After Driving 30,000 Kilometers, I Fought Lung and Stomach Cancer with My Father | Patient Story

Looking back on accompanying his father through two cancer battles, Binbin still remembers specific numbers and scenes. On October 5, 2024, just five months after lung cancer surgery, his father was diagnosed with a stomach tumor. The relentless blows within a year nearly broke Binbin, who had just started his career and was supporting both elders and children. Facing limited local medical resources, Binbin traveled from Yixing, Jiangsu, across multiple cities like Nanjing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Wuxi within half a month. After driving over 7,000 kilometers and spending more than 9,000 RMB on fuel in just over ten days, he ultimately decided to sell his gasoline car and buy an electric vehicle to better support his father's ongoing cross-city treatment journey.

Over the past year, as Binbin accompanied his father through interventional procedures, surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, he experienced the anxiety of seeing albumin levels drop to 14 and once nearly broke down in despair when his father began making end-of-life arrangements.

According to the odometers of two cars, Binbin's medical journey has now covered nearly 30,000 kilometers. Often sleeping in his car to make do, he has endured countless unknown nights alone, yet also witnessed the morning light piercing through the windshield at dawn.

The following content is compiled from Binbin's own account.

Author | Zhong Lala

Editor | Wu Jiu

【Part 1: Father's Lung Cancer Diagnosis】

[ Diagnosis of Malignant Lung Tumor ]

In April 2024, the late spring breeze still carried a slight chill. My father paced the living room with swollen feet, packing for a business trip. In my memory, he was rarely idle; whenever he had free time, he would go out looking for work. Watching his slightly heavy steps, a sudden, inexplicable unease washed over me.

"Dad, don't go out. Look at your swollen feet. Why don't you go to the hospital for a check-up?" I urged him. As usual, he waved his hand and refused, "It's fine, just an old issue. I'm probably just too tired lately."

Perhaps it was fate. Thanks to my persistence, he finally gave in and agreed to go to the hospital with me. That visit led to a lung cancer diagnosis. The words on the medical report were cold and glaring. Sitting on the bench outside the clinic, my father's gaze seemed unfocused. I held his rough hands, feeling them tremble slightly.

Without hesitation, after researching relevant information, I immediately decided to transfer my father to the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Fortunately, a bed was available. We quickly completed the preoperative examinations, discussed the surgical plan on the second day, and underwent surgery on the third. The operation went surprisingly smoothly. The doctor said my father was lucky to have it caught early. Although the tumor was 3.2 cm, which isn't small, fortunately, it hadn't metastasized. So, we were discharged just three days later.

After surgery, the swelling disappeared, and his body gradually recovered. We all thought the storm had passed. The lung cancer treatment was swift and successful. However, looking back, that very smoothness made us relax our vigilance regarding his health. We overlooked a comprehensive postoperative full-body scan, especially neglecting an abdominal examination, and only focused on his lungs and leg edema. Consequently, we failed to detect other underlying conditions earlier.

【Part 2: Father's Stomach Cancer Diagnosis】

About five months post-surgery, my father mentioned frequent stomach discomfort and occasional dry heaving. It was then that I learned for the first time he had a history of stomach ulcers, though he had never mentioned it over the years. I clearly remember the day we received the test results: October 5, exactly half a year after his lung cancer surgery. The diagnosis struck like thunder—my father had stomach cancer.

Unlike the lung cancer diagnosis, this time the doctor told me directly that it was already late-stage. The ulcerative tumor in his stomach was as large as a fist, and he said there was no point in treatment. I completely refused to accept this conclusion. After joining the "Panda Group" online, everyone advised me to seek second opinions elsewhere. So, for the next ten days or so, I began visiting various hospitals. Driving my father from Yixing, Jiangsu, we traveled through Nanjing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuxi, and other cities. I lost over 20 jin (about 10 kg) during that time.

