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.
Ive had a good day today, Been over to Tom and Katies for a brilliant lunch. Helped to put up some curtain rails and change a light fitting. Now back home and going to bed ready for my epic journey to London to have blood test and to pick up Sutent.
Yesterday Justin and myself went to London and after a rather tiresome journey in we arrived at the Royal Marston early so made our way up to the clinic and was just about to settle with a paper and a coffee when my professor came out to meet me and show me in, half hour early, that was a first so as I now know them so well I just took my coffee in with me. He said I looked very well, gave me an examination and then it was off for the blood tests. Then we went for a spot of brekky before returning to pick up the Sutent. They will not now release the Sutent unless they have my blood test results in hand, has anyone else found this. Once home again in the early afternoon it was time to do a few jobs I had been putting off for a few days before tea. Then we picked up Kate who had been round her friends house which gave me a chance to see baby phoebe again.m Once home it was an early but very restless night as my stomach contents did not feel entirely at home and needed to escape (sorry). I eventually dropped off at about 01 .30 to be woken by Kate who couldnt sleep. We eb we ended up cuddled up in bed together untill the morning. Linda has just gone to work and I am getting Kate ready for school and once I have dropped her off I will go to work myself if I feel ok.
Bob you are making me feel tired with all you do in 1 day, Nice to see the pictures, Keep up the good work and looking forward to the web site. Take care.
Although a bit knackered I did manage to get to work today. After dropping Kate off at school I got to work at about 09.30 and during mty time there managed to get a fair bit done. On my way home I called in to someone who I have known for some time but had not seen for a while. She rang me up at the weekend after hearing about my Cancer battle and told me that, after 4 years remission, she was too fighting Cancer again. We had a bit of a chat and swapped tips regarding positivity and relaxation. I hope she soon finds the strenght to read my diary and wish her well in her future. I picked up Kate and one of her friends from school and then cooked tea as Linda arrived home from her work. After tea I shut my eyes just as eastenders was starting and awoke about half an hour ago (thats what eastenders does for me). I have noticed this cycle that my hands and feet are now very sore and I am also beginning to get mouth ulsers which are a tad painfull. Also I seem to feel very cold, Do other Sutent or kidney cancer patients feel cold. I just cannot get my body temperature right. The old girls just come up to bed so time for cuddle and sleep. nite all
Ive decided today is a day of rest. we popped into town to pay in the monies raised from the coffee morning and apart from that,nothing else planned. I had a bit better night having only got up the once.
Hello Bob, in reply to your query about feeling the cold on Sutent, my mother is always freezing now, and never would have felt the cold previously, the central heating and hot water bottle were in use all summer. A strange thing happened with her today, she 'lost' about an hour of her day, her hairdresser came to the house, did her hair, when she left, my mother was wondering why the hairdresser was late, had absolutely no memory of her being there. This has never happened before, she is very sharp and with it. Her doctor felt that it could have been a mini stroke possibly caused by viscous blood from a blood transfusion yesterday, or else the cancer may have spread to the brain. Has anyone else had any similar experience.
Bob, the new site is a great idea and the photos are great, Jan
I havn't experienced loss of time but, as I did mention, I did have what I can only describe as some sort of seizure which caused me to grip the paintbrush I was holding, and I could't let go. Its only happened the once but it must be connected in some way.
After a really good nights sleep I had a really busy day at work and really achieved a lot in the half day I had there. I am nearing the end of the first week off the Sutent after completing my sixth cycle and if things go to the normal pattern I should feel pretty good next week. "watch this space"
