Jun 20, 2013

Ho Hum !

As my initial shock after hearing the bad news wears off, I am shifting my efforts towards executing my exit plan even if it might turn out to be a long way off.

A while ago, in 2011, I wrote on this blog about the four things I want to complete if I have only four years to live.  They are:  Complete my memoirs, write a letter to my grandchildren, clean up my mess in the house and put together all the key information for my family, and host a big party for all my friends before I check out. Now that four years may be too optimistic, I have to walk my talk immediately.

I have completed the manuscript and am working on revising it based on a book editor's advices; I am also working on eliminating a lot of old files and sorting out tons of other stuff;  and I am thinking about the letter to my grandchildren.  As for the party, that will have to wait for further notice.

My next appointment with the hematologist is still three weeks away so I won't know if there is any change to my diagnosis at least until then.  The only thing I can do now is to watch myself and see if there is any new symptom or worsening of existing symptoms.  In the meantime, I am trying to stay on my regular daily schedule such as exercising, gardening, reading, etc.

Several years ago,  I saw on Youtube a video showing a Chinese surgeon in Taiwan who was diagnozed with cancer.  He refused any chemotherapy (even though he is a physician trained in the western medical tradition) and survive for several years.  I am not sure whether he still is.  But the way he fought the decease was basically three things: Maintain a sunny outlook; eat a vegetarian diet; and practice a traditional Chinese exercise called Ping Shuai Gong, or sometimes called Shuai Shou Gong three times a day.  So I want to follow his example and see if it helps.  I do have an optimistic outlook on most everything.  I am going to gradually move to a vegetarian diet.  As for the Shuai Shou Gong, I have been practicing it on and off, but now I am going  to try to do it every day.  Here are the links to this three-part TV interview.  Unfortunately, it's in Mandarin Chinese:

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