Down With Cancer - Lymphoma

I was down when the doctor told me that there is a growth in my stomach. He said that it is bleeding. This news was given to me in my room at the hospital on the 14 March 2007. At 4.30pm while I was playing with my grandson, I suddenly felt faint and nausea. I called my wife and she brought me a container. I vomited blood. It's black clot. I told her to call my son back from his office so that I can be taken to a hospital. I was feeling very uneasy and sick. So, I was taken to the nearest hospital that is the Selangor Medical Centre. I was immediately taken to the emergency room. There the doctors took my blood sample and introduced one pint of blood cos I was diagnosed anemic. Then the surgeon came and did a few more test. He then told me that I am bleeding inside. At 9.00pm I was taken to the Operating Room for Gastroscopic procedure.

The next day, the doctor told me that there is a growth in my stomach. A CT scan will be carried out at about 11.00am. A friend and his wife with me in the room. Suddenly I felt faint and told my wife to call the nurse. All of a sudden I began vomiting blood. Red fresh blood. The doctor and nurse was attending me. I had collapsed. I was rushed to the Operating Room. I could hear the doctor explaining to my wife that I have to be operated immediately. My wife whispered to my ear for me to be strong and that she love me. The doctor told my wife that I have a 70% chances of survival and also I might be in a coma. I might also suffer brain damage because I have lost a lot of blood. I was taken to the Operating Room at 11.30am. The procedure lasted till 3.30pm. I was in the recovery room till 6.30pm before they transfered me to the ICU. I was told that about 20 of my friends and all of my relatives were outside the Operating Room waiting.

In the ICU I was unconscious. I was told that many of my friends from Segamat Johor and most of my teachers were there. They were allowed in the ICU in pairs. I can hear voices but I can't recognize who they were. I developed a slight fever while in the ICU. The nurse sponged my body in order to reduce the heat. I also experienced hallucinations. The nurse told me that once I was scolding someone. So much so that the nurse came to me and asked me what was my job. I told her that I was the headmaster of a primary school. After 5 days I was transfered to a room. The doctor told me that I am suffering from a type of blood cancer known as Non Hodgkin Lymphoma. The news was rather shocking to me and my family members. I had to continue my treatment for another 7 days. In fact for almost 12 days in the hospital, I have been blabbering about something every time I doze off. My wife was very worried and the doctor was also puzzled.

I was discharged on the 25 March 2007. I have to continue my visit to the hospital for my dressing and review. On the 6 April 2007 I was again admitted to the hospital due to complication of my surgery wound. The doctor had to make minor cuts at the wound to clean up the infections. Finally, after 16 days, I was discharged on the 21 April 2007. On the 28 May 2007 I was referred to University Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital for further review. It was confirmed that I was suffering from Lymphoma cancer. I was admitted in HUKM on the 30 May 2007 for CT scan staging and was discharged on the 31 May 2007. I am suppose to be admitted again on the 3 Jun 2007 a Bone Marrow examination. The BM examination was done at 10.00am on the 4 Jun 2007. The CT scan result shows that there is no trace of cancer cells and my Bone Marrow test also was negative. I was staged as Stage 1 infection and will be undergoing a 6 cycle of Chemotherapy. Each cycle cost me RM5,000. During the treatment I suffered minor side effects such as constipation, numbness at the fingers and toes, loss of hair and flatulence. I was very lucky that my appetite was good. I was also put on hormone treatment due to low in white blood count. On the 7 October 2007 I was admitted to HUKM due to high fever. I had to undergo antibiotic and hormone treatment for 7 days. I was discharged on the 13 October 2007.

Until today I have to undergo regular checkups and review every month for the first 6 months, every 3 months for 1 year and every 6 months for the next 2 years and every year for the next 2 years. If there is no further relapse of the disease then I will be declared cancer free. A piece of advice from me. If you experience any form lump in the lower jaw area, in the shoulder area, under the arm pit, in between the thighs and at the ankles do get a medical examination for possibilities of a Lymphoma case.