Nearly 8,000 kilometers traveled, over 9,000 RMB spent on fuel. I still remember these numbers vividly. Later, to support my father's treatment, I sold my gasoline car and switched to an electric one.

On this long cancer journey, there were many moments when I faced breakdowns and tears, hiding in the car so my father wouldn't see. I also saw my father cry from the pain of his illness, and I could only stay by his side in silent companionship. Fortunately, the unwavering support and encouragement from family and fellow patients kept us moving forward together.

After visiting hospitals for about ten days, all recommended starting chemotherapy. However, due to severe bed shortages in the Gastroenterology Department at Zhongshan Hospital and the time needed for comprehensive tests, we calculated a wait of about 20 days before treatment could begin. Driven by anxiety, I decided to start treatment at a hospital in Nanjing first. This would become the most unforgettable treatment experience of our two cancer battles.

【Part 3: The Unforgettable First Treatment】

The treatment plan at this Nanjing hospital combined chemotherapy with interventional therapy. The chemotherapy regimen used paclitaxel liposome and sintilimab, while the arterial intervention used lobaplatin and pirarubicin. Using interventional therapy as a first-line treatment for stomach cancer is actually not standard practice. Even in my exchanges within the Panda Group, I rarely saw other patients using this protocol. However, considering the prescribing doctor was the department head, and given my urgency to start treatment quickly to relieve my father's symptoms, I agreed to proceed with this plan.

[ Pathology Report from a Hospital in Nanjing ]

The side effects of the first chemotherapy and interventional therapy were overwhelming, almost swallowing my father whole. Honestly, I began to doubt this treatment and questioned whether I had taken the wrong path. After the intervention, his condition deteriorated rapidly. He lay in bed, so swollen he couldn't move, his breathing so faint it seemed it might stop at any moment.

The rapid drop in his albumin and 24-hour urine protein levels dealt a heavy blow to both of us. He could barely consume anything, relying on nutritional powder. His stomach was compressed by massive ascites, the tumor was worsening, and the swelling had reached his face. The doctor estimated he wouldn't make it. I consulted a specialist in nephrology, who advised us to give up treatment, prescribed a cheap herbal medicine, and told us to go home. Faced with this pessimistic prognosis, my father also began to consider giving up.

Back home, my father lay in bed and started making end-of-life arrangements, telling me how much savings we had left and urging me to take good care of my mother. Recalling that scene still brings me deep sorrow. I felt I didn't have enough time to save him, nor enough time to accompany him.

I thought about how my father gave me my first life, raised me, and accompanied me as I grew up. When I fell into the water as a child, struggling in panic and fear, I even clearly remember how much water I swallowed. It was my father who jumped into the river to save me, giving me a second life.

Time slipped through my fingers like quicksand. I desperately tried to hold onto something, but felt utterly powerless. Over the years, my father was always out working, seemingly earning money just for me. Later, when I started my own family and career, I was busy building my own little world. Despite living only 4 or 5 kilometers apart, I rarely gathered with him to chat. Why do people always have to wait until they are about to lose someone to realize what is truly precious?

[ Worst Indicators During Treatment ]

【Part 4: Collaborative Treatment Between Nephrology and Oncology】

Unwilling to give up, I pulled myself together and began shuttling between hospitals in Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang again. Faced with the tricky kidney issue, doctors recommended a biopsy first to determine the cause and then formulate a treatment plan.

After synthesizing opinions from nephrology departments across various hospitals, I ultimately decided to continue treatment at the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University in Wuxi. My father felt this hospital was closer to home, making my trips back and forth more convenient. Additionally, they were willing to admit us quickly, so we chose to treat him there.

After the second round of paclitaxel combined with sintilimab at the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, my father was quickly transferred to the nephrology department. Following the biopsy, the doctors diagnosed him with immune-mediated nephropathy. The hospital coordinated a consultation with a director from Huashan Hospital, and we finally settled on a treatment plan primarily based on rituximab.

