The PET Scan REsult

It was exciting when the final PET scan has come. Reg let home 6am in the morning to the hospital in the cold winter morning. With little traffic and the usual routine, it was done. Reutuning home in late afternoon, he was exhausted and had a short nap to recharge.

The family waited for another day to see the haemotologist and received the good news that all was clear. The joy and relief was overwhelming but most of all, they knew God has answered their prayer and praise to His mighty name.

The family takes the opportunity to thank everyone for their prayer support and physical help during this difficult time. We thank you for your journey with us during this time and we'll find time to catch up with many of you in a more personal way.

Recovering

Since the end of treatment time, Reg has been recovering well. He still gets tired easily, but has been out and about. He has even gone out for Yum Cha and went out for dinner with Anita's family. It has been a bit strange for Reg hasn't been eating food outside for a long time. Indeed, he was surprised by how salty the food has been.

REg celebrated his birthday on Monday. It was very special because the family knew God has indeed sustained him to see this very day. The joy of celebrating "life" is one very real one. The family decided to take him to Leichhardt for some Italian food, for they have a greater choice for both REg and Jed. Unfortunately, all pastas were egg pastas and nuggets batter was also coated with eggs. Thankfully two choices left on the entire menu: plain bread and lamb skewer were just perfect for Jed. Reg requested a homemade Tiramisu cake. Anita reduced the sugar by half and used low fat cream to ensure it was alright for Reg. While the cake was a success, Jed could not handle not able to taste the cake at all, he hid in his own room crying. Anita felt awlful becuase the only time Jed can ever eat a cake is when mummy makes it and this time, he could not eat it. Jed even requested mummy to pray to Jesus for healing! So they prayed.

The family has decided to take faith and join the church camp this long weekend. Reg is still apprehensive about his energy level, but Anita encouraged him to take it easy and join in whenever he can. The family prays for protection especially on health and Reg adaptation with crowds.

The final scan for result is still pending, as the family awaits for Reg's haemotologist return. Tentatively it may be mid July. The family continues to ask God for His mercy and total healing.

Another milestone has reached

Reg has completed all his treatment! Praise God!

It is a strange feeling as the family rejoice the completion. On one hand, the prescribed treatment has reached an end, on the other hand, this is not the end of a journey for the cancer patient. Yet the family has learnt that their journey is not one of medical, but of faith in their mighty God. They have to wait for a result, but they celebrate that they have come to see "TODAY". The family continues to pray as Reg recover from the treatment and may quickly regain full energy and return to "normal" life.

Over the weekend prior to the last treatment, the Chan household has become a home for the sick. REg's sister has not been well and stayed over. Anita has been taking her to the doctor and she is now in a stable condition. The family just pray that the doctor can work out her heart problem.

Anita has decided not to make today's entry as the last of the blog. There is much for the family to reflect and give thanks to, but due to tiredness, she will have to write again, so stay put for the last entry (for those interested)!

3rd week RT

The journey of RT treatment is almost coming to a close. Reg has been responding very well and the family knew this is all by God's grace and the prayer support of many people. There will be one last one on Monday 30th May. The family rejoices and looks forward to this very last trip to the hospital.

The effect of the radiation will remain in Reg's body for a couple of weeks and Reg will need to wait for PET scan and review exam with his haematologist in 6-8 weeks time. So while treatment is coming to a close, they will need to wait for results and pray that God's healing hand will be upon Reg and no trace of cancer will be found. Meantime, they can have a break from hospital visits.

Anita has almost recovered from her flu and she is still working on her sleep with runny nose and cough, yet she thanked God that her voice and energy has returned.

Reg takes care of the family

Reg has begun the third week of treatment and unfortunately got the cold off Anita & Jed. Thankfully it isn't too bad.

Anita however succumbs to sickness and has got a very bad flu. She even struggled to get up this morning because of her aching body and high fever. She was completely out of action. So Reg went to the hospital himself and came home and cooked and looked after Jed. Fortunately, there was a time for REg to take a short nap as well when Anita regained a bit more energy. As soon as REg was up, it was Anita's turn. Thankfully, Anita regained a bit more energy by dinner time and thank God that she got sick at the right time for at least REg can help out a lot more.

The family is praying that Anita will get back onto her feet soon and Reg's cold will not get any worse during treatment time. Knowing it is cold and flu season, the family also pray for others who are in the same situation.

2nd week of RT

Reg has completed two weeks of RT and had a break on Wed, because the hospital has to take the machine in for service.

As the doctor says, REg's energy has shown to drop and perhaps with a slight decrease in appetite. HE is constantly feeling dry and needed to drink water. THe skin has als shown remarkable redness. Anita bought an Aloe Vera plant and use the aloe vera gel, but even that doesn't seem to help with the burnt. Yet overall, Reg is still doing well. He has been fighting not to sleep in the afternoon, so he could go to bed early. They praise God for the good result so far and minimal side effect and kept praying that the last week of treatment will be over without any significant problem.

Funny enough, the staff has been asking if Reg will throw a party to celebrate once all treatment has been completed. Reg has not decided, but one thing for sure, they're not having a "party" as such for they both are not party people.

Jed has finally recovered from his cold, and now mummy gets it. Thankfully Anita had one night in which she slept for 9 hours to recover. They are praying that their cold will not affect Reg at all.

Weekly Treatment Review

It has been a week. Reg has been feeling well so far. Besides the minor dry skin, he is doing well. The first weekly treatment has been done and the doctor was happy with the progress. Reg has been given warning that the side effect will come on by second week, but mainly tiredness and may affect eating slightly. So the family praise God that one third of the treatment has been done and Reg has been responding well.

Reg tries to get back to normality of life and has been a bit more active as much as he can. Watching MasterChef has been a good inspiration for Reg and he has attempted Green Eggs and Ham, as well as making a classic French dish Coq au Vin (Chicken in wine). Unfortunately, Jed could not eat eggs and disliked daddy's chicken (may be too much wine for a little kid), yet the rest of the family thought he did a great job especially with the chicken. Reg is still trying to master his hollandaise sauce, but he has been limited to only try the recipe at most once a week due to its fat content! His next challenge dish will be roast chicken and the family will keep everyone posted his progress.

While the family is taking a bit more relax time seeing Reg is feeling much better, ANita is struggling with her own tiredness. Oddly enough, she thought she can relax a little bit, but she is experiencing more tiredness than ever. She even managed to dose off to sleep so early in the night and forgotten to help REg with his injection. She is trying to combat her own tiredness, and praying God will continue to grant her the strength.

Jed is enjoying mummy spending more time with him, while Reg enjoys being in the kitchen since he is able to. However, Jed is still fuzzing over when daddy wants to read him stories at night, so the family is yet to work out ways to do it and praying for wisdom. Meantime, Jed is sick tonight with fever soaring just above 39. The family is praying it will not be serious and that Reg will not be affected. They can only ask for God's protection.

Although life is full of ups and downs, our faithful God never changes.

First Radiotherapy

Time has gone so quickly. The break between chemo & RT was over. The family rejoiced for the break. Jed loved to have daddy roughing around and going out to the park. Reg experimented his cooking skill after watching Master Chef. Anita took the joy to let go some household chores for Reg and was able to attend some social events. The family really praised God to be able to take a break between treatments.

To prepare for radiotherapy is quite different. The Chan household has a different routine, especially for Reg. Reg has to get up very early for the appointment was 8am at the hospital. So instead of having a Mothers Day dinner outside, the family decided it was wise to stay home, but they had a relaxing time in Manly for the afternoon. Jed was so tired and was sound asleep by 7pm. REg and Anita was disciplined to go to bed early, preparing for the early rise.

Although with some apprehension, REg didn't sleep too well, but he managed to get up. The morning traffic was a very smooth ride and after a short wait, the treatment went ahead and all was done in less than an hour. Reg was stuck in traffic with return trip. He was more tired from getting up early than the treatment itself. He was happy that no more extra drugs to take, and the treatment seemed simple enough that he only needed to lie down and do nothing. Anita was glad that REg returned home safely.

The family continues to rely on God in this final stage, even though the worst is over. They know God is their source of healing and He alone gives live. His ever presence is their stength in every step of their way. The family asks for God to sustain Reg the ability to sleep well and getting up early. They do not know when Reg's energy will start to deplete due to treatment, but they pray for wisdom in the balance of activities and rest in this time for Reg.

Tough Decision

After another week of rest, Reg is definitely feeling so much better physically. He has been out and played with Jed and gave Anita a bit of a break. Anita managed to spend a whole day for her mother-in-law with undivided attention and another day, she attended a Christian seminar and even attended the church's annual general meeting on Sunday. It may not sound like a break to most people, but to have some normality in life and freedom to attend an event can be a previledged to Anita. As for Reg, it was just as good to spend time with Jed. So the family really thanked God for the blessing in this time.

The time for radiotherapy is a week away and the family had been recieving changes in schedule. Reg needs to be in hospital 8am for the first week every morning. It is a tough decision for the household. Anita would like to work hard to make arrangement, so Reg can have some form of transportation to hospital. Reg on the other hand prefers to go in by himself without hassling anyone, even refuse to use transportation from Leukaemia Foundation. Daily, the same topic was raised and with various options laid out. Reg wanted to fight the mental battle and go in by himself, while Anita simply prefers Reg not personally driving to hospital just in case. With all respect to the patient's will, Anita is losing ground and can only trust her mighty God for protection and wise judgement for Reg. Reg on the other hand is happy for alternate arrangement after two days, knowing physically he may be at risk after couple of days of treatment.

