but have to be mindful of any infections - even a simple flu, in my immunocompromised condition.  Must stock up with more face masks! Supper was some biscuits and al...

  Day 5 after Cycle 1 Chemotherapy SPO2 = 98 BP = 113/86 Pulse = 83 Weight = 67.6 kg Temp : 36.3 C Strangely, I managed to sleep almost through the night except for one toilet break at about 3am.  Other than that, the medications seemed to have held back the hiccups for now.  I'll have to see what the effects are for the rest of today.  Just read an article about Asian lung cancers from a Singapore Cancer Centre research, and it isn't very reassuring.  It said that some of the chemos don't work after awhile and the cancer relapses.  :(  I only pray that I'll be one of the "normal" patients that these treatments will work on.  Keeping my fingers crossed and God hears me!  Went out for a short 30 minute walk to the Tai Keng playground with wifey.  Feel slightly breathless, but that's probably psychological.  Good to get out for some fresh air.  Thus far, the hiccups are still held at bay.  Not sure if it will return, but I g...

  Day 3 after Cycle 1 Chemotherapy Another day, another blessing!  Again, it's still hiccups hiccups and more hiccups throughout most of the day.  Most of my friends and advisors did not encounter this side effect, so they don't have much advice for me on this front.   Breakfast was a simple meal and the day went by slowly.  I attending CPG's EXCO meeting online, but just lurked and listened to the proceedings without any contribution to the meeting.  I believe that the Top Management Team is well-equipped to take on the company now, and in a way, I am relieved that I don't have to suffer the added stress of managing the company whilst in my current condition.   Afternoon naps are the norm now, as a bit of fatigue and drowsiness hit me - probably from the chlorporazine medication that I took to mitigate the hiccups.  But still, the "drowning" technique is still the most reliable method to alleviate the hiccups so far.   Bed tim...

  Day 2 after Cycle 1 Chemotherapy The hiccups returned in the morning and I continued to manage it using the "drowning method" as and when it started.  I noticed that the trigger mechanism that the hiccups started was when I burped.  It appeared immediately when I tried to belch or burp. Today I started the first dose of the targeted chemo - Tagrisso.  It's a tablet form, so it's taken orally.  What is scary is that a box of 30 tables costs S$12,000!  That's S$400 a pop!  Ah well, my insurance covers some of the costs, but it's going to be another financial burden moving forward. After breakfast, I did some paperwork to cancel my oncoming trip to Fraser's Hill with my butterfly friends, as I will be in no condition to travel in my current state and chemo going on.  Fortunately, the accommodation can be cancelled without any penalties.  But the Scoot flight fares will take a bit more effort to get any sort of compensation for cancellation. Af...

Day 1 - Chemotherapy at Icon Cancer Centre @ Mt Elzabeth Hospital, Orchard Wifey and I made our way to Mt Elizabeth for my first chemotherapy cycle.  With a lot of anxiety and apprehension, we saw Dr Chan and discussed the treatment and potential side effects.  He also advise me to lay off any TCM remedies until the 2nd chemo cycle so that he can eliminate the causes and/or triggers of any side effects that may be clouded between the western and traditional medicines.   I was at the chemo area and the nurse took my blood for a reference blood test (before chemo starts).  After that, it was on the chair and took a dose of steroids ( Dexamethasone ) before the chemo IV started.  Dr Chan prescribed two cancer inhibiting drugs - Alimta and Carboplatin, which were intravenously fed into my hand one after another.   The whole process took about 3 hours and we were off and back home by early afternoon.  After that, it was lots of rest and waiting wi...

Day 4 after Cycle 1 Chemotherapy SPO2 = 97 BP = 139/92  Pulse = 69 Weight = 67.2 kg I woke up with the irritating hiccups around 6am.  Wifey made a glass of cold smoothie for me and drinking it immediately stopped the hiccups.  Not sure so far, but the hiccups seem to be triggered by belching/burping.  So gas is bad for me.   Started the day with my dose of Tagrisso tablet and the other medications.  Also took my usual Metformin and Cozaar as per doctor's advice to continue managing these chronic ailments during the chemo cycles.  Breakfast was 3 pieces of toast with avocado and scrambled eggs.  The hiccups came back regularly and my "drowning" technique continued to work to manage the hiccups.  Not the best feeling about it, but at least it works.  The medicine that Dr Chan prescribed, Chlropromazine , only makes me drowsy but does not stop the hiccups.  Although Dr Chan says it's safe, the side effects are pretty scary. ...