First week of chemo

My brother started his chemo this week. Bags of chemicals are strapped to him for the entire day and he looks visibly more tired. His appetite is taking a hit as well and we are trying hard to encourage him to eat. Once again God has been gracious and sent his angels in the form of my brother's cell group mates. They came with home cooked soup everyday, so that my brother can get more nutrition by drinking the soup. Such act of kindness had really touched my brother as he mentioned that the soups were the only thing that he looks forward to eating giving his bland taste bud.

Once the chemo stopped on Friday, my brother reverted back to his cheerful self. It is such a relief to see him smiling and joking with us. Thank God. The side effects of the chemo were kept to the minimum with God's grace. Appetite, fatigue and constipation are the only symptoms that were noticeable. We continue to pray that God will watch over my brother on his road to full recovery.

I tested my bone marrow on Thursday. For a sibling, I have 25% chance of matching with my brother. If we are looking at getting a bone marrow match from a total stranger, there is only a 1 in 200000 chance. The odds are not high. After going for the bone marrow test, I realised the importance of the bone marrow donor program. I have decided to sign up for it to help others like my brother. It is really easy and painless to donate bone marrow and I urge all who can see this post to sign up for it. You be God's angels and help save lives. You will not need to be operated on but it's more like a blood transfusion. Another method of drawing bone marrow only involves an injection of a syringe. I pray that I will be my brother's angel. I will know the result in two weeks' time.

The costs involved in bone marrow procurement is really high and is not covered under any insurance. For a local procurement, the cost will be around $20000 in cash. As for a regional procurement, it will be $28000 and for a worldwide procurement, it will be $50000. The costs will cover the medical fees for the donor as well as the transportation for the bone marrow. However, the Singapore government does provide some financial help for the needy. The amount will depend on the the means testing for the family involved.

If one fails to find a bone marrow match, the next alternative will be cord blood. This can be bought from the cord blood bank. Unfortunately, cord blood is very limited in supply. This is because with each birth, only a small amount of cord blood is collected. For the average adult, cord blood from two births may be needed due to the difference in body size. Hence, this is usually the last alternative.

I hope that my journey will help inform others with similar situation and help to encourage them. Together, we can work miracles with God's grace.