How do you feel while you're waiting?

grtdane

Hey all, I am scheduled for a bronchoscopy on Feb. 2 after getting two pulmonary nodes and a couple of lymph nodes flagged in a CT scan for my heart. My urologist said it is definitely a return of the kidney cancer, so lets just go on that. 

My question is, how do you feel when you are walking around with metastic kidney cancer day-to-day?

I feel tired all the time, and I have dull, but specific, noticeable pain in my chest. Because I have aortic stenosis, I complain to my cardiologist about the pain, and have for more than a year, but he keeps saying its not my heart. I work full time, not physical work, and have a five year old that wants to wrestle all the time I try and keep up but its a struggle. 

Anyway, I just don't feel well, no energy and haven't for awhile. Just wondering if its me, if its the mets, or if I am alone feeling like this. Thanks! 

Footstomper

I dont know about the pain in the chest (panic attack?)

But it sounds like perfectly natural anxiety to me.

Dutch1

I've been told that new mets

I've been told that new mets will be picked up by my scans before I will feel anything specifically related to the mets.  The scans find them while they are too small to feel or affect you.  BUT, I have felt all sorts of strange things in my body (with no new discovery of mets) that I will attribute to the pschological toll that cancer puts on us.  The cancer messes with us.  Keep an eye on those symptoms, though. 

When was your surgery?  It takes a while for everything to work back into place.  Maybe you're feeling that?

Mention the symptoms to your doctor and let the doctor figure out when follow up is needed.  Keep monitoring them.  I'm saying that the symptoms could have a "real" cause or they could be simply the pressure of having cancer weighing you down.

I guess that I didn't really help you.  I've had many discussions with my oncologist about stuff I've felt.  He's not been excited about any of them -- yet.  He saves his excitement for new scans which show the unexpected.

Dutch

 

grtdane

Dutch1 said:

I've been told that new mets

I've been told that new mets will be picked up by my scans before I will feel anything specifically related to the mets.  The scans find them while they are too small to feel or affect you.  BUT, I have felt all sorts of strange things in my body (with no new discovery of mets) that I will attribute to the pschological toll that cancer puts on us.  The cancer messes with us.  Keep an eye on those symptoms, though. 

When was your surgery?  It takes a while for everything to work back into place.  Maybe you're feeling that?

Mention the symptoms to your doctor and let the doctor figure out when follow up is needed.  Keep monitoring them.  I'm saying that the symptoms could have a "real" cause or they could be simply the pressure of having cancer weighing you down.

I guess that I didn't really help you.  I've had many discussions with my oncologist about stuff I've felt.  He's not been excited about any of them -- yet.  He saves his excitement for new scans which show the unexpected.

Dutch

 

Thanks Dutch

Ya I read that, and maybe its anxiety. I thought maybe if others were having the same experience I might hear that ya, a met can cause inflammation, or irriate a nerve or something like that if in a certain spot. My surgery was four years ago. My cardiologist ordered the CT because of my complaining, I get checked every year for the heart. 

I guess everybody is different, and I will know more soon after the bronchoscopy. Curious, how has your energy levels been through this? 

 

 

mrou50

Feel?

grtdane, I actually feel better when I am not on the chemo, the cancer typically doesn't bother me except for the bone mets they hurt most of the time.  I do take pain killers for the bone mets and the cough and pain caused by the cough.  When I am on Chemo, right now Cabo, I feel tired, sore,and nauseous most of the time.

 

Mark

donna_lee

How did I feel?

I didn't even know I had metastatic kidney cancer. Just the usual.  I had just finished a three year project to plan a Convention for nealy 600 attendees (with help, of course.)  So I felt relieved and exhausted.  I had a few minor bouts of nausea/gut ache, but could always blame them on 1) attending a convention, sitting for hours, and the rich food. 2) tail end of a cold and cough. 3) travel to a foreign country-flight, resort food, etc.

Thought maybe I had a gall stone and made a comment to my new PC Doc.  He ordered an US.  Click on my user name to find out what happeded next.

