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.
Yesterday we spent all day at the hospital with Lindas dad and his operation went really well. We came home absolutely exausted and needing a "proper" cup of tea. What is it about hospital tea, It just doen't cut the mustard. Last night Matt an old friend of mine from St John days came over and we had a long and varied chat, putting the world to right, as you do. We hit the sack feeling totally knackered at 10.30 and I slept like a log until now. This morning we have to wake kate up early as we have an interview for Kate to do on radio Cambridge before Kate goes to school. We have to travel to the radio Cambridge studios in Cambridge for this. Then at lunch time we pick up Kate again and go to the Cancer research site in Cambridge for Kate to do her newspaper and possibly telly interview. For those of you reading my thread for the first time and wondering what its all about, Kate was one of the top fundraisers in the local "Race For Life" events and Cancer research wanted to recognise this with a publicity stunt. We are all for this as it puts the plight of Cancer sufferers back in the media spotlight and hopefully public opinion about Sutent will be fired up..
Well Today went really well. At the crack of dawn we went to the radio Cambridge studios and our interview was done and at lunch time we had a photo session at the Cancer research centre which went really well.At eight ocklock we arrived at the Radio Cambridge studios and were met by staff at the door. We waited in the reception and after a coffee we were ushered out to begin the interview. They talked to kate first asking her about the money she had raised and why she had done it, then they spoke to me about my cancer and asked how well I was doing.Finaly they spoke to Linda before finishing the interview.Then, much to Katesw dissapointment we took her back to schoolintil midday. Then it was time tio go to the Cancer research institute to do a mock up of then race for life and to have Kates picture taken with proffessor eisen Who accepted the money on behalf of cancer research. Once this was done we were given a V.I.P tour of the centre and shown a portion of all the work they carry out. Then they showered Kate withgifts before we departed knackered for home.
Well todays been a nother busy day. Lindas dad came home from hospital and is spending a couple of nights with us. He has done really well and it wont be long before he is driving around in his car. This morning I tried to put my coat on to take mollie for a walk and I thought "this feels funny" I had shoulders like Joan Collins and I could't work out what was wrong. Then I realised the cushioned back of the chair the coat was hanging on was missing and jammed in the back of my coat. needless to say I felt a bit of a prat and was just thankfull nobody had seen us. This afternoon Myself and Kate decided to plant some bulbs my mum had bought me for my birthday. I looked in the garage for something to kneel on and the only thing I could find to sit on was a childs booster seat. So there was kate and me sitting in full view of everybody in the front garden sitting on booster seats.I hope not too many people noticed.Tomorrows my last day of rest off the Sutent and I start on my seventh cycle on Monday.
Felt good again today. Tomorrow I start my 7th cycle of Sutent, oh I cant wait. I seem to get a bit of a reacurring problem with my hands but nothing that stops me from work or play. Today I cut front lawn and managed to wash two cars and polish one of them. Lindas mum and dad went home today as he is doing really well. I weighed myself today and was a bit shocked that I had lost over half a stone, so today I have ate for England, in fact anything I can get my hands on. Tomorrow I have Acer comming out to fix this computer which is so tempremental that I dare not switch it off anymore. If I dont post tommorow you can assume he buggered it up completely. On Tuesday I have the double glazing man comming round to look at a few windows witha view to fixing them. I am trying desperately to get the house all sorted before anything happens to me. I hope all your wekends were as good as mine.
Yesterday I started the Sutent and promptly had an awful night. As soon as I lied down, up came the horrible taste. I ended up sleeping downstairs propped up with cushions. I did manage to drop off after a while. Linda and Myself have been grandad checking since he came out of hospital and last night we got a call so off I went. When I got there nanny couldn't join the night drainage bag onto the day bag because grandad had lost the small length of thicker tube that joins them. After popping home and scratching our heads I came accross one of Kate clear tubular skipping ropes. I promtly cut a bit off one end and it fitted perfectly,disaster averted. Today I am off to work and then we have been invited out to lunch. By the way it seems our scales were playing up so my weight loss was not so alarming after all, which was a bit of a relief.
Well, as I was up so early this morning I took Justin to work and then went to work myself. My day went well and I achieved a lot in the short time I was there. We then went out to lunch with our old next door neighbours which was very nice as my appertite seems to have returned with a vengeance. At the moment I seem to be getting a lot of out to dinner and out for a drink type offers. Im not sure if people think I am likely to pop my clogs but I would like to assure everybody I will not be going anywhere yet. Today is day 2 on my seventh cycle of Sutent and apart from my bad night last night, I feel pretty good. We are beginning to think about next years holiday.It is so hard to contemplate booking something so far in advance when you don't know if you will even be alive to enjoy it, but my way of thinking is, if we book it, then ive gotta be around and thats the end of it.
Hello I come on this site every now and then after losing my dad to pancreatic cancer and i always look out for your posts. I think you sound like a truly amazing man and i bet your little girl and step children are proud to call you dad. Your attitude to life is great i am glad you feel so well, long may it continue x
