Talk Shows & Stories : Featured Stories : Kong

Kong: Liver Cancer (English translation of Cantonese language recording)

Recorded May 28, 2002

Listen With 16 minutes, 12 seconds.

My name is Kong. I'm 50 years old. I am married and have one son and one daughter. I live in Berkeley, California. I moved to the United States more than 30 years ago. The cancer I had was primary liver cancer. I will talk about the discovery of my cancer. Actually, my family doctor was following my health very closely since my blood pressure was a little high and the doctor was treating my hypertension as well. My family doctor wanted me to change to another kind of medication, so he thought I should have a physical checkup, especially blood work. He wanted to see if the new drug would affect my internal organs, such as the liver and kidneys. He would use the reaction as a guideline.

Facing the Diagnosis of Liver Cancer

After the results of the blood tests, within a year and a half, my doctor discovered that the numbers of my platelets were dropping. He started to suspect that there may be too many white blood cells, but after doing the bone marrow test, he could not find anything [wrong]. When he found out that I wasn't born in the United States, he started to look at the liver, and tried to figure out the reason for me having a low count of the platelets. Initially, he tried to find some treatment [to improve] my liver function. The counts showed that my liver function's index was much higher than was usual. Then he did an AFP [alpha fetoprotein] and he found out the AFP was also much higher than the normal range. Then he did a CT scan and discovered that my liver showed signs of swelling. After telling me the bad news, he ordered a liver needle biopsy. The pathologist took out some liver tissue for testing, and then the primary liver cancer was confirmed.

I remember the day when I went to see the specialist for the test results; it was on June 15, 1994. I remember that was the date for my daughter's 6th grade graduation. In the morning, I went to talk about the test results with the specialist. He confirmed my primary liver cancer and talked about what the treatment would be. He also scheduled a follow-up appointment for me.

I rushed to my daughter's graduation. I remember sitting in the schoolyard, my mind was totally blank and my vision blurred. During the whole proceedings, I didn't hear a word of the lectures by the school principle and the teachers. Not until the principle called my daughter's name asking her to come get her diploma, then I woke up and felt like I just returned from far, far away. Daddy was being sentenced by the doctor to have liver cancer. I didn't know where I was, my mind was imagining a series of questions about the future; facing death, my children, the financial question, plenty of questions suddenly came up. How would I deal with the reality?

In the following weeks, I went to work as usual, but I was feeling troubled and bitter--feeling a little sorry for myself. I was questioning why someone like me who doesn't have any bad habits--a very ordinary man--could get a disease as serious as cancer. Although I didn't scream or cry, I sighed and felt helpless.

Accepting the Rules of Nature

During the first few weeks, I went to work as usual. There was a beach near my office where I went to sit every day after lunch. Listening to the waves pounding against the rocks, watching the tides come and go, gradually I realized that life is just the same, heaven and earth have no boundaries. In a person's life birth, aging, sickness and death are unavoidable; nobody can predict when they will die, except people with supernatural abilities. There is no way that an ordinary person can see the future. Everything will have a beginning and an end, and you can't change the rules of nature.

Since the doctor told me that I had liver cancer, it seemed to me a more certain fact that I was on my way towards death. The cause of my death very possibly would be liver cancer. But who knows what would happen tomorrow? We must accept that death is an absolute fact and inescapable; a passage in life that everyone must go through.

Since I accepted this reality, I began to discuss with my wife the long journey of our future. How should we deal with the liver cancer and its affect on my family, myself and the people around me?

After I was diagnosed with liver cancer, in the subsequent discussions with the doctors, my specialist and surgeon felt that my tumor was too close to the artery, therefore it could not be removed by surgery. And the so-called interference treatments are not effective to this type of liver cancer, and they would cause serious discomforts to the patient. Under these circumstances, my doctor suggested we try the Alcohol Embolization, a treatment not yet popular in the United States. [The treatment] was to inject alcohol directly into the liver tumor to cut off the blood flow, and to hope that under this condition the tumor would not get any nutrition and would shrink and disappear on its own gradually. He said this was only a partial treatment, which would only reduce the chances of the tumor spreading or getting worse. It would not be cured completely and further decisions would all depend on the reaction.

Before undergoing this treatment, I discussed it with my wife. She was calm, brave and very supportive. Her love and care I relied on for everything that I needed.

