I was diagnosed with stage-2 nasopharyngeal cancer in April 2011 at the age of 65. I had 33 sessions of radiotherapy (RT).
The severity of the side effects of RT cannot be overstated. I have underestimated that, despite advice and warnings given by good friends and medical personnel. After about 12 days of RT, I was totally unable to swallow solid food. Drinking liquid was a great challenge. Meanwhile, RT continued. For the next 10 days or so, there was little intake of food. My physical condition deteriorated rapidly, due to lack of food and supplements. Physically, I was so weak that carrying a piece of object beyond 2 kg was an imagination.
Since I could not eat and drink, the doctor put me on tube feeding for about two months. By then, my weight went down to 47 kg from 65 kg. To regain the eating skills through my mouth was not as simple as I thought. The main obstacles were not being able to swallow plus the excruciating pain in the mouth and the throat. At that point in time, I wished I could go on with liquid supplement for a much longer period. But the doctor advised otherwise. His concern was that I might not be able to eat through my mouth anymore. So, the tube was removed and the process of relearning to eat through my mouth began.
Life after RT was even more challenging when the full scale of side effect set in. I turned to TCM and Qi Gong to mitigate my physical conditions. I took up 'Guo Lin Qi Gong' 郭林气功.
'Guo Lin Qi Gong' was created by Master Guo Lin (1909 -1984) who was born in a qigong family. At the age of 6, she began learning qigong (the old form of qigong) from her grandfather. In 1949, she was diagnosed with womb cancer and had her womb completely removed. In 1959, the cancer spread to the bladder. Altogether she had gone through 6 rounds of surgery. Yet, it did not stop the metastasis. Lying in bed waiting for her last surgery at the operating theater, Master Guo Lin was contemplating, if she could leave the theater alive, to change the 'old' qigong that she had learnt into a 'new' form of qigong to deal with her cancer. She firmly believed that qigong was the answer to saving her life.
Owing to Master Guo Lin and her students' devotion and dedication, 'Guo Lin Qi Gong' flourished not only in China but is widely practiced by millions of cancer patients in the USA, Canada, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. I have been very fortunate to have the opportunities to learn 'Guo Lin Qi Gong' from three of Master Guo Lin's first generation students between 2001 and 2008 (except 2003 SARS year). I have been through the basic training and instructors courses conducted in Beijing. It is simple to learn the know-how but is not easy to practise.
Daily, cancer patients have to devote 3.5 to 4 hours (inclusive of 10-15 minute breaks after each individual exercise) in order to complete all the exercises, mainly walking exercises. One can do it in a single session or in two or even more separate sessions during a day. I would like to stress daily as there is no rest day throughout the year. One needs to observe and follow this routine for many years. Experience bears it that those who can follow this routine, rate of survival is significantly higher as compared to those who do not.
In order to endure the daily tedious practice, one has to possess the three prerequisites as advocated by Master Guo Lin. They are: confidence, perseverance and determination. These values and philosophy are introduced to all students in their very first lesson and they are expected to uphold it not just for qi gong practice but also for endeavours in everyday life.
A couple of months after RT, I began a full fledged 'Guo Lin Qi Gong' practice. It has been three years now. So far, my condition is considered as stable and satisfactory. Besides cancer, it may be noteworthy to mention that just a few months before the diagnosis of NPC, I had hernia (a protrusion in the abdominal region). A doctor of Urology had already arranged for me to have it removed by surgery. But, because of NPC, the surgery was withheld. After about half of a year of qigong practice, I was pleased to find that the hernia had disappeared without any treatment. The doctor was both surprised and curious by the outcome. His remark: It is very rare. I attributed the recovery to qigong practice. When the qi is not stagnated, the protrusion disappeared.
The utmost important factor for attaining my present condition is that I am blessed with a caring wife who is my caregiver. Her selfless and tireless support both physically and mentally kept me going. Without her, qigong and TCM might not have worked the way they did.
May I just quote some examples who have successfully overcome the threat of cancer by practising 'Guo Lin Qi Gong'. The first beneficiary was Master Guo Lin herself. She was free from cancer affliction until she passed on in 1984. The cause of death was stroke and not cancer.
All the three teachers from whom I learned 'Guo Lin Qi Gong' were all cancer patients.
My first teacher was Mr Yu Dayuan. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1978. Besides surgery to remove part of the colon, other conventional treatments were not effective. The doctor-in-charge of his treatment predicted that he would not be able to survive for more than two years. He took Chinese medicine for eight months and learnt 'Guo Lin Qi Gong' from Master Guo Lin herself. Contrary to what the doctor's prediction, he lived on for more than 30 years and passed on 11 Jul 2012 from pneumonia.
My second teacher is Mdm Sun Yuncai. She had breast cancer in 1980 and was treated with surgery and chemotherapy. After treatment, she was on Chinese medicine and practises 'Guo Lin Qi Gong'. Born in 1934, she is now 80 years old and living happily in Canada with her family.
My third teacher is Mdm He Kaifang. She was diagnosed with womb cancer in 1982. The cancer later spread to her lung. The doctor removed her womb and ovaries completely. She too was treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Unfortunately, both treatment were ineffective to control her cancer. Since there was no further treatment deemed to be appropriate for her, the hospital discharged her. Her family was carefully informed to fulfill her last wishes. On the advice of friends, she turned to 'Guo Lin Qi Gong' as her last resort. Through her perseverance and determination, she regained her health gradually. She is now 78 years old and living very well in Shanghai with her family.
Besides what is mentioned above, there are many other successful cases that gave me the impetus to adopt 'Guo Lin Qi Gong' as my life-long exercise to deal my cancer. My family and I are fully aware that lurking beneath the illness of cancer, there are uncertainties and unpredictable consequences. I also believe that the future always has a nasty way of turning out worse than expected. But, if one has prepared for the worst, one should live with little fear in mind.
Contributed by Chan Kok Wai / NPC survivor
Dated 17 October 2014
Survivor since 2011
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