Meantime, Reg must readjust his sleeping pattern, and learning to rise up early. It will be a challenge but Jed is happy to help in this area. The family continues to pray for treasuring the last week of rest and preparation both mentally and physically for the next phase of treatment. Yet in joy, the family echoes the praise in the Scripture that "surely God is salvation; will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD is strength and song; He has become salvation." (Isaiah 12:2)

He is not here, He has risen!

There is nothing better than hearing the Good News that Jesus has risen and He cannot be found in His tomb. It is a frightening expereience for those who expected the dead Jesus should be laying in His tomb, but for those who knew the final outcome of the event on the First Easter morning, there is a great joy, for our Saviour, Jesus has conquered sin and death. And we too may share the blessing and power of the resurrected Christ! Hallelujah!

The message of victory in Easter gives great joy and hope to the Chan's family. Even Jed learns the event of Easter well and proclaims Jesus is alive. The family give thanks to God for their certainty to be raised with Christ despite the present suffering.

After a week of reunion with family members from Hong Kong, the Chan family was filled with joy and excitment, at least for Anita and Jed. Although, Reg could not join in the family function, he was glad for their short visits.

Reg is feeling much better and has been able to move his legs a lot better. Anita even tried to get Reg out for a very short bush walk on a perfect Autumn day with Jed. Unfortunately there were lots of steps, but Reg managed well but only felt exhausted the whole night. Anita has learnt that it will take some time for Reg to really regain his muscle's strength. She will have to try something much milder. Yet it was a huge achievement for Reg since his chemo days.

The daily injection has become an ease to Anita, but Reg has noticed his loss of fat meant more pain with each injection. Yet he thanked God for the odd occasion when Anita managed to still find a good fatty spot to jab the sharp needle in. Jokingly, Reg will not dare to upset Anita in this time to seek extra pain, while Anita gaining an insight of the power of a sharp object on hand!

The family continue to praise God for this short break that they can have together before the radiation therapy. Reg will only need to see a GP with the continuation of medication post chemo, and by God's grace, the chemo side effect is subsiding and Reg's arm is also getting less pain.

Feeling better

Pain in all four limbs has not been easy, however, the God of miracles has been working. Reg has been feeling much better today. The pain in right arm is still bad, but the rest has become bearable. He managed not to take any pain killer! Being trapped at home has been tough for Reg. Since he felt better, he went out for a drive. Reg was not contactable because he has lost his mobile. So when Anita returned home, she was frightened when she saw Reg's car was gone. Yet she knew she can only pray for Reg's safe return and she knew she can trust the Lord who is the Rock eternal. Thankfully, after half an hour, Reg came home rejoicing his legs are well enough for a short drive, and the fresh air, change of scene has definitely made him feel good. Anita and Jed had a great time meeting up with family from overseas. The family is still trying to work out activities that Reg can join in without compromising his health.

Another muscle torn

Reg has been complaining pain in upper thigh since yesterday. They spent the whole day waiting for teh hospital to tell them the next action. By late afternoon, Reg had to have an ultra sound. To make matter worse, Anita went out with her sister and thought REg should be fine, given all meals were prepared, but Reg lost his balance when he was bathing Jed and hurt his right arm. Now Anita would not allow Reg to do anything until he is all well. This morning, they have started to notice his right arm has swollen up. So his four limbs are in pain. THankfully, the right leg from previous clog and torn is getting better. AFter the ultra sound, it was confirmed that the right thigh has another torn and possibly hematoma. Reg will be in pain for awhile and the family could only ask God to heal him from all his pain.

Radiation Test Run

Reg has been resting as he had been feeling quite tired from the chemo. Thankfully, besides the usualy morning sickness and a bit of redness and hotness in the arms (which has subsided), Reg is well.

This morning was a time to go into hospital for a test run with the radiation therapy. Reg and Anita decided to take Jed with them as they knew it will at most be two hours. Thankfully the technicians allowed Jed to go in and Jed had fun seeing what is happening to daddy. A mask was being made and a tattoo was marked on the chest. (Yes a permenant tattoo, but no choice in the design!) Then Reg was sent through a donut shape CTscan machine. It was more fun for both Anita and Jed to see the action. Reg on the other hand was not allowed to move and laid still on the bed. In order to help Reg to know what was going on, Anita took photos (as did Jed) and videos. AFter the whole simulation, Reg understood exactly what needed to be done everyday. Anita was extremely grateful that the staff gave them a full time schedule in those three weeks, including dietition adn review appointments all made in advanced for them. They have been told parking permit will be given to them on the day of arrival, so there will be no need to worry about parking at all. The family really thank God for the important brief today at the hospital and the smooth running. Of course, they really thank God for Jed's maturity and well behaviour in the hospital.

A mask being made. Jed thought it looks like "spiderman's" mask

Here is the "donut" machine!

Being school holiday and knowing it is not possible to keep Jed at home the whole time while Reg resting at home. So Anita planned a new routine for everyone. She had decided that Jed can go out and play in the morning with mummy, leaving Reg alone in the house. This way, Jed can burn his energy and have a bit of fun, while Reg can sleep in and enjoy some personal space. They'll have lunch together and have fun together for an hour or so when Reg has his afternoon nap. When Anita prepares for dinner, Reg can have a bit of fun time with Jed, if he is not too tired. Indeed, Jed has been trained to play on his own by late afternoon, so it was good for everyone.

Jed is really looking forward to next week when his cousins are coming from overseas. No plan is set, but whatever it may be, it will be fun to see his cousins. It will be hard for Reg being left behind, but there is a time for everything and thankfully, our real joy is in the Lord.

LAST Chemo

Praise God! This day has finally come. The Chan's household had an early start, but felt excited. Reg did not because he knew the chemo will make him sick again, but Anita tried her best to remind him this will be his very last one. Jed was dropped off to his friend's place to go to school with his friend's mum as Reg and Anita had to be in hospital at a much earlier time this time. Thankfully, all went smoothly and the traffic to hospital was much better than expected. They even found a perfect spot for parking that Reg didn't need to walk too far with his limping leg. They knew God has been answering everyone's prayer and made the whole day such a smooth process. The family rejoiced when they were given the green light for Reg to go ahead. Unfortunately, the nurse who had trouble finding the vein last time had given up with Reg and decided to swap with another nurse. Otherwise, it would be nice as she was teh first nurse to look after Reg. Thankfully, the other nurse was skillful enough to make it in her first attempt and spared Reg from the agony with more needle's prick. Due to the uneventful day, everything was completed so swiftly that they managed to reach home at record time. Anita could even take a break before picking up Jed. Reg was very tired after the chemo and took a good nap. He managed to eat a light dinner tonight and just pray that the side effect will be managable. It did feel strange after a week delay. It felt it has been a long time since the last chemo and resuming chemo felt like the very first time of having chemo. Yet they know it will be over soon and their hope is renewed in trusting God's peace and strength will be upon them in the next few days.

Series of doctor appointments has come to an end

Reg has been busy with doctor appointments this week. The pigment change in his finger is still unknown due to sample size. So on Tuesday, the dermatologist gave a much deeper cut to get a better sample for further testing. Thankfully, Reg doesn't need to return to the clinic but wait for the result. Today, Reg went to see the radio-oncologist preparing the next phase of treatment. They were thankful that they could transfer to Royal North Shore Hospital. When they went to the radio-oncology department, the place was filled with many puzzles done by the patients during the time in the unit. Anita thought she could indeed see herself doing things like that if she has cancer. Of course, Reg was crossed with her to say things like that. AFter a long wait, they were finally called in by the doctor. It was quite a time consuming exercise when they have to recall the history of all the tests and treatment done in the entire cancer journey. Reg thanked Anita staying up last night to organise all his medical records and even made a list of reports in chronological order. It really shortened the time for the registrar. After all the history taking and reviewing the scan result, the doctor was happy that Reg will undergo standard treatment. Anita was even happier to hear that there will be no urgency to start treatment straight away. Reg indeed needs to wait for another 3-5 weeks after his last chemo treatment before they will commence radiotherapy. This will mean Anita can relax about the logistic during school break. Reg will be scheduled sometime next week for a "simulation" for the planning of the radiotherapy. Anita was rather excited as she can imagine the fun to run a simulation with the latest technology and precision. Tomorrow will be Reg's last chemo if God's willing. After seeing the radio-oncologist, they are ready to see the end of the chemo phase and getting ready for the next phase of treatment. The family just pray that God will continue to provide peace and strength with this very last treatment and no more delay. Yet they praise God for His presence with them in every step of their journey so far.

A surprise!

After sending Jed to school, Reg and Anita were ready to go to the hospital. Together they prayed and left the house. It was a mixed feeling. Reg was a bit anxious, Anita was kind of excited that the last dose has finally come. They talked about if they would meet the same patient who sat next to them last time. How much weight has Reg may have lost by now? etc., etc. Reg had a long list of questions prepared to talk to the doctor and was anxious to find out if he will still need to continue with all those medication once chemo is finished.

