Please Help Thomas for his cancer

Please help us to take care of my step farther, Thomas , to receive cancer treatment at Ramathibodi hospital in Bangkok. The insurance will expire in October and can not be renewed nor upgraded due to the current health condition.

Thomas is a 69-year-old Swedish man who has been living with his family in Thailand for decades and recently found out that he has a colon cancer which has already spread to his liver and lungs. Currently, he is in Chemotherapy for 12 sessions which is expected to stop the spread of the cancer so that he will be able to start other treatments such as colon surgery. Moreover, there are other related  laboratory tests that he has to undertake which costs a lot of money. 

The cancer was discovered by coincidence at a health check for renewal of his insurance policy. Now, due to his health, he is not accepted by any insurance companies. The currently insurance will be terminated in the upcoming September (2023) which partly covers some other treatments but not the cancer. After the September 2023, he will not carry any insurance policy which will put him and his family in financial hardship. This fund-raising will help him to continue his treatment to fight with the cancer as well as further surgeries after the cancer is under control.

This page is set up and monitored with the help of Thomas’s step son, Sorn Nawapnich, as it is a bit difficult for me to set up a page in Australia, where I live and work.Our aim is THB 750,000 which we hope will be sufficient for 2023. Hopefully recovery can start 2024. Thomas wants to work as much as possible and we support him as much as we can. His wife, Moan does a great job driving him to hospital and work plus taking care of the home together with my sister Pun.

We will provide progress bulletins to all donators who provide their contact email.

Evaluation of the third oral Chemo treatment was done last Thursday. Blood test and x-ray of the lungs.

The cancer indicator in the blood is up almost 20% again. From what I understand it means that the cancer cells are active.

The doctor raised a bit of concern about this and is anxious to get the CT scan done. It is scheduled at March 11 and we will follow up on the 17th.

I still feel pretty much OK considering the circumstances. No pain, I have appetite and taste and sleep OK. We will see what the CT scan reveals.

I have had some problems with my right leg being swollen and itching. I thought it was a side effect from the Chemo as it effects the feet and hands.

It showed that it was an infection so I am currently on hold with the Chemo and on antibiotics.

We will see the result of this at the evaluation after the CT scan.

Again, one realizes that it is not a straight line to recovery. Many bumps and curves along the way.

So far, so good

/thomas

Evaluation of the third oral Chemo treatment was done last Thursday. Blood test and x-ray of the lungs.

The cancer indicator in the blood is up almost 20% again. From what I understand it means that the cancer cells are active.

The doctor raised a bit of concern about this and is anxious to get the CT scan done. It is scheduled at March 11 and we will follow up on the 17th.

I still feel pretty much OK considering the circumstances. No pain, I have appetite and taste and sleep OK. We will see what the CT scan reveals.

I have had some problems with my right leg being swollen and itching. I thought it was a side effect from the Chemo as it effects the feet and hands.

It showed that it was an infection so I am currently on hold with the Chemo and on antibiotics.

We will see the result of this at the evaluation after the CT scan.

Again, one realizes that it is not a straight line to recovery. Many bumps and curves along the way.

So far, so good

/thomas

Bulletin 240924

Yesterday was the 21st Chemo session total and a lot is getting to be standard procedure.3 more left and the very important CT scan on November 29 that will decide what future procedure will come.

I checked with the oncologist about the targeted Chemo as it is a bit hard on side effects and economy. He said that it could be a question between 6 or 12 treatments depending on the outcome of the November 29.

It will in any case be more Chemo next year so the recovery year has to wait which is a bit sad but necessary so it is just to get your mind set to this.

Some good news were that the cancer indicator in the blood is down 15%. I also gained some more weight which means that I eat normally (maybe a bit too much sometimes) and the body is not rejecting it.

Also did a scan of the lungs this time and there is no change there. Sometimes I think that maybe it was there all the time as they do not really know what it is. Who knows?

So far, so good. We will hope for a positive blood test before next session on October 7

/Thomas

Update April 12

After meeting with the oncologist April 11 we decided to start a new Chemo session on April 22.

Same schedule as the first one. Every 2 weeks for 6 months. Total 12 treatments again. As I have done it before I am more aware on what to expect but it is a bit hard to start all over again now when I have my taste and appetite back. No need to whine. Just grit ones teeth and get on with it

The prognosis is good but the oncologist feels like one more Chemo session before surgery is needed. '

If all goes as planned I will be done at the end of September. There will be a CT scan some time after that. Based on that a decision about surgery will be made.

Now we have Songkran, Thai New Year, starting tomorrow and we will try to enjoy as much as possible.

Happy Songkran

/Thomas,

First of all, Thank you very much to all donors who generously donated to Thomas cancel fight. 

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Breifly, he have completed his 10th chemo session which there are other 2 sessions left and he will undertake CT scan to assess his progression of the treament on the 5th of Novemeber and plan for surgeries and further treaments. 

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Since the chemotherapy started in May 2023, he has undergone with 2 emergent hospitalisations due to infections which his family has to drive from his hometown to Bangkok (3 hours away).  Now, he is up to the end of his first treamment which is expected to be on November 20th and a meetinng with cancer specialists to evaluate his result from the post-chemo CT scan. The doctors want to get to it as quick as possible not to get the tumors a chance to start recovering and spreading which makes sense and Thomas and family are impressed over the speed it is handled.

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Currently, Thomas are doing ok and we are hopping that the CT scan result turns out positively and he will not undergo with any medication after this treament done.