But to answer your question with a question.  If you didn't know you had cancer, i.e., go back to week prior to being diagnosed, how did you feel?  What you've done to yourself is pile on worry, stress, and anxiety; and only you can solve those problems.

Good Luck and hugs,

donna_lee

grtdane

mrou50 said:

Feel?

grtdane, I actually feel better when I am not on the chemo, the cancer typically doesn't bother me except for the bone mets they hurt most of the time.  I do take pain killers for the bone mets and the cough and pain caused by the cough.  When I am on Chemo, right now Cabo, I feel tired, sore,and nauseous most of the time.

 

Mark

Ya, I am not looking forward

Ya, I am not looking forward to going on medication. I guess I will have to wait and see what the next few tests turn up. Thanks Mark. 

grtdane

donna_lee said:

How did I feel?

I didn't even know I had metastatic kidney cancer. Just the usual.  I had just finished a three year project to plan a Convention for nealy 600 attendees (with help, of course.)  So I felt relieved and exhausted.  I had a few minor bouts of nausea/gut ache, but could always blame them on 1) attending a convention, sitting for hours, and the rich food. 2) tail end of a cold and cough. 3) travel to a foreign country-flight, resort food, etc.

Thought maybe I had a gall stone and made a comment to my new PC Doc.  He ordered an US.  Click on my user name to find out what happeded next.

But to answer your question with a question.  If you didn't know you had cancer, i.e., go back to week prior to being diagnosed, how did you feel?  What you've done to yourself is pile on worry, stress, and anxiety; and only you can solve those problems.

Good Luck and hugs,

donna_lee

Hi Donna Lee, I guess to

Hi Donna Lee, I guess to answer your question I have had fatigue issues for awhile. I think having cancer in your body whether you know it or not might cause some fatigue, but who knows? Honestly, I had a year of very strong chemo, and six months radiation as a teenager for hodgkins and once in the clear felt normal for decades. But because of my health history, including the calcifying aortic valve, kidney removal and such I just feel tired. Tired of going through this stuff so ya, it is partly mental. Gotta keep my chin up! 

Footstomper

grtdane said:

Ya, I am not looking forward

Ya, I am not looking forward to going on medication. I guess I will have to wait and see what the next few tests turn up. Thanks Mark. 

I am not looking forward to going on medication.

You may well not need to go on medication. You've got enough to worry about without adding to it. Take a day. Take another. Go to the Doc. See what your doing next. Do it. You'll be fine.

Hd67xlch

Quit thinking about it

If all you have is a couple of lung nodules and lymph nodes dont sweat it, if they come back positive you will have them surgically removed and you will be fine. Ive had the lung surgery twice, both times two small nodules in each lung. Its a piece of cake a week in the hospital and a week at home and you will be back at work knowing you dont have any more cancer. In the mean time get some edible medical pot , try a sativa strain it will be very uplifting and not make you feel as stoned as a indica strain, very helpfull with depression and pain, not to mention it will make you feel good.

Jan4you

First let me say I am sorry

First let me say I am sorry for anything you are going through, but having mets sure gets one's attention.

I also think PAIN is trying to inform us of something going on. We see our medical professionals, or folks on forums to get their opinion. MIND=Body is connected, but you didn't have this "anxiety" till someone told you.

INFLAMMATION, from foods, beverages we ingest, and with chronic illness is REAL and causes lots of symptoms, including PAIN.

So from me to you, the pain is real. Take a look at what you are eating, ingesting and start there. There are lots of anti-inflammatory foods to choose which help, so look that up. And there are NSAIDS (ibruprofin, Motrin type) but if you only have 1 kidney you can no longer take NSAIDS.

Since must can be mind-body, learn how to meditate, STRETCH and relaxation techniques. It helps a lot too.

Sending you healing hugs and hope!

Jan

todd121

Tiredness

Anxiety. Stress. Depression. It's a natural reaction.

It could be something else, but it might be this simple.

Todd