Finally, Anita dropped Reg to the hospital front door and went to look for car park space. IT took a much longer time, but they were thankful that she did eventually. Soon they were called in. Reg showed the nurse that he had a minor operation from Tuesday while waiting for blood test result. By the time the nurse returned, she told them that she was waiting for the haematologist's decision to go ahead. After one hour waiting, the decision was "NO". Poor Reg was still holding his list of questions and wonder what it all meant. Thankfully, the nurse decided it might be best if the doctor replied them directly and there were some other physical examination needed to be done.

After direct consultation with the doctor, it was cleared that it was best for Reg to recover completely from the wound healing before further chemo, as blood count was just on the borderline. A slight delay in chemo will not be a big issue. Both REg and Anita thought it would be nice to have a bit of a rest in the meantime. In fact, Anita thought it was a huge relief for her in terms of all the other doctors appointments next week.

Next week will be tightly scheduled. Tuesday a follow up appointment with dermatologist. Thursday appointment with the radiotherapist and finally Friday, chemo appointment. The family thank God that Reg can have an extra time to recover and rest and allow him to see all the other specialists before the last chemo. They thank God that one of the school mums can assist them both Thursday and Friday. And they continue to trust their Heavenly Father in the week ahead, and priase God for His wise guidance in all things.

To Anita's surprise, the most disappointed person in the whole event was Jed. He cried at the school gate that he could not go to his friend's place after school. It took quite a lot of comfort to get Jed to overcome his disappiontment. Yet, Anita was joyful in God's way to train Jed to learn to cope with disappointment in life. Eventually, Jed returned home happily and looking forward for next Thursday when mummy and daddy will be busy again to leave him with his friend to play.

Preparation for the last dose

Time flies! Reg and Anita was excited the last dose of chemo is coming along tomorrow. Of course, there are worries, but knowing tomorrow will mark a huge milestone, it is a cause to rejoice and thanksgiving. Yesterday, Reg went to see the dermatologist with regards to the change in pigmentation on his finger during the course of chemo. To their utter surprise, Reg was requested to strip from top to bottom to check pigmentation in the entire body. YEt they were thankful for such thorough examination. An old cyst on his back was also removed and taken for pathological test due to colour changed. Result will only come out next week. Jed was amazingly good. As they waited over an hour in the waiting area in the doctor surgery, Jed was happy to scribble with mummy. Jed saw patterns on the chair that reminded him of mazes and requested to play maze. Fortunately, when Anita was young, she enjoyed creating mazes when she ran out of mazes to do. So they both had an hour of fun, while one created and the other went through it with excitment. The waiting time seemed too short for Jed, but he complied to go inside with daddy. Jed saw his first minor operation when the dermatologist cut open the cyst. IT was so funny when Jed spoke out how smelly it was, that the doctor told the truth to Reg, as he was the only person who had no idea what had been done on him at his back. Reg is still not walking normally, but today, he definitely felt much better. The family just prayed that the last chemo will not put more stress on his right leg and allows recovery. The family is jsut glad to know the presence of God is with them all the way. There is no knowing what tomorrow holds, but by faith, they ask and trust God for protection and smoothness in the whole procedure.

Getting Better

After being unwell and low in energy, Anita and Jed are both beginning to feel better, with the help of antibiotics. Praise God for answering prayers. Tomorrow Reg has an appointment with the dermatologist because of an unusual pigment changes in his finger during the course of chemo. REg and ANita do not even know what to expect, but pray that GOd will use the doctor's expertise to find out what's wrong. Reg and Anita have decided to take Jed along to the specialist tomorrow as the appointment falls right at school finish time. It was too hard to seek help knowing many families will be busy picking up their kids from school, but thankfully, Jed has been well-trained to wait at doctors. The family only prays that the waiting time will not be way too long, and they won't end up leaving at peak hours. The family conitnue to rejoice that the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth is their ultimate help and He who watches over them will neither slumber nor sleep. (Ps 121)

A low point in the journey

Anita has finally succumbed to sickness. She was quite congested and coughing as well. Could she lie down and rest? Well, she is seriously waiting for Christ's return where she will enjoy her real rest. It has always been tough to go out with an elderly and a young boy but she felt it especially this morning. Returning home did not make it any easier, as Jed was bored and wanted attention. With huge struggle, she finally got Jed to play on his own with as little noise as possible as her head was pounding. After a long day with no rest, her tolerant has reached to its max by dinner time, but everyone in her household was only eager to do more talking. Her request to be quiet for five minutes did not even last 1 minute. Jed tried to help mummy to tell grandma and daddy to be quiet, but realised it was useless, so he began to talk as well. Anita realised it was a lost battle but thought it was halarious when everyone was talking, but none of them were listening to one another except the person who was sick. So deflated, she could only pray for a quieter night later in the evening.

Reg's immobility means he can't help. Since both Anita and Jed are sick, he could only stay away. He has been suffering insomnia also meant he was tired during the day. Yesterday was his very low point, but thankfully, couple of friendly calls did lifted him up and he managed to have a better night sleep last night. This morning, he felt his leg was slightly better and managed to make it to the kitchen and sat there for breakfast while Anita was out this morning.

The family continues to pray that Reg would not get sick as the last chemo is only one week away, while both Jed and Anita will recover quickly. They also pray that Reg's spirit would continue to be lifted up even with immobility.

While the family is going through a low point, they remember God's presence in the midst of them. A low point in life is part of a reality in everyone's life, but thank God, we can have hope in Him who gives us strength.

The lesson of waiting

With the episode of immobility, Reg and Anita had been waiting for the haemotologist for advice.

THe long wait has made Anita stuck at home and could not even go grocery shopping. But God sent a "raven" to provide for the family: A friend rang at perfect timing to enquire if we needed any green grocer. Finally, the wait was over (so they thought), they were informed to have an immediate ultrasound. So off they went, but the earliest time they could fit Reg in was like last time at 4:30pm. Learning from last time, it was not a possible option for Anita to take both REg and Jed to ultrasound, knowing Jed would be hungry and she won't be able to reach home in time to even cook. Thankfully, God's provision is sufficient. The friend who dropped the grocery was more than happy to drop Reg to ultrasound, thus relieved Anita from the stressful dinner time.

The result was a surprised to all. Reg had a torn muscle and hematoma , as well as a slight extension in the clot. Yet they had to wait for another day to find out about the management.

Reg and Anita waited for the whole morning and there was no response from the doctor side. Anita was happy to move on to do her necessary chores, even to hop out for a cup of coffee with a friend before picking up Jed from school. She has taken everyone in the household to doctors and hospitals in such a high frequency, Anita has developed an important principle in waiting for medical result: "NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS." If it is serious, the doctor will call you immediately and ensure your presence in the hospital. No matter how long the wait is, no news means it is not serious. So Reg felt better (emotionally) and found a comfortable position in front of his laptop. Anita was busy in the kitchen preparing meals, and even made dumplings upon Jed's request.

The long wait was finally over by late afternoon. There was nothing Reg can do but rest and ice and get elevated. Apparently, Reg had a twist on Sat, and felt ok on the day. But little did they know, Reg is now very "fragile". Little injury can become serious. It may take up to a month for him to regain full use of his leg. The immobility is a annoying, but they were thankful it is not permenant.

Jed is still with runny nose and started coughing but mostly in the middle of the night. Thankfully, no fever and happy as usual.

Anita is wearing low. She has sore throat and runny nose has began. She will need to have a good night sleep tonight and pray that her body will be strong enough to fight the cold off. She can't work out what it means for the weekend to come if she is sick. Yet why can't she be sick and have a bit of lying down? Who will take care of everyone else? She has no answer, but once again, she knew God is sovereign and she is happy for whatever tomorrow holds. Perhaps she is too tired to even think but trust God's grace to help her through each day as it comes.

How much can one plan?

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

Anita planned to take Jed to BSF this morning. She planned to help her sister in law. She planned to ...

Jed woke up with unstoppable runny nose. He did not want to go out at all. Anita knew she must stay home.
Reg woke up with leg cramp. He struggled to stand and was in pain. Anita knew she must cancel the plan to help her sister-in-law.

God obviously has another plan for Anita. She indeed thank God that she was forced to stay at home to only find out what happened to Reg.

There was no answer to Jed's runny nose, perhaps it is just a cold, but Jed was clingy.
There was no answer to Reg's cramp, unfortunately, no response from haemotologist, they'll just have to wait and see.

Reg had to put on the mask around the house again. Jed was constantly hearing mummy ash him to wash his hands, and Anita was running around to tend their needs and wished she can be an octopus.

In the midst of serving everyone in the house, Anita was thinking the issue about sickness and her own response. She has concluded that it was just an exhaustion, for there was:

One who claimed to be sick, but complained all things. Anita tried to control her temper and borrowed deaf ears and moved on to do the essentials.
One who needed clearing of the nose to breath, but refused. Anita tried to encourage and be patient.
One who is in pain and immobilised, but chose sleep as comfort. Anita tried to cook nice food to cheer him up but felt as helpless.

At the end of the day, Anita thanked God she is the one who is well even though deflated. She may not be able to plan ahead, and does not even know what tomorrow holds for her; but she is certain that God has it all planned. She asks for healing but trusts God's goodness in whatever may come. She earnestly seeks strength and courage to face another day!

