Kim (right), his sister (Suchitra), and brother-in-law (Clifford) on a hike yesterday.
From: Bryn Chowchuvech
Date: March 02, 2004
Hello Everyone,
Kim finished his second round of chemotherapy nearly two weeks ago. While with his first bout of chemo he suffered a mild case of the hiccups for a night and slight nausea for a few days, this time he experienced more serious side effects. For over a week he felt severe body aches (mainly in his bones), general discomfort throughout his body, and extreme fatigue and nausea. He spent most of each day in bed for that entire week. The good news is that the blood test done prior to that treatment showed that the decline of red/white blood cells in his body is slowing, meaning that his red/white blood cell production is better than it has been for a long while and he'll need fewer blood transfusions in the immediate future. He is still somewhat anemic, but not nearly as bad as a month ago.
Luckily, most of his post-chemo symptoms have disappeared by now and he has felt quite well within the last few days, despite a persistent feeling of nausea (which needs to be controlled with numerous medications). In fact, he has had more energy and less pain in the last few days than perhaps at any time during the last few months. We went for a walk in a local park for an hour yesterday, and half an hour the day before. The fresh air seems to do him good and I'm glad he has the energy and willpower to leave the house now. He has started to gain an interest in sports and movies again, and is slowly getting his voracious appetite and love for food back, although at times he has trouble holding down what he eats. Every week I get him one of his favorite dishes from Thailand called 'boat noodles', a noodle soup filled with various types of meat and only originally available in a certain province in Thailand through boat vendors, or so the story goes.
Kim (right), his sister (Suchitra), and brother-in-law (Clifford) on a hike yesterday.
Kim is scheduled for another round of chemo next week, and has one more after that before he undergoes a series of tests to judge the efficacy of the treatment. We've decided to stay with the San Mateo County hospital until the diagnostic tests are finished, and then reevaluate his treatment options. Under the County program, his treatment and medication costs are nearly completely covered. Should we decide to pursue treatment at UCSF or Stanford again, we'd have to rely on his bare-bones Blue Cross plan, which covers very little. We're keeping the option open, as there may be second-line clinical studies that he may still be eligible for at the university hospitals.
Kim is also benefiting from a number of different alternative therapies, including Qi Jong (compliments of a friend from Shambhala), Chinese herbalism, and naturopathy. I'm sure all are playing a part in his recovery.
I'd like to thank all of Kim's friends for their continued support. The love coming from all of you has made a dramatic mark on his disposition and the knowledge that so many people out there care about him has brought him great comfort. He has read every letter and e-mail that has been sent to him, and each one has made an impact. I'd encourage everyone to attend the benefit concert if they can as it provides a chance to connect with Kim's friends from his other walks of life.
Best wishes to all from Kim and family...
Sincerely,
Bryn Chowchuvech
Kim's Son
posted at: 10:17 | path: | permanent link to this entry
