Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Meals

Hello all,

Having Miss Peggy with is not without its perks. For one, it enables me to take in the types of food (like beetroot, fresh ginger, gochi, apricot seeds etc) that I would not have otherwise. Furthermore, I don’t have to take forever cleaning my mouth after each meal. The only thing that I have to monitor is the possibility of having caries on my teeth because of lack of saliva.

I’ve been asked by many people how it’s like ‘eating’ through peggy and whether I have the cravings for solid foods. Well, you get the fullness sensation just like eating normally minus the taste. Do I miss enjoying my favourite food? You bet, I do! And whenever I have the craving for my favourite food, I quickly pour my meal into my stomach until I feel full. Then the craving diminishes in a snap. That’s how I deal with my cravings. The whole process takes only 5 minutes. Cool, eh?

I just read Dr Hasanah’s latest entry about juice fasting because she said that her lymph nodes are talking. I sure hope that her effort will yield satisfactory results. Maybe I should do that too. Shouldn’t be hard for me since my Peggy is here to stay..haha

Bye, for now.

"Never stop fighting"

Friday, April 17, 2009

A Time to Reflect

Salam and hello to all,

I have just read a blog about a tongue cancer survivor who also had a total glossectomy (the whole tongue removed) at around the same time I did. This blog is written by his caring and loving wife who has been by his side all this while and attending and supporting him tirelessly. He inspires and humbles me with his endurance and his positive outlook in life. I admire the fact that he never complains about his inability to do a lot of things he used to pre cancer and his absolute faith in God. Reading through the blog, I realised that he has gone through a lot worse than I have and yet he doesn't complain. What a guy! His blog is linked to this blog via The Florida Real Estate Robert Pemberton on the left panel.

I guess I have been quite fortunate in the sense that I have been spared from the things that he had to go through such as the gaping hole which oozes liquid and stuff. And I haven’t experience that much pain to the extent of having to use the painkillers consistently over a long time. Really, I don’t have a lot to whine about and yet…I do at times especially when I see people indulging in their food without a care. And I do whine when I am left at home with the children most of the time. No, no, I shouldn’t when I have a lot more to thank for.

Bye, for now.
Sharifah

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

I'm alright!

Hello everyone,

This morning I went for my follow up appointment. Glad to tell you that things are looking great. The last time I went, the doctor did a biopsy because I had a slight bleeding from my flap. The results came back negative. Yay! Since I had my peggy, my weight has increased by 3 kg. I now weigh 44 kg. My next appointment is May 11th. My doctor said that they want to monitor my condition closely because the cancer that I had is really aggressive. So, should it decide to come back, hopefully they’ll be able to catch it early enough. Well, I’m all for it.

On the 6th of April, I went for a follow up appointment with my oncologist. I was given a clean bill of health. While waiting for my turn, I noticed an year old girl with her mum. I heard her mum telling a lady that her daughter has brain cancer and she had gone through the radiotherapy and chemotherapy. What amazed me was that this girl did not look sick at all. She was happily chattering away…My heart really went to the mother. She must be going through hell. I think being a caregiver to child with cancer is even worse than being a patient. I don’t think I could handle myself if one of my children has to suffer from this dreadful disease.

Bye, for now