Feeling tired but resting well

It has been a few days since Reg's chemo. The family praise God that the side effect has been under control. Reg is feeling more tired than his past chemos, presumably this is part of the accumulative effects. Slight discomfort coming from the neck, but hopefully nothing serious. The clotting of the leg seems to be improving. Reg has been very low in energy and today was the first time he managed without napping and tried to assist Anita with dinner preparation and bathing Jed. Reg is also getting better at taking the injection as Anita is also getting better at doing it. The family continues to pray for physical strength and restoration.



Jed had been praying for good weather, but was sad that God did not answer his prayer. Anita took the opportunity to help Jed to understand that God is still good even our prayers weren't answered in the way to our liking. Thankfully, Jed learns to see the goodness of God.



Anita went out to dinner for the first time without Reg and Jed since Dec. Even though, she still has to cook and clean up before leaving home, she was happy to have a night out on her own with friends. Anita was especially relieved when Jed is getting better at allowing daddy to read bedtime stories. Jed told mummy excitedly that daddy read three Bible stories on top of other story books for him first thing he saw mummy this morning. Anita was thinking may be she should go out more often to encourage more bonding time for Reg and Jed. Unfortunately Jed was crying as soon as Anita told him that she will be going away on Wednesday night to take his aunt to hospital on Thursday. Anita could only trust God again for the next couple of days that Jed learns to accept the reality that mummy will only be away for one night and daddy can look after him. The family also prays that Reg will be in good health while Anita is away.

7th chemo

Reg was excited knowing this is his 7th chemo, his second last one. This is another milestone telling him how much closer to the end.

After dropping Jed to school, Anita returned home to pick up Reg. PArking was hard due to road work with the new cancer building on its way. They thanked God's provision when they did make it in time to the hospital.

To their surprise, they were greeted with people handing out "green" cupcakes as soon as they walked into the hospital. Yes, it's St Patrick's Day. The clinic was decorated with balloons and Irish theme, nurses wearing green accessories to brighten up the place. Of course, it was limited only to the Haemotological and oncological unit. Reg was even sitting next to a patient who dressed for the occassion, with a big green hat and a bright green T-shirt! It was an effective way to destress the patients and with a light hearted talking points.

Soon, it was back to seriousness with regards to Reg's condition. After assessment and blood test result, it was green light to go ahead. Praise God for answered prayer! This time, Reg's left hand no longer can be used for the catheter due to some minor swelling. They decided to use the right hand which has a blood clot. Thankfully, the nurse managed to find a good vein and in no time, Reg was hooked up. The nurse told Reg jokingly, she has saved the best one for the very last time since it is getting harder with each chemo to find a good vein.

The haemotologist came and checked on Reg's blood clot in the leg and decided that Reg will need to be on blood thinner for three months everyday. The good news is that after radiotherapy, Reg can revert to oral drugs rather than injection.

Reg has also been referred to see a dermatologist with an unusual pigment change in his finger. The family pray this is nothing serious. While the chemo therapy is coming close to an end, Reg and Anita needs to prepare for radiotherapy in a month time. They thank God that the haemotologist was happy for them to change to Royal North Shore for treatment due to location. Otherwise, it will be a logistic madness on a daily basis to visit St Vincent for the Chan's family.

There is still a lot of unknown with regards to radiotherapy, but the family is taking things one step at a time. Appointment has been made with the specialist for April, and presumably, they will understand more when the time comes. Meantime, Reg is trying to rest from the chemo treatment with the usual morning sickness. Anita on the other hand is praying to get some quality sleep at night with no disturbance from both Reg and Jed.

Jed is doing well and learns to pray for the world events as well as for the family. Anita was trying her best to reassure Jed that God is still in control of all things because Jed struggled to see why God sent a tsunami and earthquake to Japan after disasters in New Zealand and Queensland. Anita is still pondering how to explain simply to a little child about the devastating judgment on mankind by God without losing sight of God's grace in Christ Jesus.

Preparation

Reg has been able to regain a lot more mobility in the last couple of days. He managed to walk up & downstairs at home without limping and insisted that he can drive. Anita was delighted on his progress, and she was thrilled that she is getting better at doing injection. Last night, Reg responded there was less pain from the needle. Anita prays that she can really minimise the pain by doing it correctly because she has not really worked out why sometimes Reg felt less pain in some occasion and sometimes not.

The family prepared themselves for another chemo section on Thursday with their usual routine. Reg seemed a bit tense and reminded Anita to write down the list of questions that needed to ask the doctor for tomorrow as soon as she came back from grocery shopping. Unfortunately Anita was too tired, so Reg wrote them down at the end.

Everything should be familiar by now, but seeing the accummulative effects seemed to be different each time, the family just prayed that God will give them courage and strength in facing the chemo again. They pray that the nurse can find Reg's vein quickly and that his blood clot will not be getting worse as more chemo is being done. They really ask God that there will not be any delay in the treatment as Reg has only two more to go.

The family remembers the victims and their families in the recent Japan's natural disasters. There is no gurantee how life can end and how fast it can be. We can all be busy and focused on our daily livings, even essentials like our health, our family, our work. But they can vanish and disappear in a split second. But are we ready and prepared to face our Creator if this is our last second in life? Reg and Anita have to be prepared the day before the chemo treatment, but they are also pondering the preparation necessary to see their Creator.

Another hospital experience

Another emergency has happened in the Chan's household. Reg's mum was sent to emergency this morning as Anita was on her way to church with Jed. She had diarrhea from milk that was sitting out for a long time last night. Reg told Anita that her blood pressure was high and feeling nauseated, but insisted no medical need for his mum. IT was a tough decision, but it was a wise one when Anita called the ambulance while she was almost to church. There was no other way she could leave Reg to take care of his mum, while she has already gone out with Jed. To their surprise, the paramedics decided to send her to Emergency.

Returning home, Anita was planning to leave Jed with Reg to go to hospital, but Jed wanted to go with Anita. Thankfully, the hospital said they needed to wait for two more hours before they can tell us if the patient may be discharged. After two hours, they were told to wait for two more hours. Anita was just glad that she did not rush to the hospital straight after church with Jed. They found out the hospital was jsut waiting for all the blood test, CT scan results to confirm her status. Thankfully, she was perfectly fine with absolutely no problem. By late afternoon, Anita picked her up from the hospital and convinced Jed to stay home with dad.

Anita was embarrassed when she met the same nurse that tended Reg in the emergency department. The nurse kindly suggested Anita to take some rest at home for her mother-in-law was perfectly fine. Reg's mum was glad to return home and only complaint they did not give her food to eat until she demanded many times.

Reg on the other hand was feeling much better today and felt good. So he prepared dinner to lighten Anita's workload. They praise God that it all turned out well.

A Relax Day

Reg is still limping, but ankle's swelling has decreased and only slight pain. So the household had decided to take things easy.

Today Jed and Reg both had an enjoyable time reading together while Anita had a sleep in morning. (Well, til 8am!) It was such a rare sight in the Chan's household, but everyone thought it was great. Anita fixed breakfast for everyone and had an unscheduled day. Jed had a great time making over 100 cookies with mummy for morning tea at church tomorrow. Reg on the other hand just rested. Later the family managed to drive to Manly Beach for a short stay as Reg wanted some fresh air out in the open.

After a hectic week, the family just thank God for a day to chill and relax.

A Deep Appreciation

Reg has been in hospital for two nights. First night in Emergency and did not get a bed until 5:30am. It was a tough night for him. Second night wasn't any better, as the patient besides him had a sudden emergency, followed on with another serious sickness in the bed across him. By the time Anita arrived to meet him in the morning, Reg shared how he had learnt a deep appreciation of even the first breath in the morning, the ability to swallow food. Anita quickly flashed back to the truth of the Bible where it says, "Remember your Creator in the days of youe youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"


Reg even saw a nurse in asssiting the patient with vomits all over her during the night and the cleaner to change bedsheet covered with diarrhea. A mother who had stayed in with his son for a fortnight to care for his son who even had troubled to swallow. Reg grew a whole new level in appreciating the job that medical staff and carers have to do!



Reg finally got dicharged late yesterday. No known reason to his fever, but treatment was given to deal with his blood clot. Anita has to learn how to inject a needle to Reg every night from now on. It was a nervous experience, but they have overcome their fear. Once again, they remembered many diabetic sufferers who had to put injection regularly and appreciate that Reg only need to do this temporarily, even though they don't know when he can stop yet.



In his stay in the hospital, Reg missed Jed very much. Jed likewise the same. Anita on the otherhand appreciated some quietness from both fronts. She took her time to shop and prepare meals at home in the morning before she went to visit Reg. On her way to the hospital, there was a peace that came to her as she knew Jed is safe at school, while Reg is safe in the hospital. The only frightening expereienced for Anita was when a Telstra guy knocked on her door at 10pm and said he was to connect the phone line. (Her mother-in-law disconnected the phone line!) There was no way Anita would allow a strange man to come into the house late at night when she had a 70 year old woman and a 4year old son with her! At that point Anita felt even stupid to tell the man her husband was in hospital revealing no male is in the house. Thankfully, the household was safe!

