Im a new member

FormerMember over 5 years ago

4 replies
30 subscribers
1387 views

I would like to introduce myself, Im Pete a 73 year old from Warrington Cheshire and a retired engineer. This is quite a long story ..... sorry.

15 yrs ago I had kidney cancer and had a radical nephrectomy of the left kidney it had gone into my lymph nodes and was given little chance of survival but I did against 10% odds. I recovered slowly and regained full fitness doing my hobby as a serious cyclist and did a 100 mile challenge.

2 yrs ago with no symptoms at a routine check up at my GP and with a prostate PSA of 7 steady over many years they did the finger test and said it was enlarged. Sent to see a consultant who had a look with a camera he said a bit of blood in there piles maybe I thought. He sent me for a full colorectal exam the next week and the outcome was rectal cancer. Next thing it was CT and MRI scans which proved that I had rectal cancer, prostate cancer and a tumour in my pancreas!! Long story short I now have a Stoma bag for life, had chemo post op then biopsy on the prostate proved stage 3 as was the rectal cancer so radiotherapy and hormone therapy which brought my PSA and testosterone to almost zero and treatment finished. Just had another CT scan and I have to wait until June 5th for the results. The tumour in my pancreas was biopsed earlier and it is historic from my kidney cancer so a renal cell tumour rather than a pancreatic one, this has been stable in size for 2 yrs so fingers crossed it will remain so.

Still cycling but just 30 milers at present hoping to improve

Regards Pete.

src60 over 5 years ago

Hi ,

Sorry to read your story, unfortunately perhaps not as untypical as we might like and I did not find it long at all especially considering everything you have been through. It is my wife with the cancer but hers like your kidney cancer is stable and has been for over 6 years, took us some time but we have manged to get to a reasonably happy state of living with cancer.

Waiting for scan results is a pain (I thought of saying something more there but also having had a prostrate exam I thought I would refrain!) commonly on here we refer to this time as scanexity.

There are lots of people on here with stoma bags and I have often seen some really good advice passed back and forth both when people have had problems or tips that people found worked well for them.

While never totally happy to see new members join our band I am really glad you found us and hope you find the community useful.

<<hugs>>

Steve

FormerMember over 5 years ago in reply to src60

Thanks for your swift reply Steve, I could have gone into a lot more detail but may leave it until someone else may ask for my experience in each of the proceedures I have had. Cheers Pete.

FormerMember over 5 years ago

Hi Pete and second welcome to the mac family and you certainly arrived with a story to tell and I'm almost certain that you've only touched the top of the iceberg.

It might be a good idea to place the above into your profile page which avoids having to repeat yourself and many of our members do refer to it before responding.

Starting/Editing your PROFILE

Normally at this stage I would start to signpost to our specific groups that you could join and pass on your experiences.

Shall we start with Kidney cancer forum, Bowel (colon and rectal) cancer forum, Prostate cancer forum and Ileostomy, colostomy, urostomy and any other stoma support but with journey you have to tell the Life after cancer forum might just be the place for you.

You have demonstrated the power of exercise is a wonderful tool to aid recovery, I'm sure that 30 miles will not be the end of it and a sneaky 100 will appear soon.

Ian

Ian436 over 5 years ago in reply to src60

Hi, I had my left kidney removed by radical nephrectomy 5 years ago, and have had clear scans up till now. Unfortunately it has now come back in my pancreas. I’ve to get a biopsy then treatment or not if it’s not serious enough thereafter. If I have to get treatment it will be with tki oral tablets. The possible side effects look terrible, you seem to have done remarkably well, so any tips on coping would be very welcome. I don’t go cycling, fishing is my hobby, so not as much strain on the body as yours. Hope you are still doing well.

Ian436