28 March 2014
Early morning my brother called me, " I got problem on my liver".
"What? See, cause you never listened when we asked you to take care of your health, now, how can you study well. Sent me the detail."
Afternoon, Calvin arrived home and shout "hey, it's so big, I saw the USG result that your brother sent to me."
Suddenly I realized this will become another serious problem to deal with in our family. I told my brother for flying back to Jakarta on Sunday and I will bring him to doctor.
30 March 2014
After Sunday service, we wait on the airport.
First time I saw him, my heart aches, he look pale and sick, with a short breath, hard to walk. Calvin quickly took his bag.
He didn't want to make our mom worried, so we went to serpong and till he met doctor he will stay at my place.
At night I explained roughly about his illness. From the medical side, there will be no treatment available. What he can do was pray, be strong and try to eat well so his condition could be better.
31March - public holiday.
He show that he try to eat and rest well.
1April 2014
Schedule with the doctor - RSCM Kencana - SpPd, KGEH, at 3pm.
Doctor asked my bro for MRCT-scan and Blood test, stoll test.
Medical Diagnosis: Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Yups, Carcinoma.
But doctor didn't talk much about the illness and the treatment as he wait for the data.
The title - 2 in 1 actually stand for:
2 Years, 2 Persons, 2 Types of Cancer in 1 Family.
The thing that I most afraid is How we gonna tell our mom and what will become her reaction.
My brother is the only son in our family. She put hope on him, but after finishing the chemotherapy, she finally let my brother took study on theology.
One of the reason for her to fight the cancer is too see her son get married and finished his study.
Ok, why I'm so lack of confident and conclude there was no treatment even doctor didn't said anything yet.
First the Tumor size - greater than 15cm. Second - my bro have a hep B carrier.
99percent I'm sure we have to deal with another cancer.
2April 2014
Early morning he throw up and look very bad. I gave him a drink and bring him to the nearest hospital in serpong which have the mrct scan machine. My thinking, while he got infusion, they could check his blood and if he got better, he could have the mrct-scan.
Blood test result show that the red blood cell measure on "5". Below 8, need transfusion. Another thing, his leukocyte was 20.000 (normal 4000-10000).
We decide to hospitalized him and get transfusion and antibiotic injection.
As his stool was black and suspect there were bloody inside the body.
The mrct-scan was done on the day also.
The doctor assigned was internist which available at that time.
3 April 2014
He got blood transfusion the night before. But the side effect, my brother got fever. In the morning they checked the temperature and gave paracetamol injection.
Near 11.30 am, I felt something wrong and I touch my brother forehead and call directly for the nurse. They checked and the temperature was 39 up. I request the nurse that they shall checked regularly for the temperature as they know the side effect was fever. The nurse answered me "We will checked if there is complain from the patient." This the first thing I felt so unprofessional. They shall have the schedule to check the patient, especially with the patient with highly side effect. How about the patient didn't know and couldn't call the nurse?. I don't want to think it's because we took the 3rd class room.
On the afternoon, he could pup, but our request for stool test was not done.
4 April 2014
Near lunch time, the doctor visit and I met with him. I asked about the target condition, he said that the red blood cell to normal, and maintain infection.
When I asked how do we know cause we didn't have a blood test. Doctor answering me that he was not someone who has no other job than testing blood for 6 to 12 hours.
Heh? In my heart I know I shall quickly change doctor or hospital.
Come on, from 2 april to 4 april no blood test done, how do we know the antibiotic injection work out? How do we know the blood transfusion have an impact. I know that only data, but my brother condition seem not change and data could show something at least.
I still discussed longer about my brother illness. He said there were no treatment and the expectancy for life was 6 to 12 months. Then he said that we can go to Singapore and try a lot of thing and still no result and die, that not something he want to do. When I asked if you said we shall improve the quality of life, then what is your suggestion, he didn't answered it. For us family who was not in too good condition, how he explained thing was not showing empathized and I felt that he just want to showed off?.
When I told Calvin about this, he pushed me to took my brother out of the hospital. But still I said, wait for tomorrow cause we were in the middle of transfusion and moving to other hospital was not an easy thing also.
5 April 2014,
Early morning my sista went there, and finally they did another blood test and my sista informed me:
Red blood cell show no difference still 5 after 750ml blood transfusion.
Leucocyte jump higher from 20.000 to 28.000. What????
That means my brother condition didn't change even got worse.
And what even worse, my brother have a diarrhea and felt so week.
Quickly I search for another doctor and went to other hospital in Jakarta - Private Cancer Hospital. After discussed with the doctor, I think I found the right person at the moment to handle my brother then we complete the administration. By looking at the blood test data and our explanation about the condition, doctor suspect that my bro might have internal bleeding.
To get the letter we shall wait the doctor came till 5pm, and when arrived the doctor checked the stool test (which we request from 2 April but done on 4 April night, that also we insist to having it checked), and said suspect for internal bleeding. My question, why they didn't get it done once my bro could pup.
Anyway we will check out soon, so don't brother what the doctor might suggest.
Then, the admin sent to the new hospital. We request for the ambulance cause my brother short of breathing from the morning.
When my bro told the doctor, the doctor said, why don't you used the oxygen, it's being there from the first day. What? No one told my brother to used it, not even the nurse. Can't they see or examine the patient condition?. Ok don't brother it anymore.
The other ridiculous thing, while waiting for confirmation, the nurse came and asked my brother whether he want to took the anti constipation medicine. Of course NO. Come on, we told the nurse in the morning that my brother keep going to the toilet for pup. It's might because this medicine.
The hospital always said that they were ready once they got confirmation from new hospital. But guess what? Once they got confirmation, my brother shall wait for the ambulance driver!
If only there were emergency patient, I guess the patient died first waiting for the driver!. Lesson learn, Shall checked the hospital with professional Emergency Room and put the information update.
Arrived at 11.30pm. Sigh, If I know how the situation will be, I will directly bring my brother, and we already arrived at 7.30pm.
They took another blood test and start giving medicine - another antibiotic.
6 April 2014
Early in the morning, they took another blood test. By lunch time, we could see, the leukocyte going down from 28000 to 15000. I could assume the antibiotic work. (the prices of this antibiotic similar to the one previously inject. around 1 million rupiah, IDR, up. Not cheap, a broad spectrum antibiotic.) Why the blood test need to be done, cause we might want data to see whether the antibiotic work or not, yes/no?.
My brother face look fresh.
7 April 2014 - 11 April 2014
My brother being treated and getting well day by day.
On 11 April night, the doctor explained all the thing that my brother want to know. About why it's carcinoma not adenoma? where is the location? what the possible treatment available? and the life expectancy.
And of course can he check out from hospital on Saturday 12 April.
On 12 April 2014.
When my brother condition went well, we have upcoming task to do. Told our mom about his real condition and decide on what possible treatment.
The battle is just begin. Not an easy one, but put the trust on God, and be strong.
P.S. I try to wrote everything which I still remember. Hope we could learn something from here.
I might point a lot of thing that previous hospital done. Again, different illness need different treatment too, and may be they still not being ready for treating terminal illness like my brother have.
