Tony Ruivivar stood in front of more than a hundred Asian-Americans, with seeming unease. The sight was unusual for the veteran showman who performed in front of much larger audiences in the last four decades.
As he clutched the microphone, he admitted, “It feels so different to be in front of a lot of people and not sing.”
The former Las Vegas headliner and Society of Seven (SOS) founder was back in the city last Feb 17, but on a different stage and with a different goal. He was there to tell how a hepatitis B infection 25 years ago resulted in a devastating bout with cancer four months ago.
Tony is the face of a new campaign in the city called Hep B Free Las Vegas which advocates hepatitis B screening and vaccination against the disease. Its goal is to educate the Asian-American community about this disease which has the highest incidence among Asians.
“My story begins 25 years ago when a blood test revealed that I tested positive for hepatitis B,” he began.
Hepatitis B is an infectious illness caused by the hepatitis B virus which infects the liver and causes inflammation and jaundice. Left untreated, chronic hepatitis B may eventually cause liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. The disease is highly-contagious and can be passed on from a mother to a newborn, by sexual contact, or contaminated needles and syringes.
Tony attributed his hepatitis B infection to constant injections during his childhood when, as a sickly child, he often got shots for cholera, rabies, and other illnesses.
“My doctor asked me if I had any symptoms then. I did not have any, so there was no real cause for concern,” he said. At that time, the disease was not as well understood as it is today, he noted.
Three years ago, while in Las Vegas, a check up at the University Medical Center, revealed a lesion in his liver.
Still, the busy performer observed no symptoms of an illness. He felt fine so he went about his routine with SOS, entertaining jam-packed venues on the Strip five nights a week until their run ended in mid 2010.
Four months ago Tony’s wife Karen suggested that he undergo colonoscopy, a routine medical procedure for people his age. “Colonoscopy results were fine, but when the stomach scan came in, it showed that I had a tumor in my liver the size of a soft ball,” Tony said.
“Doctors ordered more tests, a biopsy and an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). All of those showed what I have. Cancer. My wife and I were devastated,” he said.
Tony then relayed how he and Karen looked for the best doctors who can treat his disease. Their exhaustive search brought them to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where Dr. Ronald Busutil removed three quarters of his liver.
Days after the successful operation, Dr. Busutil told Tony that he had good news and even better news.
“His good news was the cancer had been completely encapsulated in a casing of dead cells and had not spread to the vascular, nervous and lymphatic systems,” Tony said.
“The better news was that the lesion on the remaining part of my liver is benign. He also told me that my liver will regenerate in time,” he said.
Tony thanks his “miraculous recovery” to the loving support of his wife and their unshakeable faith in God. He knows that his positive prognosis is not very common. “I am definitely one of the lucky ones,” he said.
In contrast, his hepatitis B infection—which eventually led to liver cancer—, is all too common, especially among Asians.
At the Hep B Free Las Vegas launch, Dr Fernando Ona, who is chief of gastroenterology at VAIHCS hospital in Hawaii noted that more than half of those afflicted with the disease in the US are Asians.
Research shows that one out of 10 Asians has hepatitis B, often with no symptoms. “The key is to protect yourselves. Screen, screen, screen,” Dr. Ona emphasized.
Screening was also highly recommended by Dr. Truong-Sinh Leduc, gastroenterologist from California. “Early detection is key,” he said during a separate gathering of Asian Chamber of Commerce (ACC) members.
Among those who Dr. Leduc urged to be screened for the disease are Asians who were born outside the US and Asian-Americans whose parents are born outside the US. In addition, those with elevated liver enzymes, those undergoing chemotherapy also need to be screened. Aside from that, HIV-positive persons as well as men who have sexual contact with men should also be tested, he said.
“The disease can actually be treated,” Dr. Leduc noted. He said there are five types of medications for the virus are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Two types of injectables are also available in the market.
At the Hep B Free Las Vegas launch, the coalition’s coordinator Aurora Wong urged the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) to consider coordinating screenings to reach out to some 80,000 Filipino-American residents of Southern Nevada.
NaFFAA and ACC are members of the Hep B Free Las Vegas coalition along with the Southern NV Health District, Philippine Medical Association of NV, Philippine Nurses Association of NV, Medical Reserve Corps, Volunteers in Medicine Southern NV, and Clinical Pathology Labs.
Wong, meanwhile, asked members of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Raising Our Asian Rights (UNLV-ROAR), for assistance in coordinating a screening and vaccination drive in the university to target international Asian students as well as domestic Asian American students.
She also requested White House Commissioner on Asia Pacific Islanders Rozita Lee to “advocate for our program at the next meeting and all other meetings.”
And to Tony Ruivivar, she acknowledged for his time and effort in sharing his touching story.
“This is the reason for my second life,” Tony responded. “I will spread the word, help others, and be part of Hep B Free Las Vegas,” he said.
(with a report from Robert Macabagdal/AJPress)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(Las Vegas Feb 24-Mar 2, 2011 Sec A pg. 1)
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
