BOB JK My diary of kidney cancer (to be continued)
FormerMember
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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.
A good day again today. Kate has finished school and we have managed to book a weeks break for later in August. District nurse has been in to check wound and all is well. I have started taking my antibiotics for wound infection. Didnt manage hair cut but might get done tomorrow. not too much else planned for weekend. At least garden does not need watering as downpour did that. I have managed to take Mollie for two walks today and also did a short drive down to the local shops.
Another brilliant nights sleep. Today I have taken Mollie for a walk and was going to get my hair cut but since my daughter and wife are worried silly about nearly everything I do I will spend yet another day around the house doing hardly anything. At this rate its the boredom which will kill me , not the bloody cancer. I am doing things gradually and waiting until I feel strong enough to carry out little jobs. My confidence was knocked for six when I fainted but looking back I can see reason for it, I wasn.t eating so well and therefore energy levels were low. I am eating pretty much normally now and feel so much stronger. I know they are only caring about me but I need to get some normality back sometime soon.
The day turned out really nice. Katie and Tommy rang us and invited us over for an afternoon tea so we went over mid afternoon and was greeted with freshly cooked scones with jam and cream. They were also trying out their new expresso coffee maker which did a mean latte. I drove there and back which did me the world of good. We have also now booked a weeks holiday in Cornwall in August which we are all really looking foreward to. Kate is now in bed and its just me and the old girl relaxing for the rest of the evening. The weather has been better today but the rain has helped the grass look a bit greener and healthier.
A rather sleepy day today but I feel a bit better for it. We went out for a Sunday roast which in all fairness I did struggle to eat, in my old day I would have scoffed the lot in minutes. I also had a pud but could not eat it all. After lunch we popped to Lindas brother to see them for a bit before returning home. Once home I lay on the settee and do not remember much untill awaking quite a while later. Since waking I have taken Mollie for a walk and am ready to relax for the evening. Tomorrow Linda is at work, Kate will be round her nans and playing with her friends who live nearby and I will be going to work but only for a short while. I realise im far from back to normal but need to go to work part time to get back into the swing of things. Wound is still healing but bloody painfull. face is healing good and has stopped dropping off all over the place. I am taking tramadol for the pain and itis keeping it under reasonable control.
After what seemed like ages I did drop off last night and have awoken feeling reasonably refreshed. Linda has gone to work and Kate is round her nans. Myself and Mollie have just been for walkies and im now getting ready to go to work. Wound feels much better today.
I managed a good few hours at work today but have paid the price in the tiredness I have felt tonight. It did go ok but it will be a while before my strenths are up to normal. At work I felt reasonably comfortable in my chair and plan to be back there tomorow as there is quite a bit for me to do. It seems when im off, nobody steps in to take over my work and so it gets left and builds up. The wound, as far as I know, is good and healing well and my face is much better.
Went to bed at 9.30 and slept solidly, untill midnight and then just could not drop off again. Never mind, I spent some of the night dozing on the settee downstairs and some of the evening on "chat". Kate has spent the night round a friends and soon I will be waking Linda up with a cuppa and we will both get ready for work again. This will be my last day this week although I will bring work home with me for tomorrow. On Thursday we go for our break to Oxford which we are really looking foreward to. It is good to get back to work and I have a meeting planned for today which will be good for the old grey matter. On Monday I have a meeting with my Oncologist to discuss next move on my treatment.
As you can see I am having trouble sleeping again. I went to work yesterday and all went well although in the afternoon I did begin to feel really tired and so I knew I had had enough. I got through the best part of the day before comming home. Once home I rested for a bit before Linda got home, then we had to take Mollie to the vets for her yearly jab (poor mollie, she didn't like it) before popping to the supermarket for a few essential bits. Then we picked kate up from her friends house in the next village. I dont remember too much after that so I guess I must have slept again for a bit. Not much on the cards today. Kate is off round her friends again and Linda is working so a restfull day for me. I need to get ready for this stressfull trip to Oxford lol.
