Decline

The doctor called my mum "stubborn", and mum responded that it must be due to her "O" blood type (which I also have, so I must be stubborn too...). There was laughter in mum's voice, which told me that she and her doctor were just joking around.  As busy as the doctor is, he sometimes does not forget to make a joke a two to cheer his patient up.

The "stubborn" comment came after the doctor mentioned that mum doesn't really follow his recommendations and has been stopping and starting her treatment at will. Which may explain why the tumour has grown bigger, and why her pains and soreness has worsened. Last time, back in June, mum told the doctor she wanted to stop her treatment so she could go travel. At the time, she had been undergoing chemo (and later radiotherapy) for almost six months straight. The tumour was under control, but not completely gone, and the doctor was not too keen on stopping. But stop the treatment she did, and we traveled together...


Now, after all the trips we've made together, after all the wonderful times we shared, mum is back to the same chemotherapy as she had six months ago. Was it worth it? Was it all worth the pain and struggle of going through another couple of weeks, months, of treatment in exchange for realising mum's dream of traveling? I hope so. I sure hope so...
 
The latest test results reveal the cancer index has dropped by "a dozen points", mum said. I pressed her for a figure. "I'm not going to tell you," she said. But I guessed, and I think I guessed right, and that it should now be somewhere in the 30s. Still high, but at least it has dropped significantly, which means the drugs seem to be working. I was relieved, and I think mum is too.


"Take care, mum," I said as we said goodbye, for now.  Even though the cancer index has dropped,  there are many more long days and nights ahead...