Reg is now resting at home and appreciated the comfort and familiarity of his home. He is limping and thankfully he has a walking frame. They do pray Reg will be able to walk easily again as his blood vessel opens up again and the pain to cease. However, they are just thankful to return to the mundane of life "at home".

First Emergency

Reg had been resting well at home since chemo on Thursday, with his normal morning sickness and general tiredness. Monday night, he complaint of lower leg cramp of some sort, and Anita thought it is similar to the swelling and pain in the arm, but this time it has changed position to the lower leg and decided to just keep an eye on it.

By morning Reg was limping and expressed more pain. At first the haemotologist thought it may be poor blood circulation, but decided to schedule Reg for an ultrasound to rule out anything severe. Thankfully, they've managed to get Reg an appointment in the late afternoon. It turned out to be a blood clot and likewise it was the same in the arm. While they were waiting for the doctor's verdict, poor Jed was complaining that he was hungry. It was half past 5 and there was no time for ANita to return home to cook in peak hour traffic, so they could only quickly eat out after all the waiting around. When they got home, Anita had to quickly bath Jed and getting him ready to bed, but Reg began to complain feeling hot flushes. Next, they knew Reg had a temperature of 38.4 degrees, which means he needed to go to hospital.

There was no option, but for Reg to wait around this time until Anita had put Jed to bed. Soon they were at RNS Emergency Department. Reg was quickly sent to the inside with blood test, X-ray, and on drips of antibiotics. By 11pm, his temperature dropped back to normal, but he needed to admit into hospital for the haemotologist to see him. They are still trying to work out the kind of possible infection that Reg has, but meantime, they are also treating his blood clot. Thankfully the clot was only a minor one.

So Anita returned home exhausted after a whole day running around. She just pray that she could sleep well and get recharge, ready for another day of running around. She knew God has been with her for even though she is tending Jed and Reg at the same time, they both are good at waiting around for one another. She also knew Reg is at God's hand and only pray for his safe returning.

6th Chemo treatment

Jed is finally well, and in good timing, it is now Reg's turn for his chemo treatment. Anita thanked God that they're just taking turn, so she can manage them one at a time.

After the usual preparation, blood test and stocking up the fridge, organising pick up of Jed from school, the Chan's household were as ready as they can be this morning. All went smoothly from drop off to school to busy traffic to hospital to parking. Reg adn Anita has decided to use the chapel in the hospital to pray before they went into the cancer unit. They both felt at peace and were ready to face the 6th treatment.

They were greeted with familiar nurses and noticed the colourful balloons around. It was one fo the nurses' birthday. Cheerful environment gave the place a lift, yet it was a very busy morning. The blood test result was good, and so they expected Reg will get hooked up very quickly. Unfortunately, after 20mins, the nurse was still having trouble to find the vein. Anita commented that the vein has decided to play hide and seek. Apparently it was a common thing that the more treatment, the harder it becomes to find the vein. Due to Reg's other swollen hand, the nurse had no choice but to work with one hand only. In the end, another senior nurse came to try. Thankfully, she did it after a few more attempt.

During this time, Reg's haemotologist flashed by, and broke the good news that the PET test result was good. They waited til mid day before the haemotologist sat down to check on Reg and explained the good news. Reg has been responding well to the treatment, the tumors are shrinking. Anita thought Reg may not need to do radiotherapy or reduced dose, but unfortunately, the good news means all as planned previously. Reg will receive two more treatment then radiotherapy everyday for three weeks. Yet they were just thankful and knew their Heavenly Father has heard everyone's prayer and indeed He has been so good to them.

Reg and Anita chatted with the patient's wife who sat next to them. Her husband was also a lymphoma patient, but this was his third remission. He was rather saddened that it kept returning. And REg and Anita were so lost of words how to comfort them, but only wished him the very best as they were leaving. Another lady suffered lymphoma and was in the exact same treatment as Reg. She lost all her hair, and had to lie on a bed. There was no opportunity to find out why, but both Anita and Reg knew Reg had been so blessed in all that he has been experiencing. They knew they can only thank their God for His goodness to them.

Jed was very happy that he could play with his friend after school. REturning home, he was very tired and managed to eat half of his dinner and he was happy to go to bed quickly.

AFter a long day, Reg and Anita looked forward for a day of rest tomorrow after Jed is at school. They continue to pray that the side-effect is under control and ask God to continue to heal Reg and they still look forward to the day when they shall recieve new bodies and be with Christ in Heaven!

PET Scan done

Rising early this morning, Reg went for his PET scan test at RPA on his own. Praise God that the process went smoothly. Reg stayed away from the family for 6 hours, but the family is happy it has finally been done. They will know the result on this Thursday when Reg goes on for his 6th chemo treatment.

Anita had a mild food poisoning from take away Chinese food on Sat night. Thankfully Reg only ate very small portion and with mild effect. Anita had chills and fever, but subsided by late morning and rested at home, and tummy finally settled later on that night.

Jed's cough has improved and he will be sleeping alone in his own room again, and hopefully Anita could get some decent sleep from now on.

"mmm...is this food??"

The Chan's household has been visited by an unusual visitor. It is a goanna (perhaps a lace monitor??) about 74cm. (Anita went up close and measured it). Interestingly, the creature is still not willing to leave and has moved to their kitchen's window. They are still deciding whether they need to call someone to return the creature to the wild. Anyone who is reading the blog and know about wildlife, please give them a call.

They have also been visited by a bush turkey this morning. It was yelping loadly at their roof top and jumped to their next door neighbour's lawn while Anita was saying goodbye to Reg. The wildlife visits certainly brightened up the household on the mundane home life. They praise God for His creation.

A Restless Night

Jed didn't go to school on Friday until the swap result was cleared from Whooping cough. Thankfully, one of the school mums took Jed to play with her son, so Anita and Reg could have a bit of rest as well as doing some grocery shopping. Reg was happy that he could remove his mask at home when Jed was not home. Anita put the mask on just in case she is a carrier.

Unfortunately Jed was coughing very badly in the middle of the night. Anita just could not sleep used the time to pray that he really didn't have whooping cough. The fear was huge for Jed might have passed it to his school friend and his family. As to Reg, he will need to be totally isolated from the family as well. It was an absolute restless night as Jed kept coughing continuously. Strangely, he was much better by day time. The family praised God when the doctor told them that Jed is definitely clear. It was such a huge relief.

Reg on the other hand felt great and in a much better form than Jed and Anita. Initially today was a day for father & son bonding, but becuase of Jed's cough and Anita needed to take her mother-in-law to city, Anita's sister came to the rescue to mind Jed in her house. The family just thanked God in providing timely help through the kindness of others.

Reg recently has been sharing with Anita about a Bible passage that talks about the ostrich in Job 39:13-18 "For God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense," yet God's providence made man speechless. The passage gave the family a great sense of hope in God, for at times, there is a sense of helplessness or lack of control which deflates their spirits. Yet they are reminded their sovereign God continues to provide and protect the young even to those who lack wisdom and with little sense.

Reg will go for a PET scan very early on Monday at RPA. Once again, he needs to stay away from home for 6 hours becuase he will be radioactive and it is not good for Jed. He has to go on his own while Anita take care fo Jed. The family is not only learning to fit in with the different needs of each family member, they have realised a time to be together is not to be taken for granted.

The result of the scan is important, yet the goodness of God that has guided them so far in this journey really help the family to trust their good God in all things. They thank Him for the peace that transcends all understnading.

A Eventful Day

Jed has not been well and continued with fever last few nights. Thankfully, this morning he was good, and Anita thought he could return to pre-school. Jed was excited that he could go to school as he was bored at home. Anita decided she should let the teacher know that he was only well this morning for the first time and may need to call her if there shall be any changes. Little did she know that the school apparently had an outbreak of whooping cough. Jed had a few cough and needed to see the doctor to get a clearnace. Feeling so upset, Jed reluctantly went home with mummy.

Poor Reg recieved a call that they were to come home meant he will continue to be alienated. However, Anita took Jed straight to the doctor to get a swap test for whopping cough and only found out her car has broken down when they were ready to go home from the doctor. It took almost an hour for NRMA to come. Thankfully, Jed has his school bag with him, so he has food to eat. MEanwhile, Jed was learning the real meaning of being "patience". They waited at the school for the school nurse, then at the doctor then at the carpark for road assistance. Anita tried her best to keep Jed occupied. They were just happy to reach home by mid-day.

Reg on the other hand recieved the good news that the PET scan has finally been scheduled. It will be on Monday, and the family pray the scan result will show he is responding to treatment.

Jed unfortunately returned with fever again tonight. Anita has not been sleeping well at all with Jed being sick and she was so exhausted and she just pray she can have a good night sleep tonight despite Jed's fever.

The inevitable has happened!

The inevitable has come, Jed is not well!

Jed was complaining of sore throat this morning, but felt fine after breakfast and was a happy little boy playing all day non-stop. Unaware of anything, Anita even took Jed to the library for story time, to swimming lesson and let Jed play with daddy. It was until tonight, when she put Jed to sleep that she had realised Jed was rather warm. It was low grade fever, but the house is in alert.

Quarantine is a must in the Chan's household. Everyone has to wear mask to avoid further spreading of germs/virus. Knowing Reg's immunity is low, Anita must decide who she should even sleep with tonight, and she has decided to better stay with Jed, since she most probably got the virus from Jed already. It is definitely safer for Reg to be on his own.

