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.
Im not sure where my energy comes from Lorraine, I just dig deep when I have to and always try and push those boundarys, I wont pretend I dont find it hard at times but its my way of dealing with things. I awoke feeling pretty rank at about five but now am feeling a bit better. I need to read back through my early diary days to see when the Sutent really kicked in the first time and im sure it will be about now. Lindas birthday was really nice and we had a great day (thanks for all your b,day wishes). After breakfast in bed we had a nice lazy morning opening prezzies and generally chilling before we went into Ely for Lunch. We had this where Katie (daughter in law ) works and also met with Tom. After a massive lunch I was really tired so , rather than going shoppiung, we came home and I had a nap. Then it was off to Cambridge to see the Michael Jackson, This is it film. It was really really good and if you like his music I would really recommend seeing it. At times I found it really emotional and when they played the earth song both myself and Linda were in floods of tears, its funny how the old emotion kicks in at times and there is nothing you can do about it. Had they have staged his show at the O2 arena it would have been great.
So after a busy day yesterday its no wonder I was ready for bed and went out like a light. My tummy is all over the place and I also have a hacking cough so im taking medicine for that. Linda and myself have walked Molls and so the day is set for a nice relaxing day, apart from the fact I need to talk to work as they have underpaid me by over half and they do seem to think we can live on fresh air. I hope you are all well.
well, I did get my nice relaxing day after a bit of a funny. Linda had popped out with Kate to pick up my prescription and as I looked across the room on the table I saw a small brown paper bag with some "sweets" in it. "Those candys look good" I thought and procceeded to pop one in my mouth, uuuuugh, bloody bath bombs. As Linda said, that will teach me lol.
Well Im glad you have all had a good laugh at my expense, lol. It wouln't have been so bad if I had just popped it in my mouth and then spat it straight out, I actually bit right in to the thing and it began fizzing before I had the chance to get rid of it.
A really good nights sleep and felt okish this morning but do not feel quite so good now. The Sutent is really beginning to kick in now and I remember feeling like this before. I have definately changed colour again and my hair is beginning the gradual colour change from dark to grey. oh the joys of Sutent. The lethargic mood has also set in and im battling to do even the tiniest of things at the moment. The trouble is that gives Linda the green light to nagg me to do nothing when I really want to try and do something. I also have tummy ache and am off my food (had this before the bath bomb episode). We popped to look at another house today but it just did not feel right but the trouble is I need to be strong enough and look ahead so the house is right for Linda and Kate. Whatever house we get, my time in it will be quite limited but they will still be there and need to look after and mantain it and I must not loose sight of that.
A good day today and yesterday as we decided we would not move and instead would decorate a couple of rooms. We also decided to move kates bedroon to my study so she would be nearer to us at night and so. hopefully, will settle down better. So last night we emptied my study, which in fact is a bedroom and also went to a paint store to pick up some paint and then I spent last night filling and sanding ready for the big paint today. Justin and I applied the chosen paint only to be told "its looks different, I not sure I like it" I must admit it looked totaly different and so we luckily had some other paint which looks really nice. I was working until quite late last night and me, being me was on the go at seven this morning and we did not get done until a short while ago. It looks great though now that we have moved her bed a d bits into it. Thanks Justin and Tom for your hard work, we would not have achieved it without you. Poor Linda is still clearing up my mess. I went to the chineese for a takeaway and I looked so yellow this poor woman came in, took one look at me and then went across the other side of the area, I dont know what she thought she was going to catch but it gave me a good laugh anyway. It probably looked worse as im wearing paint splattered shorts and tee shirt, Mr Blobby comes to mind. I feel ok although a bit tired but will have a more restfull day tomorrow, promise.
You resting Bob don't make me laugh! you never slow down. I too have had a wonderful day wk 4 of sutent is being kind to me, blood pressure back to normal and feeling less tired this week after 2 horrible weeks just gone, amazing how different it is one week to the next. We went to Whiteley Village outlet stores, not sure hubby John is pleased now that he agreed to take me as his credit card took a bashing, then onto a relative in Hamble for coffee and cake ( I'm actually tasting coffee now too before this week it tasted bitter and vile) then onto another outlet store called the Range newly opened in Bursledon, just for a look. ha ha that look cost him another £75 in christmas bits! wonderful store well worth a visit! Into the christmas list now and I'm raring to go can't believe it's my 3rd christmas since diagnosis and they didn't expect me to see the first one!! shows how wrong they can be eh! Off to party tomorrow Dads birthday so more cake! must start that diet soon though for No.1 sons wedding next March.
