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.
Hi all and thanks for your messages again. Ive been a good boy today and done nothing, well apart from walking Mollie both ends of the day and putting some lawn feed on the back garden. Myself and Linda have had a lovely day. After taking Kate to school, we popped to the surgery to pick up my prescription before doing a bit of food shopping, then we came home and Matt and his wife to be popped round as its her birthday and we all popped out to our local for a lunch. I did good and managed to get through most of a rather large mixed grill. Then it was home to cuddle up and watch a film we had actually bought for Kate. We spent the whole afternoon on the settee and it was great. Also today we have booked for January a visit to the Ritz for afternoon tea, how cool is that. All in all a nice day. I am planning to go to work tomorrow then probably take Friday off. I still feel pretty goog although my feet are beginning to get a bit sore and also my hands. Tomorrow we have a school visit to Kates school she will be moving up to next year. our little girl is growing up so fast.
Hi Bob had my check up today all's well they're pleased with me. I asked about weight gain but they said they only worry if I lose any? alright for them to say but my knees are giving me hell! Feeling positive though, got scan in couple weeks during 6th cycle sutent! crossing everything again it worked last time!
Good for you jackie, keep that positivity going and good luck. hope you are well also helen.
Not a bad day at work today. I had a real good nights sleep which gave me good energy for today. after walking Molls I went in after dropping Kate of at school and stayed until 4. once home , tonight we have been to look round Kates school and it was very impressive. Kate also seemed to love it which is brilliant too. tomorrow, no work so a day of rest, bliss
A restfull day indeed. after walking Molls and taking kate to school we came home for a bit and relaxed. Then we went to Ely and met up with Tommy and Katie before having some lunch where she works. once home I slept for a bit whilst Linda picked up Kate from her dance class which she does after school. I havn't felt too bad today, just the usual tiredness. I havn't had any eye problems recently which is good news. The weekend is going to be quite a busyish one as we are taking Kate and two of her friends to the pictures tomorrow and Sunday we have been invited out to lunch to Matt and Louisa's house.
Yes we did go and see up and it was very good, we went along with two of Kates friends and thoroughly enjoyed it, and really enjoyed the bucket of popcorn too.
Apart from the pictures, did not really do much else yesterday. I had a bit of a sad shock when I recieved a phone message from the husband of someone I knew saying she had died from cancer. I knew she had really been poorly and had spent a time in a hospice for respite care but it still hit me a bit hard. It makes you wonder how you can keep surviving obsticals when others you know around you are dying from this wretched desease. It does shake your confidence because, like me, she was a fighter and kept saying she would beat it and would never give in to it, but, I respect you get to a point where you cannot fight it anymore. It really brought home to me how desperate all our situations are and how fragile our lives have become.
Today we have been invited out to lunch which will be really good. I awoke at some early hour this morning and Kate, bless her , who had a temperature came down with me. As neither of us could not sleep we played on farmville for a bit, nearly on level 28 lol. Evevtually Kate rested her head against Mollie and fell asleep so at least she will get some sleep.
Bob, that reminds me that Caz always feels guilty when she hears of someone who hasn't survived as long as her.....I guess there has to be something in the genes, something in attitude and something in the microscopic type of cancer you have been dealt with- nobody seems to know!
So sorry to hear about your friend Bob, our situation is a nightmare i am so frightend but i know there is nothing i can do about it, nothing any of us can do really we just have to keep fighting as best we can, I am having my brother up in 2 weeks time i havent seen him for years and i am really looking forward to it, I play on Cafe world with my son its great but very addictive, Glad you enjoyed the movie we are going on monday now because Brandon wants to fly his kite today, but i am looking forward to seeing it. Take Care Bob
Im sure Helen we all go through guilt like feelings when we hear of someone who has died and we are still surviving. Its a really horrible feeling and one we never get used to. As you say everyone is different. I spent an hour on the phone to my friends husband tonight giving some form of hopefully comfort and advice. He felt guilty as he felt he could have done more and I made him see that when she was really ill in the hospice, she said she wanted to go home and die and he did that for her. When we spoke a couple of weeks ago it was pretty clear she probably would not get through this and I sorted began to prepare him for her death. Also she died when he took the dog for a walk after he had been sitting with her all night and I explained that was a common thing also. she was , in her own way, possibly trying to protect him. I would hope that when I die, Linda is there holding my hand with the boys and Kate. I want to die surrounded by the love of my family, but not yet.
I done a silly thing today. I was sitting in my study on my chair and stood up to get a pile of papers of my desk and somehow the chair castor was on my foot and I realised it but was too far gone to stop myself sitting on the chair and had my whole body weight on my poor big toe, never mind it seems to be ok. We had a nice lunch Round Matts house and came home to drop Kate off round her friends house as we have an early start to the hospital tomorrow, blood tests are at nine and then consultation with proff Gore at Ten am. The old girl is driving me there as of course I cannot drive.
Enjoy the film on Monday Pauline and keep strong my girl. Its a really good film.Im glad you are enjoying cafe world. Ill stick to farmville for now, level 28 and counting, not bad eh.
