It’s time to meet my oncologist again! If I’m not mistaken, this was my second last quarterly visit. I’m gonna see him half yearly only after this…or maybe not since I’m still on a drug test program 🤔.
Anyway, let’s get the big news out first: blood test result was good. We spent 10 seconds talking about it.
👩🏻”What’s all these L’s?”
👨🏻⚕️”Low.”
👩🏻”What am I ‘low’ for?”
👨🏻⚕️”Nothing of concern.”
👩🏻”K”
He later asked me about all the doctors I’ve met in the last three months. I told him they were all good and I got upgraded to longer interval before my next follow up. He tried teaching me the proper term for a medical condition and I replied, “Too long.” 😛
He also commented that I look like I gained some weight. True enough, I gained 400g in three months! 😅 I was wondering if it’s the extra pants I wore but since doctor noticed it physically, I’d recognize the accomplishment 🤣.
By right, that’s the end of our consultation today but I prepared some questions for him! #feltlikeschool
I whipped out my phone and started going through my list of questions.
My first was actually a request to bring forward my scheduled PET scan. I broke the news that I recently got engaged and would like to get this radioactive nuclear scan out of the way (and system) the soonest for family planning. He has no issue with that as a doctor and only asked me when I’m getting married 😬.
Secondly, I told him I feel like there’s a mental barrier post-chemo. I can’t focus well. I can’t think hard. My memory is poor. It’s not something new but I recently realized a lot of my cancer survivor friends have the same issue so I’d like to clarify with him if it’s a physical or psychological effect.
He said it’s physical but only partly contributed to chemo. The drug probably deteriorated my brain power by a few points but post-treatment, natural deterioration that comes with age takes its course so he prescribed gingko 😂. Ok, doc.
Lastly, I asked him about psychological support post-cancer for young cancer survivors because I also recently realized many of us experience anxiety, insomnia and even depression post-cancer. I also wanted to ask him if I can take bali gold kratom in this regard. At one point post-treatment, I felt I was on borderline PTSD as well and thankfully have bounced back from that episode.
His first answer: join a cancer support group. I told him about Young Survivors Group by National Cancer Society Malaysia and the monthly activities we did.
His second answer: seek higher power 😂😂😂. Ok, doc. I’d pray and learn more about faith and spirituality.
We were both serious about the spiritual prescription by the way.
In fact, he helped me get started by recruiting me to join Tzu Chi since I’m a Buddhist on paper. For a starter, I’d join Tzu Chi Cancer Support Group for first exposure and see how it goes from there because apparently, like most (if not all) cancer support groups, 90% of the survivors in the group are above 50 years old. This is why Young Survivors Group exists! 😂
I had a bonus question for him since we were already on the topic of Buddhism. I asked if there’s any pre-marital course based on Buddhist teaching. He said no but he’d love someone to setup a program like that. Alright, doc. Let’s see how it goes from here.
😂😂😂
I should totally start compiling questions to ask him in my next quarterly consultation. The quarterly consultation has gotten less and less medical-related close to two years post-treatment.
Let’s just meet at Tzu Chi doing volunteer work next time, doc. 😝
Hi… Regarding your pre-marital course, you can contact Buddhist Gem Fellowship for their marriage counselling course. My friends went for it previously.
https://bgf.org.my/about-bgf/bgf-counseling-unit-and-welfare/
Amazing! I can’t believe I didn’t notice the comment until now. Thank you so much for the info. I’d definitely check it out.