Battling the big C (cancer) in the middle of the pandemic C (covid-19) has been financially and logistically more difficult.

I was burdened of being a burden to my family. They had to make more sacrifices for my treatments. When I opened to my sister the heaviness I felt in my heart, she simply answered that I don’t have to carry such weight because if it was another family member who got sick, we would be making the same sacrifices. Yes, I would have done everything in my power to keep my loved one alive. I guess I find it hard to be at the receiving end. In this season, I learned to be a receiver, to acknowledge my dependence on God and my need of others.

On March 12 and April 1, I had my fifth and sixth pembrolizumab infusions, respectively. And on April 14, I had a PET/CT. It was a day after my cancerversary, exactly 2 years since I found a tumor in my chest. The following morning, I woke up with a message from my oncologist that says, “Your PET looks good!” I hastily opened my hospital account and looked for the scan result. Hallelujah! It says no evidence of disease. I am in remission! After 2 years of continuous treatments, of various cocktails of poisons, I have finally completely responded to treatment.

But the battle is not over. I still need an allogeneic stem cell transplant, which we hope would keep me in remission for many, many years. The transplant is a whole new battle itself—high-dose chemotherapy, total body irradiation. It is going to be a bloody fight, but I am going to give it my best fight.

I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. (Psalm 118:17)