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My father’s biopsy results indicate that it’s Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is just the beginning as there are 4 types of Hodgkin’s lymphoma and there is still the staging (4) of the cancer to be defined plus the A/B “tags” that go with them…

After knowing the results, we had to bring him in the next day at a further hospital for an echocardiogram. This hospital is even MORE CROWDED than the one we went but thankfully, due to the urgency, we were done in 30 minutes. My father desperately needed rest and relaxation.

The following day, he went in for a blood test and a weigh-in. He’d lost 8 kg in the past few months. His loss in appetite is drastic and we’ve been encouraging him to eat even if he didn’t feel like it. Thankfully, he’s very co-operative.

Reading up on natural foods in the fight against cancer, I decided to get him Amway’s protein powder (berry flavour) and asked my Mum to make him a glass every day. I’ve also got some vitamin C and molasses sugar for him to replace his brown sugar with.

Sugar is really bad as cancer cells (bacteria and etc) feed and grow on it!

My uncle, who’s fighting his own battle with naso-pharyngeal cancer (NPC) called up to offer moral support and also advised my Mum to just ensure my Dad gets a balanced diet - none of those strange, local food taboos!

He’s up for a CT scan next week and I pray that he doesn’t have an allergic reaction to the dye. If he does, he’ll be held up one night for observation and given some medication. At this point, even before treatment has started, he’s already phobic about hospitals…

How is he doing? The traditional Chinese medicine helps a lot as the doctor has switched my Dad’s prescription to one infused with ginseng that will build his strength.

He’s also stopped smoking on his own, which I think is due to exhaustion more than anything else. In the hustle and bustle, we never brought it up and don’t think we will.

Another uncle suggested that he should try to sit in the sun for 10 minutes a day if he can. I’d also read up about this and shared it with my Mum.

Overall, I think he knows many people care for him and he also wants to get better. It looks like it will be another week’s wait before we get a clearer picture of his condition.

I hooked my Mum up with a cellphone and she was very pleased to hear from one of her KL brothers after I blasted an SMS announcing her ”high techness” LOL.

One of my father’s brothers also visited him and promised to visit again. My father was very happy to see him as he has been out of touch for more than 2 years!

I only hope that the Catholic church will soon demonstrate its tradition of caring for the sick — only personal friends have been calling up and asking about it. The institution itself?

Hmm…I’m very disappointed considering that my family was very active in the past (my father was even a BEC leader, my Mum was a cathechism teacher and my sister and I had been active with the youth section too).

Thanks so much for your kind thoughts and prayers! We *really* appreciate them…

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