After proceeding with the Alcohol Embolization, we spent lots of time seeking other methods. Can liver cancer actually be cured? What are the factors in trying to beat liver cancer? Besides the western medical approach, is there any other approach that can delay the development of the cancer?

Finding a Community of Support

At that time, the Cameron House in San Francisco had established a cancer support group. I became a member. In this support group, I met many cancer survivors who shared with each other about their conditions and they encouraged each another. Together they provide mutual support--they could even cry on each other's shoulders, and exchange personal experiences about their journey in coping with cancer. For instance, issues like: How did I feel after chemotherapy? What about yours? What about the radiation? We exchanged information, to help people who haven't had treatment to prepare themselves. It has an enormous effect. And I was impressed by the slogan of this support group: "Dancing with cancer" which means that although I have cancer, I am going to deal with it every step of the way just like dancing with it.

In the support group, besides [discussing] the western medical approaches, there were some very helpful Chinese traditional approaches such as Chi-gung; spiritual and patient's care management. Basically I believe it is helpful to look into different aspects of patients' mental and physical conditions. We all know that the western medical approach is more of an "instance gratification". Take my tumor for example, the target for my Alcohol Embolization injection is very precise, and the result is easier to see. But generally speaking, the western approach is to target and attack a specific factor, but when it comes to the total body wellness, it seems to lack special attention. The Chinese medical practice and Chinese medicine can be used as a supplement, helping you to manage your health. During that period, I had blood tests every month, so if there were any complications caused by the Chinese medicines, it would have been detected early.

In that period, I saw both Western and Chinese doctors and I have learned some general Chi-gung. I met some friends who practiced Tai-chi, so I joined beginners' Tai-chi and Chi-gung classes. I have adopted these as my exercise routine. In the spiritual aspect, although I am not a religious person, I began to reevaluate my perspectives on human spirit and other things. With these, I started to accept myself, and gradually found a way to feel at ease.

Considering Liver Transplant

After one year of treatment with the Alcohol Embolization, in 1995, my specialist said, "Perhaps we should try a liver transplant because the Alcohol treatment is only temporary and it will not completely cure the liver cancer. The more definite treatment would be to replace the bad liver with a good one." However, my liver cancer is a terminal illness, a primary liver cancer which was caused by Hepatitis B. Back in the late 80s, for patients with this type of Hepatitis B insinuated liver cancer, the success rate for liver transplant in major American medical institutions was not very encouraging. The recurrence rate for patients after a liver transplant was very high. After the recurrence, the virus would keep on changing and would become cirrhosis easily, and then it would be even more difficult to treat.

So when the doctor suggested that I should consider liver transplant, I became very indecisive. Should I do it or not? However, my doctor came across a more updated report from a medical center in Milan, Italy. They had started a new treatment procedure in the early 1990s for liver transplant patients who have Hepatitis B. The clinical trial results between 1990 and 1994 showed that the patients' success rate was as high as 75 percent. My wife and I took into consideration that the Alcohol Embolization treatment or chemotherapy are only short term and temporary. It could only stop the spread of cancer cells, but it would not cure it completely. Generally speaking, it was only matter of time. So after evaluating the situation, I took the suggestion and did the liver transplant.

I registered in mid-September 1995. During the period of one and a half years, while waiting, I continued to receive the Alcohol Embolization and chemotherapy treatment. In November 1996, with exceptional luck, I had a liver transplant.

Dancing with cancer

Now in 2002, it has been almost five years. I am a very lucky man with very good fortune.

I consider myself very lucky that so many friends and people from the support group cared for me, and taught me not only the western approach, but also the Chinese medicine, Tai-chi and exercises to fight against cancer. Of course ultimately the biggest factor was still the western medicine which cured me, because I survived due to the liver transplant. However, I believe that alternative approaches such as Chinese medicines, Chi-gung, and joining the support group have helped me tremendously. Except for a few months of rest after the surgery, I have been able to work every month, every week and keep on working. I feel that if a person is diagnosed with cancer, it isn't a death sentence. We have to adapt the slogan of the cancer support group in San Francisco--"Dancing with cancer." Face it until the end and never give up.

Now I have shared my experience. I wish all the cancer survivors the best. Do not give up hope of overcoming cancer. Cancer is resistible and conquerable. Thank you for listening.

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