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.
A merry Christmas to you all as well, in England and New Zealand. and hope you are well.
Still not really sure about the work situation but all seems calm at the moment. Yesterday was a busy day and I did manage to get a fair bit done. |I have a day off today so it will be nice to relax for a change. Last night I had problems with my sight in that the interference I was getting made it uncomfortable to look at anything. Even if I shut my eyes I still got, what I can only describe as colourful lightening flashing about. Good old brain mets eh, he did warn me that one was very close to an optical nerve so I guess im paying the price for that. Anyway it seems much better this morning. I had a good nights sleep for as long as it lasted. Tonight we have Linda's dads 80th birthday meal which I am looking forward too. Sutent going well with no impossible side affects, the worst being a dodgy tummy.
hi Bob, just looking in on you to see how you're doing. I hope you're feeling good, glad to read your sight is better today. You really are an inspirational person, it's obvious from this thread that many others also see you in that way too. Lots of Luv to you, your wife and family...sita xx
A nice restfull day yesterday. After getting Kate to school we came home and I had a visit from an old paramedic friend of mine. He turned up in an Ambulance car so that will have got the neighbours guessing. theen we popped in to nearby Royston to pick up some cards and some other bits. During the day I did have a good sleep as well. In fact I slept so heavy , one of my stepsons popped in and even spoke to me, and I apparently spoke back but when Linda said did Matt pop in I said no. Then she was ringing him as he should of and well, you can guess the rest. I think its fair to say I was tired and also memory is definitely worse. Meal went well last night although eating late did not agree with me but my taste buds behaved themselves and I enjoyed the food. I slept quite well last night and have woken feeling better than I look. I have already walked Mollie and fed the cats and am shortly off with Linda to take Kate to school and then she will take me to work. Tonight, if I last the day (at work I mean) I plan to pop in to mums on the way home and see her and Julie.
Yesterday went as planned and generally I had a good day. The Sutent side effects are kicking in a bit more and I am having to make a bit more of an effort to eat and I am beginning to get the heartburn back again. I seem to want to sleep a lot more as well but all in all not too bad. Not too much planned for today, as far as I know anyway. I have managed three days again this week and for the first time in ages am really glad to be finishing work and resting up for a bit. Tonight we have friends round for lunch and I am looking forward to that.
Blimey, I have been so tired today and have slept for most of it. Tonight though I have managed to wake to receive our visitors and Linda did a great dinner. Still really tired and looking forward to the weekend.
Bob, you might just be doing the teeniest bit too much? At least you sleep well, pass some this way, cos I haven't been sleeping well at all, maybe with Caz being in hospital and feeling glum and bored with it!
Glad you seem to be coping so well on sutent, despite being tired, an unavoidable side effect I'm sure as I seem to get this too!
I want to pick your brain and ask if you have ever had calf cramp on sutent? I've had this now for over a week, so bad I ended up in a&e last weekend for suspected blood clot but they couldn't find one, just said it seems to be deep muscular cramp? It's very painful when putting my foot down not even when weight bearing? I've got a cream from gp which is said to deaden nerve ending pain to the brain signals but it isn't much good. Have you ever had this problem and if so how did you overcome it?
Hope your weekend is going well and you are able to keep awake enough to enjoy it as here the weather is not so bad, cold but dry.
yes, most of the time I am able to cope pretty well but today I had to resort to a wheelchair in Tesco's. I feel really tired and sick at the moment and have no energy at all. We popped to Cambridge first of all and I managed to drag myself around but was ready to collapse in the car so there was no way Linda was going to let me walk around Tesco and there was no way I would have been able too. We fitted one of these trolley things to the front which made me rather clumsy to manoeuvre but we did manage. The moving escalator was fun as the brakes did not hold very well and on the way down I had visions of rolling down the escalator with Justin hanging on to the back and crashing straight though the display of stacked baked beans into the entrance glass.
Your right Helen, it is time to take it easy for a few days, I have no work planned intill next Tuesday so a nice break indeed. I hope caz is doing OK
Jackie, I do get all sorts of cramps, the worst being so bad in my hands I grip things and cannot let go. I remember signing for a parcel and being unable to give posty his pen back, very embarrassing. I had to forcefully use my other hand to prise the pen out. Linda recommends Quinine sulphate . I have never had to use it but its supposed to be good
Im all ready for another kip so I bid you all a good weekend. the weather is good hear also.