Meanwhile, after symptomatic treatments like diuretics in the nephrology department, my father's condition showed significant improvement. After 25 days of treatment, the rituximab-based regimen began to take effect. The swelling subsided quickly, albumin levels started to rise, the ascites disappeared, he could eat again, and he could even get out of bed. This physical improvement gave me tremendous confidence. From the moment I saw him eating and drinking normally, I dedicated two-thirds of my energy to his nephrology treatment, communicating closely with the doctors.

Consequently, we continued with the original protocol across both nephrology and oncology departments, proceeding with kidney function treatments and the second and third rounds of chemotherapy. Through learning in the Panda Group and with the help of fellow members like Teacher Niu and Sister Lily, I also learned how to interpret the significance of various medical indicators myself. Whenever the indicators gradually improved, I would share the news with my father. Each time he heard this good news, his confidence in recovery grew stronger.

Hope was like a dim lamp in the dark night—faint, yet enough to guide our way. After the fourth and fifth chemotherapy sessions, his albumin finally met the surgical requirements, and my father was wheeled into the operating room. The surgery coincided with the Chinese New Year. I vividly remember taking a photo with him at the hospital entrance. We went home on New Year's Eve, stayed for three days, and then boarded the car back to Wuxi. I've lost count of how many times I've driven that round trip.

Every minute of waiting felt like a year. When the surgeon walked out, removed his mask, and said, "The surgery was very successful," I didn't feel the overwhelming relief or ecstasy I had imagined. I knew we had both put in immense effort, and when the result finally arrived, we could face it with calm acceptance.

Postoperative pathology showed 3 lymph node metastases, with the tumor measuring about 1.2 cm. The doctor recommended continuing the original chemotherapy regimen for 8 cycles. However, my father's weight began to drop after the first postoperative chemo session, and he experienced severe dizziness after the third. The doctor concluded that chemotherapy could no longer continue. After comprehensive consideration, the doctor devised a maintenance therapy plan using sintilimab alone.

[ Discharge Summary After Stomach Cancer Surgery ]

Worried that my father might feel burdened by high medical costs, I covered all treatment expenses during his hospitalization, which amounted to roughly 250,000 RMB. During this time, my wife's support was immense. She even told me, "If we need to sell the house for treatment, we will." This was a tremendous encouragement to me as I navigated the exhausting medical journey.

【Part 5: The Warmth of Everyday Life】

Currently, my father receives immunotherapy once a month. His condition is stable, with slightly low albumin and a mild urinary tract infection, but no other obvious symptoms. The road to recovery is long and arduous, but with remarkable perseverance, he is getting better day by day. He can slowly return to his daily routine, like visiting the local wet market as he used to. I am deeply grateful to the medical team at the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University for their dedicated treatment. The doctors and nurses here have been incredibly kind to my father, closely monitoring his condition and constantly encouraging him.

My father has now smoothly passed his first postoperative follow-up and will undergo his second on the 22nd of next month. Now, after work every day, I make it a point to visit his home first. We take walks and chat together. Our conversations are more frequent than ever, covering everything from childhood memories to reflections on life.

These two cancer journeys have taught us the fragility and preciousness of life, and have brought our father-son relationship to an unprecedented level of closeness. We now deeply understand that every day is a gift, and every moment together is a blessing. The road ahead is still long, but as long as we have each other's company, there is nothing to fear.

Once my father's health improves further, I plan to take him to visit other cities. The first time he traveled far with me was when he accompanied me to Xuzhou for college, so he has fond memories of that city. I plan to take him there again. After Xuzhou, I'd like to take him to Beijing.

If possible, I also want to take my father on a self-driving trip to western Sichuan. The altitude there isn't too high, so it won't heavily impact his lungs, and I'd love for him to see the beautiful scenery there.

To protect patient privacy, the names used in this article are pseudonyms.

Images containing the patient's portrait have been authorized by the patient and may not be used without permission.

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