Back to page

Help Sai's (Sai Swethan Chowdavaram) Fight Against Stage 4 Lung Cancer: Join Us in Raising Funds for the Treatment

  • Update 5 - 6 chemo’s and 1 Maintenance chemo completed. Travelling back to NZ for further treatment.

      2 September 2023
    Main image

    Hello, all my dear loved ones, I am very lucky and proud to have you all in my life. My fight with Cancer is going well and I am sure I will beat it with all your support, prayers and blessing’s.

    This is very delayed update as there were lots going on in the background.

    I have finished my 6th chemo on 1st of August, had few complications:

    •Where I had viral fever where WBC dropped below 1500, so admitted in hospital and got treated

    •Had a root canal on my 2nd molar and filling in wisdom teeth (decay due to chemo)

    •Had Ingrown Great Toenail surgery

    I finished my 1st Maintenance chemo today (1/9/23). It is recommended to continue 5 more and scans in December to compare with April and July results. Which I am planning to get in NZ.

    Luckily, I got an appointment with NZ’s best Lung Cancer oncologist, Brendan Luey on 28th September, so will be back in Heaven on Earth.

    One thing is for sure, I am on the right track with all the support. So please keep me in your prayers and bless me for my recovery. See some of the stats in attached pdf and a detailed info in a word doc.

    Few things to note:

    • Positives: CEA dropped from 607 in April to 221 in July to 129 in September, so on the right track

    • Negative: As I am NZ citizen, Osimertinib Tagrisso 80mg will be costing me $9K a month as 67% discounted price is only for Indian citizens

    • Something positive: Trying to get register in NZ as a cancer patient, where the Osimertinib Tagrisso can be purchased for $5.5K a month.

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

  • Completed 5th Chemo, brain lesions are completely cleared, more than 50% reduction in all other parts.

      12 July 2023
    Main image

    I am very lucky to have so many of your love, care, support, blessings and prayers.

    Without all your support my fight wouldn’t have been this progressive.

    Got my PET-CT scan done on 6th July and the results are very positive. brain lesions are completely cleared, all other parts reduced by atleast 50% so treatment is in right track.

    I still need to go through another chemo on 1st August and then have 6 sessions of monthly maintenance chemotherapy and get the scans again around December.

    Depending on that the next steps will be taken.

    Osimertinib Tagrisso 80mg tablets should be taken for life time, which is the major expense and I cannot afford in long term without working as it costs $10K NZD per month.

    So, I am considering and hopeful to return back to NZ and get the rest of the treatment there with visits and second opinions in India (***considering all ok from doctors in Wellington hospitals with Indian doctor’s recommendations and treatment plan etc).

    Still there are loads of questions to be cleared and double checked before making any decisions, so I will keep you all posted.

    Also, I have been sponsored to travel to SriLanka for a week where my visa issues are also resolved and gained loads of positivity for being away in nature and away from 4 walls.

    One thing is for sure, I am on the right track with all the support from my extended family including you all. So please keep me in your prayers and bless me for my recovery.

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

  • Update 3: little progress, surely on the right track, doctor confident on my recovery.

      22 June 2023
    Main image

    Completed 4th Chemotherapy on 20th June and I am doing well.

    Recent blood test results are looking very positive as CEA (a type of blood test for cancer) dropped from 607 on 14th April to 221 to 18th June.

    Still a long way to go but surely on the right track.

    5th July again blood tests, 6th July PET CT scan and Brain MRI depending on scan.

    Results review by doctor on 8th and then plan for further treatment.

    Currently planned for chemo on 10th.

    As my WBC is dropping, doctor advised me to take 3 injections of WBC instead of 2 like in the past as I have 1000 less cells to minimum.

    Thanks a lot for your kind and valuable donations, love, time, blessings, prayers and thoughts. I am gaining more strength everyday and surely it’s because all of you great people.

    Please keep me in your prayers.

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

  • Update 2 - Hopeful, fighting with full strength, thanks for all the love.

      2 June 2023
    Main image

    Thanks a ton for your generous, kind and immense valuable monetary contribution for my fight against cancer.

    I am more grateful for all of you for the time you have taken, for the love you have showered, the blessings you have given and the prayers you have made and tears you have shed.

    I am blessed to have so many great friends, family and supporters around me in this journey and fight for my life.

    Update on health and recovery:

    I have now completed my 3rd chemotherapy on 30th May and taken 35 Osimertinib Tagrisso 80mg tablets till today.

    Earlier, Doctor wanted to do repeat of all scans around 20th of June to see how’s the treatment is working on me, but now Doctor recommended to postpone the scans for another 21 days which is around 10th of July..

    The reason for this is, doctor is confident on my recovery as my excruciating back pain which was there since mid January is completely gone and have no cough now.

    This extension will also gives me 75 days of Osimertinib tagrisso tablets and 4 chemo session results which will be more helpful in analysing my situation and compare it to the scans from mid April, so we have more clear path in treating my cancer going forward.

    So please keep supporting me and remember me in your prayers and give your blessings and strength to my recovery.

    We will have clear idea around mid July, and I will try to post if any updates in between.

    With love, gratitude and thankfulness.

    Yours Shvetan.

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

  • Done with 2nd Chemo and completed 12 days of Tagrisso tablet

      11 May 2023
    Main image

    Thanks a lot for all the showers of love, care, messages, blessings and prayers.. I will be forever grateful for all the help you guys are doing for me.

    My current treatment is 2 ways.

    1. EGFR L858R

    40% there are mutations which has cure and I am taking medicines tablets (Tagrisso 80mg) for it already and I can live with it for life.

    2. EGFR V834L

    The above variant is like 0.02% people in the whole cancer patients around the world will get this and there is not much study, so I am part of their study now.

    This is 60% in my cancer and it is mainly caused by genes (family history, so anyone can be affected).

    So, for this I have to go through 6 chemo sessions to see how it’s working and what’s the results etc like..

    By end of June, I will have 3 chemo sessions done and another review of PET CT, CT, MRI scans will be redone and reviewed, then we will have a clear idea on how the treatment is working or if it needs any changing.

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment