Day +700 : Two years anniversary

Today mark my two years of Bone Marrow transplant. I started the treatment in March 08, and muddling through the process which almost killed me. I have my 39th birthday celebration at Hospital. I remembered saying to my principal doctor, Dr Alan that I hope able to live to watch the London Olympic Games in 2012 as I were watching Beijing Olympic closing ceremony, he said have faith in God. I was hospitalized that day due to fever.

Life is miracle. I was in ICU March 2009 fighting for my life. June 2010 , me and Ah Siew travelled to US, to get my sales award from our CEO.

Thanks to my family, friends and colleagues, for their support and care.

Day +243 : A youth story

I am fine today, just feel a bit tired. May be due to the hot weather.

Few days a go, Sin Chew reported a story about a youth having the aggressive lymphoma, Mr Tan , an undergraduate was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2007, after 8 cycle of chemo, he went for bone marrow transplant in Oct 2008, the donor was from his sister. The disease came back after three months. He suffering serious gums bleeding.

Today, the new said Mr Tan have passed away due to complications. My deep condolences to his family.

My type of lymphoma is also aggressive, the relapse percentage is high as well. So, can't think much about the future, I have learned to appreciate what I have currently.

Day +58 : BMT donor

I am well today, continue my story....

My Mum and Ah Siew wished that I did not have to do bone marrow transplant, as the risk mortality is high . They hoped if I repeat the cytogenetic analysis, the result would be more favorable. I brought them to to see Dr Alan in SJMC in order to get his opinion about my future treatment. The hematologist said that my case was very straight forward; the treatment had to clean the residual disease with cycles of chemotherapy , then follow by bone marrow transplant. From there onward, I was determined to go for bone marrow transplant even though I knew "it is a high risk business." But the return is, I have 75% chance getting cured, and 25% relapse. Without the transplant, I am subjected to 100% dead.

I started to arrange my brother and sister to have the matching test, the chance of getting a fully matched donor is 25% for each sibling. I have 5 brothers and sisters, naturally , I stand a good chance to get a HLA comptible. The results show my eldest and youngest sister fully matched and can be my donor for the BMT.

Day +29 - Bloods Count

I am feeling OK today. Today is 29 days after my transplant. Dr. Teh have scheduled me for Bone Marrow test on next Monday Noon. This is their standard procedure to conduct biopsy investigation at 30 days and 100 days after transplant, to check the engraftment, chromosome xy, and any abnormal cell .



The Blood count results on Friday : ( Day +29 after transplant)

Haemoglobin - 11.1 ( normal 13 to 18)

Platelets - 110 ( normal 150 to 400)

Total White Count - 5.1 ( normal 4.0 to 11.0)



Magnesium -0.40 ( normal 0.74 to 0.99) . Treatment received on friday is magnesium infusion.



I visited KL Tan at SDMC yesterday. He was admitted due to fever since Monday. KL have his allorgenic transplant done on Aug 2008, and the progress is good. KL was diagnosed CML ( Chronic myeloid Leukaemia) in early 2008. Typical signs and symptoms of CML patients are discovered during routine blood testing, some symptoms that are appears are rather non specific, such fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss. Some have intermittent fever, bone pain and sometimes bleeding. The typical blood count is very high white cells. I will get KL to share his CML experiences.