BOB JK My diary of kidney cancer (to be continued)
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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.
Bob really important that you know this, you should not have to stop the sutent. Clexane and sutent are not contrindicated and can both be given. My husband was on high does (150ml) clexane daily throughout his time on sutent for a thrombosis. Good luck.
Thanksso much for that info, Bob spoken to Proff and it looks like he can continue Sutent treatment, have to wait until week Friday for confirmation.
Bob been up half the night throwing up, but is remarkably okay this morning, may not have to go back to hospital today as think we only need to have injections which we are going to have picked up for us.
We have a Macmillian nurse visiting this afternoon, otherwise a quiet day.
Sorry to hear the latest Bob, dvt is not funny I've had them too! one before I even knew I had cancer following a flight from Canada which required stomach injections of warfarin and one whilst on sutent, though they left me for a day and rescanned but couldn't find it?
I'd had lower calf pain for a week up to then and was told it was muscular! every time I put my foot to the floor it was real agony and walking was near impossible!
Good job they found it though and can deal with it and keep a careful watch on you!
Hope they continue the sutent though a break is not such a bad thing as it lets you off the side effects for a bit!
Here's hoping all side effects ease in any case and that you get back on track again! We certainly know our bodies best and should never ignore any niggles or pains, no matter how insignificant they might seem!
Hi Bob , LInda and family, so sorry to hear yet another fight on your hands, but know you can do it superman, and wonder woman to keep you on your toes. Take care all of you.
Yes Chrisie, we are certainly being kept on our toes. Well today has not been too bad. after being sick last night i could not eat today and still managed to be sick again tonight. we will be speaking to Doc in Morning. Had a visit from new Mac nurse and she seems very good and also easy to talk to. Leg still painfull but a bit better. I spoke to Proff gore in London to keep him up to date. He seemed to be happy for me to continue Sutent so thats a relief.
Im pleased you have a new mac nurse you feel that you can open up to, not takeing anything away from your last one - they are all angels,but some people you connect with more,
Mum had one who was a full on jolley hockey sticks type, mum played a deafen each time she visited mostly pretended she was asleep, she wasnt kidded and was lovely enough to swap places with a kick your shoes off type of nurse who loved our bacon butties with HP sauce, They are such angels that they know that they cant connect with everyone,
Sorry you've had such a tough time past while, I've been away but popped into an i'net cafe to see how you were doing. I thought i'd posted to you then, but i obviously did something wrong. No surprise there then.
Glad to hear you're going to be kept on Sutent, and I so hope you get some sort of break in coming days. As always Bob, you never cease to amaze! So glad Kate had a wonderful birthday, but then of course she would, with great parents like you and Linda.
Bob, bless him, has not been well today, has been very sick again, so nurses have been out and given him an injection and set up a syringe driver to see if that will help the sickness. We have their contact details and they say they will return in the night if we need them. He has also been started on steroids from tomorrow, trying to settle the sickness before he can start them apparently. The new macmillian nurse is an angel and so helpfull. The previous one was lovely, but i think Bob just has more of a rapore with new one. Would you believe he can be a stubborn old bugger at times lol, but that's been his pull through all the way during this journey.
Kate had her fixed brace applied today and has been such a brave little girl, she is such a chip of the old block, i am so proud of her.The boys are rallying round as usual as well to help.
Macmillian nurse will be reviewing tomorrow, as respite in hospice has been mentioned, if Bob would like that, and we are unable to control his symptoms.