The family does not know what Jed has got yet, but they are praying that Reg during this time did not catch anything. They know they are in God's hand and can only plead for mercy to spare Reg from getting sick as well.

Reg's right hand has also swollen up. They have decided to wait and watch. They just prayed it is similar to last time and nothing to be alarmed. REg has also been feeling extremely low in energy, hopefully it is not the virus from Jed.

Anita on the other hand felt guilty to have taken Jed to the indoor play area yesterday knowing it is easy to catch bugs from other kids especially in such hot weather. Yet facing the hot weather and trying to find an escape for the whole family, it was a hard choice. Anita is aware all these are part of the package with all cancer patients in terms of the risks and side effects, yet she is now torn between both Reg and Jed, and to complicate the matter, she is indeed the carrier of germs/virus. It is too late to reverse the event of today but she knows she could seek her mighty God for help and know for certain, whatever happens in the end, God is sovereign and He is the One who holds tomorrow. Much prayer is needed for the household.

Progressing Well

Reg is continuing his usual morning sickness and feeling weak and tired easily, otherwise he is progressing well.

It was a difficult morning for Anita to leave the house seeing Reg with his usual morning sickness. But trusting God that he would be fine, (knowing she couldn't do much except to let him rest), she took Jed to church. Thankfully, it all went well. Jed enjoyed Sunday School, Anita enjoyed church, Reg slept through the morning and felt better. The heat was wearing him out, so the family decided to find an air-conditioning place for Reg to rest, while Jed could play in the afternoon. There is no ideal place, but they decided to risk it as Reg was finding the heat unbearable. Even though, Reg could not really rest, at least he managed through the afternoon, while Jed was happy to see a school friend and had a great time in a nearby hotel.

Anita had been thinking a lot after church. She has been thinking about Christ second coming becuase of today's sermon. She seriously longs for it, but still pondering how the day will not come until the man of lawlessness will be revealed and that the gospel will be spread to the ends of the earth? YEt she is thankful that the scripture has only called for standing firm in the faith, and she was comforted that our Lord JEsus Christ Himself and GOd our FAther who loved us and gave us eternal comfort adn good hope through grace.

Another thing that striked Anita to think hard was she has been told repeatedly by church people that they (the family) should be closer to God during this time. It really makes Anita to ponder why she should be closer to God during this time, and not other time? Should calamity or sickness be the reason we're closer to God? It frightens her that indeed she felt not much difference in terms of her closeness to God before or during this time, yet she could not explain why she isn't. In fact, it striked her even more as to how do we measure this closeness? She understands that we're to draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Yet, that closeness to God is only brought by Christ's blood, and not by how often she prays or how much God's word she have read. She has no answer but decided that she must continue to repent and ask for God's grace and mercy in Christ to stay close to God. She continues to pray for the salvation and healing of her family and awaits for Christ's return.

The 5th dose of chemo

The day began with Jed waking mummy with his usual bright and shine smile. Knowing time is the essence if everything is to run smoothly without frantic madness, Anita got up quickly without waking Reg. Jed was cooperative and they left home to be the first arrived to school and only realised there was a meeting of some sort and had to wait. Thankfully, Anita made it home in time to pick up Reg and arrived to the hospital in good time. They thank God's provision when they saw a car just pulled out for them to park closely to the hospital.

The routine of going in to be "hooked up" becomes second nature, however, Reg is having bad association and feeling "blue". Reg was greeted by a different nurse, so he was searching for some familiar faces since this is their first time for a Thursday treatment. He found some regular staff and felt a bit cheerful by the nurse who served him last time esoecially she got a new bright ginger hair this time! Realising there was only one spot left in the room, the clinic indeed was full. The busyness went on and eventually Reg got the clearnace with blood test result and ready for hooked up.

More pain, more discomfort and loss of appetite this time round, but no major problem. Anita tried her best to distract Reg by looking at the photography book of the year again. Later, the haemotologist came and still telling them that he is trying to organise the PET scan and they'll be notified when it is done. Understanding the doctor is trying his best, they both resumed to their book with no further comment.

The long day has finally come to an end, when Reg felt so tired from just sitting for so many hours. Anita on the other hand was fine since she got to run around and it did make the day to go much faster. Both Reg and Anita was so grateful to know they did not need to rush to pick up Jed from school, as one of the school mums is helping to pick up Jed. God was kind, Reg came home just in time before the thunder storm striked. Anita then went out and picked up Jed who complained why mummy came so early because he wished he could stayed on and played. As parents, they have realised Jed indeed has adapted to the frequent stay with different friends and learning to enjoy himself in the midst of it. So Reg and Anita thank God for answered prayers and His work in helping Jed to be strong.

Reg was so tired that he had a nap during dinner time. Thankfully he was well enough to have a light meal tonight. The family continues to pray for his "morning sickness" will not be an issue and a good night sleep. Yet they are grateful for a peaceful day and the help and support that came along. Since Jed has to go to preschool again tomorrow, both Reg and Anita can have a rest day tomorrow.

Getting Ready again

The time has come, but this time is not Wednesday. So Reg and Anita have the luxuary of sending Jed to school, then getting ready.

Anita did her usual thing, stocking up the fridge for the weekend. Reg on the other hand was to get his blood test done.

To their surprise, the haemotologist rang Reg and said he was still trying to organise the PET scan that was meant to have done after his last treatment. So Anita & Reg are praying that the doctor can seriously managed to do it this time, as it has almost been a month since he last said he will do it. Waiting has always been hard when no one knows what's ahead; yet it is a precious lesson that both Reg and Anita are still learning. Ultimately it is a call to "trust"!

The unsettled spirit was indeed calmed and comforted by the Word of God as Anita sat down and read her Bible. She was reminded to know that the God she has trusted is the Lord indeed. In Deuteronomy 29, Moses reminded his people how God had led them for forty years in the wilderness through trials, signs and great wonders, even their clothes and sandals had not worn out; all with the purpose for them to know that "I am the Lord, your God".

It is this same God that has led the Chan's household through this trial of life. They have seen blessings upon blessings that came to the house, even Reg has not loss too much hair, he has not been hospitalised so far, he was well enough to go out, etc. This mighty God of history will continue to lead them through the battle that is ahead. The unknown is difficult for those who want to be in control, but the family is humbled and reminded to trust and obey their God who is Lord!

Tomorrow is another day and they ask for a good night sleep and continuous trust for His guidance in the journey ahead.

Feeling Well

Reg has regained energy and feeling quite well this weekend.

Jed was so excited that he went to the Australian Reptile Park on Sat with friends, while Reg & Anita caught up with Reg's sister from overseas. Everyone was surprised how long it has been that they were able to sit at a cafe and had a decent conversation uninterrupted. Indeed, Reg and Anita could only thank God and their friends in fulfilling one of their summer holiday plans for Jed before they knew Reg had cancer.

The goodness of God and the love of others have really helped Reg in his journey of sickness. The fifth treatment is scheduled on Thursday the 17th. The family just knew the unfailing love of God and His faithfulness will continue to give them the strength that is required.

The cool air has put a smile on Reg

The Chan's household is just absolutely delighted with the farewell of the heat wave. Indeed, Reg has been able to feel much more relaxed and has a better smile on him.

The side effects seemed to have been much more managable this time. Reg is now doing very well since yesterday besides teh general tiredness. The family really priased God for His provision and cared.

Jed has been happy to return to pre-school and was saddened for the loss of a few good friends who moved up to Kindy. He was asking mummy when he can go up to Kindy like his friends. Thankfully, he still has some other friends remaining in pre-school with him. Anita on the other hand has noticed Jed is now less clingy and better at separating from mummy. She really thanked God for answering her prayer, especially with a new school term.

The normality of chemo treatment has really settled into the Chan's family life. Reg is also getting better at taking drugs. The family is only praying that the chemo treatment is working in destroying the cancer cells. They will only find out the result after a PET scan which will be scheduled after next chemo treatment. So they continue to pray to their God of healing to work in Reg's body through the chemo treatment.

What is rest?

Reg is managing as well as he could. Besides the "morning sickness" and feeling nauseated, he is doing very well in general.

After chemo, Thursday was the first day that REg & Anita could rest together. Even it was Chinese New Year, there was no celebration as both wanted to rest. Reg wanted to get out of the house for a rest in an air-conditioning environment for he had been house-bound for awhile. Anita on the other hand was so exhausted that she much rather stayed in the house even with the heat, knowing she'll only have more work piled up for her to do later, if she has gone out. So what is rest? Laying around doing nothing, or having a break from what you have been doing? Anita still prefers and longs for the "rest" that can be found in Christ, for it is the ultimate rest. At the end, they have agreed to go out and settled at a quiet cafe. Time flew quickly and it was time to pick up Jed from school.

Today, it was agreed that they would stay home. Reg was more tired than yesterday and did not wake up until almost 10am. Anita was filled with envy, yet continued to be a loving wife and made Reg breakfast. Reg was weak and still nauseated and vomited a bit. Thankfully he was much better when visitor came by. By afternoon, REg was feeling stronger and wanted to get out of the house and so he went with Anita to the school to pick up Jed. Of course, he stayed in the car in the comfort of the cool air.

