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Thank you all for asking and keeping Dori in prayer... she's still running a pretty high fever as of now (around 39 degrees celsius) which is pretty much due to the rashes that has practically evened out all over her body. Here's a brief background of her condition... and hopefully after that it'll be made clearer what's happening right now.

Dori's diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) eight years ago at the age of twelve. Unlike most childhood acute leukemia, CML is a chronic form of the blood cancer, meaning the cancer manifests slower. There were a few options given then - chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, etc. Dori eventually settled with inteferon treatment, whereby she had to self inject herself everyday at her abdomen area. She did that for three years... then the doctor found out that the treatment was getting ineffective - she was actually in remission... but the cancerous cells came back.

Her doctor recommended a new drug that was just approved to be consumed back then... it was an expensive drug - $35 per pill or so - and she had to take 3-4 pills back then. We're thankful that we were able to obtain 100% subsidy from the foundation administering the drug back then... and she entered into a season of remission again.

Along the way, the medication seemed to lose its effect and her dosage was increased... and due to some organisational shift of the foundation to have the local authorities administer the grants instead, we were told that we are no longer entitled to 100% subsidy... the maximum that we could get was 50%, which would potentially mean paying $37.8k per year.

Her doctor considered the waning effectiveness of the medication and our family condition.. and suggested that Dori go on a new clinical trial that is on its second phase of testing out a new medication, which will be provided free of charge to her in the duration of the trial phase, and should she be consuming it after that, it will be provided for her at no charge. The potential side effects were made known and all that she might experience bouts of nausea, vomitting, rashes, etc initially, but once her body gets used to the medication all would subside. But we really did not expect the side effects to be so drastic... if what she is currently experiencing is indeed a side effect of the drug.

She had been experiencing diarrhoea the past week prior to hospitalisation... then she started developing rashes a few days ago with an onset of fever. The rashes started to grow and the fever escalated to 40 degrees. It was then when she was sent to the hospital.

It's been two days plus.. her temperature remains around that region still and the rashes are still there. Thank God she manages to get rests in between medication and meals... and most importantly, that she's alert and talking.

We're currently waiting for her doctor to return from a medical conference on Sunday evening... till then, she's given basic medication like paracetamol and some antibiotics... she's off the trial drug for the past few days.

She'll most probably be staying till Tuesday... if you know her and if you'll like to make a visit, she's currently at Singapore General Hospital, Ward 77, Room 10, Bed 4.

Thanks to all who've been praying and who've visited Dori... I think for her every visit is heartfelt. :) Do continue to keep her in prayer, that the rashes will subside and the fever will go down fast... and for whatever that is to come with regards to the trial or whatever mode of treatment she'll have to take in the future. And financially... the past few days worth of fees will be borne by the trial if it is ascertained that her condition's linked to the trial drug, otherwise we'll have to bore the full costs. Do pray for provisions in this area as well.

That's all for it for now... all typed in the ward by Dori's bedside on the laptop connected to Wireless@SG. Mmm. :P