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.
I cut the front lawn for the first time in weeks. Its quite a small area but boy, did it feel good to get my hands on it. I also did a small amount of pruning on our red robin trees and managed to shape them up a bit. The district nurse came in again and witnessed me again giving myself a clexane injection and she is happy for me to continue giving myself these. She will call in tomorrow to check on leg wound and then leave me over the weekend to deal with Clexane.
Tomorrow we have a long and busy day with having to be at London at nine in the morning. I have to have my blood tests done and then my bodyscan. My slight worry is what the Adrenal glands will be like. I am hoping it was part of the infection I have had and not a spread of the cancer. If it is spread then another operation is likely with more time off the sutent. Whatever the news we will face and deal with it. We wont be having much time to mope if bad news, we are then off to the delights of the July racecourse at Newmarket to watch a bit of racing and sample Xfactor musical treats such as John and Edward alias Jedwood. (help) Seriously it should be a good evening and im well looking forward to it.
Poor Linda is stressed to the eyeballs trying to get things ready for tomorrow. I sometimes forget all these things do not happen unless she organises it. To add to it all, tonight we have been to a meeting to discuss Kates school trip which is coming up soon. A really busy day and evening for us all.
Hello Bob ,Linda and Kate. Really pleased that you are feeling so much better Bob, and will be keeping everything crossed for you today. I really hope that you have good news from the specialist, no one deserves it more.
Have a wonderful day at the races, you've certainly got good weather for it. Enjoy your weekend,and I will pop back to read your inspiring diary and see how things have gone.
The Visit to London went well in some respects but is still very much up in the air. My adrenal glands are still swelling but not to the extent of needing quick surgery. I think, reading between the lines proff Gore knows its the cancer spreading but is not sure why. He has put me back on the Sutent as normal. It is well documented that Sutent does not work on the brain but he is unable to work out how the adrenals can still be affected. An operation is possibly on the cards but will depend on how the brain does.
The concert went very. well yesterday. I was a good boy and took my chair and was glad i did. I had a good view from a platform at the back of the arena whilst Linda and kate and our other friends braved the crowds. I was quite happy taking sweets from the lady sitting beside me as well. It was late when we got back and Kate is sleeping out in a tent round her friends house. She will be in a lovely mood when Linda picks her up soon.
Today has been a brilliant day with a good family barbie. The weather has been kind and we had a great time. The only cloud on the horizon has been now I have a bloody pain in my right knee, absolutely excruciating, Taken painkillers and hoping for the best.