Anita on the other hand could not even opened her eyes by noon and retreated into her bed with a massive headache. She laid down and napped for almost two hours to recover from her exhaustion. Both were glad that Jed was at school and the weather cooled down a lot more today.

The Chan household had a family dinner with Reg's side of the family and two other friends from overseas. IT was a pleasant dinner with lots of noise. Yet they are thankful Reg was feeling better than expected and could managed to go out for dinner. So the family continue to thank God for how well he has been coping with the chemo treatment. They really pray for good rest as well as Reg's nauseation will subside quickly. With the heat that is yet to come tomorrow, they pray that God will do a miracle to change it, but they are also prepared to accept it and trust that God's grace will be sufficient for them to overcome it.

4th Chemo

It was a busy, tight scheduled day from early in the morning. The Chan's household did everything with military precision. All went as scheduled: Jed was at pre-school by 8:30am, picked up Reg at 9am and just made it to St Vincent by 10am.

TO their delight, blood test was good, no delay with chemo drug delivery. No doctor visit, just social worker and nurse. So everything went very smoothly and they really thank God for answering their prayers.

Reg felt a bit nauseated, but no vomits during chemo. He saw an older man collapsed during chemo with doctors and nurses rushed in for assistance. In comparison, Reg indeed is doing very well. Anita did her usual stuff in obtaining multiple drug scripts, making appointments, talking to the social worker and nurses.

To their surprise, the chemo ended much quicker than last three times. So they didn't have to wait for the Leukemia Foundation transportation to take REg home, but they left together, and Anita just dropped Reg at the door, and rushed to pick up Jed. Jed was happy to see mummy made it to school to pick him up.

By late afternoon, all three were exhausted. Reg was exhausted from the heat and chemo, Anita was exhausted from all the running around, but continued to cook for the family, Jed was tired from first day of pre-school. Yet the family prasied God for a blessed day that they have managed everything.

The next few days will be tough for Reg, and they continue to pray to their Heavenly Father to show mercy, that the side effect will not make Reg very sick, and the heat will subside, so he may rest well. Yet they remember the cyclone that is yet to come to Queensland is much more devestating to many and they can only pray for others that the damage will be minimised, and no death will be resulted from such disaster.

The family has also been blessed with the tsunami of fish soup coming their way. The family is sufficient for the moment until they have more storage space.

Tomorrow, the family pray for a good rest day for the household as Jed will be at school, so hopefully, both Anita and Reg can rest for awhile.

Getting Ready

Reg will be in hospital tomorrow for his 4th chemo -- this is a big mile stone as it is half way mark.

Today, the family took it easy by staying home to reserve energy. The heat is wearing Reg out, but it was important for him to stay home with the portable air/con, since the whole week will be over 30 degrees. He managed well even he is still sweaty but he didn't drip! Anita tried to cook with as little heat as possible to avoid making the house heat up. To Jed, the heat didn't affect him in being active around the house. So the family is grateful for the invention of fans and air/con, as well as a day of rest. They also pray for strength and courage for Reg, and Jed to adapt to the school day's routine, and with a new teacher.

A Normal Life

Reg had been feeling so much better in the last two days, besides the pain in his hand. In fact, he had been very encouraged and joyful with visitation by church members and was extremely delighted when he got invited to friend's place for lunch; especially his body was feeling well enough to do so. Even though he couldn't attend church service today, Reg managed to stay in the open space near the church that he caught up with some people. He did miss the fellowship with others terribly since the chemo has started. Today, he even took Jed with his old school friend & kids to meseum, so Anita could have a break. So the family really rejoice his "good" health in this couple of days, while Reg felt like he is living a "normal" life!

The family has been surprised by a generous gift of a portable air-conditioner. Reg & Anita were so thankful to their heavenly Father who showed His kindness through the generosity of others. They had been told the weather will soar up to mid to high 30's in this week, so what a timely gift!

Reg and Anita have the next two days to prepare for the next chemo, Jed's first day of preschool and Chinese New Year. They were thankful that the Leukemia Foundation has accepted to assist with transportation, as Reg's chemo coincides with Jed's first day of preschool. They just pray that it will be a smooth day on Wed. THey also pray that Reg will be able to relax and not feel nauseated on Wed as he felt sick on the day of his last chemo. They really pray that Reg's lungs function is well and with good blood test result, so there will be no delay with the treatment. Yet they praise God that He has been with them and watched over them throughout this whole time, and they rejoice that He who watches over them will neither slumber nor sleep (Psalm 121) and they felt they have been richly blessed despite the tough road.

Hospital Trip

Reg has noticed a swollen right hand for a few days. Tossing whether it was serious enough to ring the hospital, they have decided it was time to take action. So they rang the hospital to check and see if it was a "normal" side effect and what should be done. The response was coming into the hospital for a check up right away.

Since yesterday, Anita has only one plan for today: REST at HOME! In hearing the news, she knew out goes the plan. Having gone through November and December, she knew the standard procedure in circumstances like this. (1) Decide to take Jed to hospital or not? (Too much unknown, Jed is not coming!) (2) Help Jed to understand the situation (3) Ring around for someone to take care of Jed (4) Pack food for Jed (5) Pack food for Reg (6) Decide simple dinner for the evening. So like a machine, she worked her way through her list to do. She has less than an hour to get everything ready. Intensity rise when she failed to find carer for Jed, but kept praying as she moved onto the school's parents list. Thank God, one of Jed's school friends mum was available.

Reg on the other hand wondered why the intensity as they're just going for a check up. With no time to explain, she hurried Jed and they made it through the door as scheduled. Dropping Jed, they headed to the hospital. Praying for parking and God answered their prayers. Reg and Anita became so familiar with the surrounding, they managed to pass loading dock, entered via back fire exit door, crissed crossing from one end of the building to another. They weren't even sure whether that was a good sign or not, but just thankful for the local knowledge.

Reg apparently suffered from a form of inflammation caused by chemo on a vein in the hand. It was a puzzle even to the doctor why it wasn't on the hand that was used during chemo, but rather the opposite. Last word was for Reg to return if it doesn't subside after a few days of anti-inflammatory ointment. So they pray for healing and that the pain will subside quickly.

Jed had great fun with his school's friend. He learnt to play Wii Game, watched a snake video, played trains & dinosaurs and swam in a pool. No, he did not want to go home with mummy but all fun has an end time.

The family was just thankful for the kindness being shown to them. They knew their heavenly Father loves them even on a day to day basis, there is little control. But one thing they learnt, cancer is so limited, it cannot cripple God's love!

Dripping Reg

With the rise of temperature, Reg's head is not only wet but dripping as if a tap is leaking. The heat has been wearing Reg out so much that he was determined to leave home early in the morning.

Anita on the other hand found such dripping sight an amusement instead. She did not want to go out because she was tired from taking Jed out yesterday in the heat in order to provide a home for Reg to rest.

After a long discussion to determine a safe cool place for Reg to go, fun for Jed, less tiring for Anita. They went to a large bookshop in a shopping centre. Lunch was tricky because Reg needs to avoid the crowd, but they found a sunny spot in the centre of the food court that everyone stayed away. Poor Jed complaint about the heat, and the water on Reg's head was dripping again.

Thankfully, time flew fast enough for them to head to the hospital. The lung function test only took an hour; so being well prepared, Anita kept Jed busy while waiting for daddy. The result will only be known in a week when Reg begins his fourth chemo.

Reg has great fear in returning home, worrying about the heat. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as yesterday. Anita ensured Reg is kept away from the heat of the kitchen and made a summery dinner for him.

Tomorrow will be yet another challenged for the Chan's household as the teperature expected to rise even more. Keep praying for another heat escape for our dripping Reg as they need to find an air-con place with not too many people on a public holiday.

If anyone has any great idea, don't hesitate to call the Chan's household. Even not for tomorrow, they would like to keep a reference for future use!

Feeling Tired

Reg is still feeling ill in the morning, but vomiting seems to have subsided. In gerneral, he is feeling weak and tired. However, Reg is facing the challenge of overcoming the fear of taking medication. IT hasn't been easy for him and the sight of tablets is really getting onto his nerves and resulting a bad reaction. The family do pray that Reg can overcome his own fear.

Reg will be going in for a lung function test on Tuesday. Pray that his lung is functioning well, so no delay on the chemo or alteration on the treatment.

Jed had a wonderful time with fruit picking yesterday after the initial drama to get to the friend's place. Anita was thankful for the friends' last minute help, so she could at least caught up with her sleep. Much prayer needed for Anita to sleep through the night without Jed waking her up.

Pregnant?!

Anita is not pregnant, but Reg is exhibiting pregnancy symptoms with no baby coming along!

For two days in a row since chemo, Reg is having morning sickness and general tiredness. Otherwise, he is well. The new night drug did "bomb" him out completely, so he can sleep through without waking up sick in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, nothing holds him as soon as he is awake. Yet, both Reg and Anita believe a good night sleep is crucial, and they know miracle drugs do not exist! So they continue to praise God that Reg is relatively doing well and continue to ask that he will feel better soon.

No consolation to Anita in terms of sleep. While Reg sleeps like a baby, a loud helicopter sound in the middle of night gave her no comfort, and Jed awoke in the midst of it. So lots of prayer needed for a good night sleep for Anita. Yet, she thank God she managed through the day and rejoiced especially when Jed collapsed in bed by 7:30pm tonight!

