BOB JK My diary of kidney cancer (to be continued)
FormerMember
4509 replies
3 subscribers
1621923 views
Hi, My name is Bob and I live in Cambridgeshire. I am married with an 8 yr old daughter and three older step sons. Up untill the end of last year everything was tickety boo having recently moved to a new house which we love. Work was busy but enjoyable. I am Manager of an electrical companys maintenance department and my Wife, Linda was enjoying her job as a Nurse. The three boys are buying there own house nearby and all work locally. In November I went to my Doctors with a small "cyst" on my chest. After a couple of referals and many Xrays, pet scans, bone scans and CT scans I was told the news everybody dreads. My lump on the chest was a secondary cancer of which the primary was in my left Kidney. I was fast tracked to the Royal Brompton, under the expert care of Mr Laddas who informed a long and complicated operation would need to be carried out to remove the bone tumor and surrounding bone which involved two ribs,my collar bone and chest bone. I did not have time to panic, the operation was carried out the next day over 10 hrs. After nearly two weeks in the Brompton I am recovering well from this op but I have since been told that the Cancer is in both kidneys as well as small mets in both lungs. It seems at the moment further ops are out the question and i have been put on the drug Sutent. I am one week into this and so far so good. I do not know what the future holds but I have to remain positive.
HI all, A good day at work again today. Went in at 9.30 and managed until 5.15. Came home with some huge cardboard rolls for Kate to use in her art and craft projects. They look like huge toilet roll holders. Judging by the way my tummy is tonight I wish they were, I feel I am going to need them later. I cannot quite work out how when my fell out so quickly, why it is already bristly and needs shaving daily. I am getting used to the bald look now and so are those around me. I am still a bit self concious when I see people who I know and havnt seen for a while. This weekend will be a bit of a chance for some rest, not that I do rest very well. The weather here has been sunny but a bit cold. I hope everyone else has a great weekend.
Just dropped by to send you, Linda and little Kate the warmest of (((((((((((((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))))) your doing great love, keep it up, you will get there!.
yes Helen, one in fridge and the rest in freezer. Things a bit more settled today. Had a real nice lay in and now sitting in garden with a litre of sun cream on my head, courtesy of Linda. I know im not supposed to be out in the sun reallr but she also knows that is one thing I really enjoy and when your prognosis is as limited as mine im blowed if im going to sit in the shade when ive been fighting to live to see the summer. I am only sitting out for short periods and with sun cream. Hope it is as sunny and warm where you are. Linda and all the kids have gone for a walk round a national trust property grounds in training for the race for life, aaaaah peace for a bit, only joking, it will do them good to have some time without fussing over me.
just wanted to tell you how much i admire your positivity and the strength you have shown last two years with your fight against cancer. i am 100% convinced that your amazing attitude is what keeping you strong and alive. i have read your posts back to back and even though i have different kind of kidney cancer (wilms) i could identify myself with a lot of what you have gone through.
i have been battling with wilms for a year now and so far things look very good. initially i was given 8 months to live with no much that doctors could do. my cancer had spread to liver, lungs, bones, lymphs, pancreas and muscle tissue. doctors said they will try bit of chemo to try to stop it growing at least, and prolong my life just little bit more. but like yourself i never given up and fought really hard, remained positive, tried to eat good food and just enjoyed life with a smile no matter what. in December after the chemo was done and dusted i found out that most of my cancer have dissapeared. the doctors could not believe it. the only places i had cancer left were lungs, spine and the primary kidney. so i had the nephrectomy which went really well, no complications and i was on my feet in two days and out of the hospital in 10. at the moment i am waiting for my scan to see what is happening with the cancer since December. i am also allowing myself to hope to be cured even though doctors are saying that there is no cure for me, they just prolonging my life. but they also said that i had roughly 8 months to live and that there was high chance i may not make it through the operation, but i proved them all wrong. i am getting better day by day and the least i can do is to never give up on me and my family. i am only 27 years of age and literaly couple of months before i was diagnosed, everything in my life just fallen into places, i had (and still have) gorgeous caring partner, perfect dream job which i had to work for years very hard to get, lots of amazing friends and everything else a 26 year old needed. i just thought it was so unfair what happened so i am striving to get it all back (well mainly to go back to work and get my independence back as everything else is still with me)
so what i am trying to say really is that you are doing the most amazing and the hardest thing of all, you are fighting against this horrible cancer with your all and your weapons are positivity, smile and determination to live for your loved ones. i knew a lady that adopted two young children and then was diagnosed with cancer and given just three months to live. she refused and said that she will live until her children graduate from college. she was so determine not to leave these two young adopted children alone again that she lived many years. she past away two weeks after her second child finished college.
i do have to say that i was a bit outraged with your work's boss. i can't believe that after all the years you have worked for them they treat you like that. i wouldn't wish cancer on anyone but i came very close on wishing it on your boss. and i admire your courage and strength on carry on working.
i will be following your progress and praying every night to God for you and your family.
Really good to hear from you, I agree that positivity and refusing to give up are key elements to survival, I think we have both proved that, along with many others on this site. I hope things continue well for us both and look foreward to catching up again soon.
I had a really good nights sleep after my day out in the garden yesterday. I have walked Mollie and am now catching up on emails before deciding on the day ahead. Another smashing day outside.
Another good nights sleep. A good day yesterday, we popped across to see Linda's dad and whilst we were there I cut his lawns for him, they are quite small but it was good to get them done. Kate was my fetcher and carrier and between us, we did good.Linda did a spot of weeding as well so a joint effort all round. I am nearly on my last week of Sutent so coming up to my worst time again. Considering all, I do not feel too bad. My left eye seems to be weeping non stop and now has some sort of sty. As you can imagine, with my bald blotchy head I look a right old handsome fella.When I look in the mirror now, I do not see me at all any more. I have fed Molls and soon will be taking her for a walk and then it will be time to be getting ready for work. I hope the sun shone where you were over the weekend.
I look a right state today, no hair, blotchy skin, tooth fallen out, half shut weeping eye, need I go on. Im feeling a bit sorry for myself today. Not only do I look terrible, I feel terrible too.Also bloody tinnitus and blurred vision do not help. I started the day reasonably and did not sleep to bad. We popped in to Cambridge to get Kate some new shoes and then Linda dropped me over my mums for a bit. She is a poor old thing at the moment and I find it so upsetting that I cannot do much to help out. We had a good natter and a walk around her garden. she did me a ham sarnie which, as my taste buds have taken a turn for the worst, did not go down too well. I did eat ir but have felt sick ever since. Hopefully for one night only im really pissed of with this disease and all that comes with it and if I did not wake up in the morning, so be it. Not my usual train of thought and im sure i will snap out of it soon. Sorry for anyone wanting a positive read tonight, I dont feel it at the moment.