Jed was happy being at home and told mummy that he missed daddy a lot because he is sick. When daddy was feeling very difficult this morning, Jed even gave a gentle pat on daddy's back hoping to comfort him. Mummy took Jed to the local library today for a taste of bush animals. He was so excited to give a real python, crocodile and lizard a touch, and enjoyed the up close experience with a huge fruit bat! Anita & Jed praised God for His creation and thank God that they did not have to travel far to enjoy a wildlife experience.

Life is never all rosy and the sky is never always blue; but God's goodness in little things always brightens up life and bring joy to a dull day for the Chan's household.

Chemo 3rd dose

The Chan's family got ready early this morning for Reg's thrid dose. Thankfully, they only needed to be in the hospital by 10am, so they dropped Jed at 9am rather than 8am as in the past. It felt like luxury to have breakfast before they ran off. Jed was delighted to have his morning story time without mummy fuzzing to rush him off for breakfast as soon as his eyes were opened. Unfortunately, daddy had a bad night sleep and the thought of chemo made him feel ill already.

Thankfully, the run to hospital had been a smooth operation. The blood result came on time, and as soon as they finished praying at the waiting room, they were called in for Reg to get "hooked up" again. This time, they did not get their little secluded special corner, but they were in the centre stage in the chemo room. They could observe all the buzzing and fuzzing at the nursing station. They could see other frail patients and even some with intense pain. They heard about one woman was offered a private room, so the child can do something while waiting on her mum. They heard about other patients also offered private room because of their immense pain that they needed a bed during the chemo, instead of a sitting position like Reg. Deep inside, Reg and Anita knew how blessed they have been throughout Reg's treatment so far.

While they were waiting for the "OK" to go ahead, they have noticed a beautiful book sat near Reg's chair. It was a Wildlife Photography Yearbook. Reg & Anita were delighted to be distracted by such a book. REg even got excited as each photo was given the description of technique used to capture the moment including camera details. Then they were greeted by the haemotologist, social worker and dietitian one by one. Throughout the whole time, Anita has been noticing the patient next to them has come and gone and Reg has still not yet started. Obviously something is not right. The nursing station was busy with ringing around and they have only discovered that there has been a delay with the delivery of the drugs. It was past 1pm that the drugs were delivered.

With every drug that was given, the nurse has to ask Reg about his name and date of birth. Then with another nurse, they doubled check to ensure it was prescribed to the correct patient. The procedure was repeated 4 times for 4 drugs being used on REg. IT was rather funny to see them repeating themselves so many times for the smae procedure, but they were thankful for their ultra caution to ensure absolutely no mistake was tolerated for the patient's sake.

While REg was on chemo, Anita once again running around organising next appointment for Reg, getting more drugs, booking lung test for Reg and buying lunch. She couldn't resist but asked what happened to those who came alone to do the chemo? Once again, Reg and Anita has discovered how blessed they were to have a partner to do the leg work, because for many, they will have to do the additional work post chemo. As for ANita, the thought of doing the injection at home on your own was frightening, and was only thankful that she queued up to buy the drug for the nurse to do it on site. She has also realised there is a definite use of her going in with Reg to the hospital each time.

Unlike the first two times, Reg felt tired and a bit sick soon after the chemo. Quickly they left the hospital to pick up Jed from friend's place. They were delighted to know JEd had fun and behaved himself well all day. To their surprise, Jed even had a go at doing some writing exercise and learnt to subtract numbers. Anita could not resist but must enquire how. Feeling a bit ashamed to admit she has neglected Jed's learning all this time, she now has a new project to slot in her already busy life at home. Only praying God will give her wisdom and time to do such project!

On their way home, Anita dropped by the chemist to get more drugs. With disblief, she had spent almost $100 just on drugs for Reg in one go. Anita must get on with applying the health care card quickly. Another project for Anita!

Jed resisted strongly for Anita to do any work after a whole day not seeing her. At the end, Reg cooked dinner, so Anita could calm Jed down. Praise God, Reg felt well enough to do the last stretch before retiring for the day. The doctor gave Reg a new drug to try to "bomb" him out tonight, they just prayed that the drug will work, so both Reg and Anita could both get a good night sleep. No matter what tonight will be, they just praise God that it was a good day overall and they are grateful for all the little blessings God has given them throughout the day.

Role reversal

Reg has a new love of coconut drink! (as adviced by some who had been there) Anita has been making a lot more fish dishes for Reg as he has been able to take it much better than anything. They really thank the people who introduced them to eat fish and giving them fish soup during Reg's second dose. The family has become very skillful in making separate food for Jed while avoiding any cross contemination with Jed's food and his utensils. Thank God, so far so good, no accidents!

Anita on the other hand has not been 100% well, so there has been a role reversal in the Chan's household these last two days. Thankfully, it was good timing for Anita to feel a little bit under the weather. Reg has been playing with Jed, cooking and managing the household chores, while Anita's job is to get herself better with as much rest and drinking fluid. Jed has been very good too, to tell grandma to be quiet when mummy tried to rest. He played happily with daddy and not bothering mummy. The Chan's household prays that Anita will be well enough for Reg's third dose tomorrow.

In preparing for tomorrow, the Chan's household have found a full day carer for Jed after many attempts, but praise God, all locked in. Then this morning was the routine blood test for Reg, and they prayed that this time it will definitely arrive to the hospital in time, and praying that the result will be normal, so there's no delay in the chemo procedure. Finally, they stocked up the fridge for the next couple of days. Both Reg and Anita has gotten into the routine in their preparation, so they praise God for each managable task.

Many people have wondered why the helpers list has been removed. THis is not because the Chan's household no longer need help, but those whom can provide help have contacted Anita privately, and their kind offers will be called upon as needed. So the family really thank those who could provide them help, especially for short notices. The family also praise God and are very grateful for those who have given the family many advices as well as best wishes.

The role reversal will be switched back tomorrow, as Reg will be the patient while Anita has to pull herself together to be strong again. The family just asked thier mighty God to provide them the strength and patient with the third dose round. And they pray that both Jed and Anita will not be sick during the critical time.

Stable but weak

Reg is stable besides the general low energy and the occassional low blood pressure that affects him. He couldn't do too much in a day but learning to appreciate there is no rush to complete anything. However, he has been trying to use his best time to play with Jed a bit and cook a meal, as they are his two favorite things.

Anita on the other hand is desparately trying to regain her sleep. It was a struggle to make the decision, but she ended up sleeping in Jed's bed, while Reg and Jed slept together. Yes, without the constant disruption from both Reg and Jed, Anita had a good night sleep after two months of struggles. For survival, they will be trying it again for one more night, and pray that Jed will be able to return to his own bed with no fuss.

Jed is bored at home, but Anita tried her best to keep him occupy. They have been playing monopoly so many times, that Jed has become an expert. Poor mummy always gone bankrupt with no luck at all. Only daddy can take up the challenge and beat Jed every now and then. Jed's love of reptiles has grown from dinosaurs to snakes. He is learning various kinds of snakes and requests mummy reading him more and more about snakes, and watching short videos on snakes. Even though mummy dislikes the creature, she has learnt to find such subject matter fascinating. In order to keep Jed active while staying indoor, they do lots of slithering around and wrap daddy's leg as soon as they heard daddy is up in the morning!

Both Reg and Anita tried their best to get Jed to go to the park every now and then. This morning, for the first time since second dose, Reg was well enough to take Jed out to the park. Jed had fun with the swing, while Reg had fun with his camera.

The Chan's household continues to see themselves as blessed even in the light of fighting with cancer. They remembered those who are less fortunate than them especially in the flood event. They could not even imagine those who would be in their shoes as well as facing the flood. Even Jed learns to pray for those in Queensland and learning to be grateful with everything they have.

Hair Loss

After the long expected side effect of hair loss, Reg has finally noticed his hair is slowly falling out. The nurse told us that normally hair loss begins with the second dose of chemo. So Reg and Anita went to do some "hat" shopping. Reg was delighted to get some bargains on other items as well.

Reg has been feeling much better today and has only vomited once in the morning and one diarrhea this evening. However, Reg is developing some fear in the morning to go to the drug cocktail bar to order his "usual". The thought of taking mediaction basically making him feel sick. It has been hard for Reg to feel sick with certain smell or certain food, but with prescribed medication??? "No! No! No!" declared Anita. So she has to be firm like a hospital nurse and made Reg to take them all regardless how sick he felt. It was a tough morning!

Anita rejoiced on Sunday that for a long while, she has finally managed to sit in the service with Jed leaving her to go to Sunday School. It was hard seeing Jed putting on a sad face adn relunctantly waved bye bye. But they did it, they were separated! Praise God and thanks to Jed's sunday school teacher.

A philosophical question came to Anita's mind: is it better to suffer from major illness oneself or to see your love one suffers from it? She worked out it was a silly question: in the end, both are suffering, but in a different sense. Yet, she was encouraged by God's word and to know "the God of all grace, who called (us) to His eternal glory in Christ, after (we) have suffered a little while, will Himself restore (us) and make (us) strong, firm and steadfast." (1 Pt 5:10)