three weeks our partial nec

Brock1969

Hello all! I remember when I was first diagnosed and had a certain fear (as I am sure we all have gone through) and this forum was such a godsend. My lesion was caught completely at random (basically checking for a UTI, which turned out to be prostatitis) and there it was. It was so early (it was in the 2cm range) and I remember Annie giving so much comfort ("it's just a baby " and other words of great advice from Fox and Anissa and more. So very thankful. I was holding out hope that it could have been beningn, but it was not. Soooo, because I am a ruminator and tent to be hypersentitive to health issues, here are my main anxieties that I am sure this group will massage away as it always masterfully does!

Now, admittedly, I do NOT know all the specific terminologies so bear with me. Doctor said that I literally had the best case scenario cancer I would have possibly asked for in terms of type and size (he referred to two types, and sorry I cannot remember what he labeled mine, but said it was easily the best of the two). He also said they look at how deep into the kidney it is and this was literally hanging on the edge. Also said that it spread nowhere. Forgive me the conversation was a blur and I should have written it down...but I can go see my portal I suppose. 

I remember prior to surgery he gave me the option of just watching this for 6 months (knowing it was NOT really an option, but I think he wanted to comfort me) or freezing it off. Because it was such a slow growing cancer, he had very few concerns. Kept telling me I was blessed to have found it in its infancy. I feel very guilty raising my fears knowing how many people here have had such larger cancers, but here they are:

1. He mentioned that "it's gone" and that its recurrency rate is less than like 4%. Is this accurate? He said that I am no more likely to see kidney cancer in the future than pretty much anyone else (well, maybe a little more because I have HAD it, but the %s are quite small). 

2. I am 48. Is this a "scans for the rest of my life" type of thing or do they consider you "out of the woods" pretty much after that 5 year window? Again, baased on this was taken out so early and that it never had much of a chance to dig into a kidney. 

3. He mentioned "nobody wants to get cancer, but if one were to get cancer, the particulars of the one you had would be what you'd want." Again, all this good news yet I still have those dreadful thoughts of "is my body susceptible to cancer and will I spend the rest of my long life in constant fear?"

You guys I consider a blessing...like a group of master psychologists who advise from experience and strength. And man oh man are there strong people here. The first few days were rough with battling a fever, but I am up and at 'em right now and doing elliptical work. Funny (not so much ) story...I live in Rhode Island and in my first 12 days of home recovery we had three snow storms and lost power for 4, 3 and 2 days. The day after I got home I kept spiking a temp and there I was, no power, under four blankets, and seeing my breath in my 45 degree house! Not optimal!

Sorry so long...I like to write and this is a conforting place. Thanks for all that occurs on this forum. 

-Brock

 

 

icemantoo

No skiing till next winter

Brock,

 

Also don't shovvel snow until next winter. If you are going to have kidney cancer, you coulld't be luckier than have it discovered in the bud and dealt with. The chance of it spreading are almost nothing. There is a very small chance that it could recur in the other kidney and thats basically what the follow up is for. After 5 years my doctor went from annual CT's to Ultrasounds and I have had about a dozen of those.

 

icemantoo

Wehavenotimeatall

Well sorry you.

didnt get the best news where it turned out to be nothing but so glad you are on the other side

please please get your pathology.. I dearly want to know what they classified it as

like iceman said... no shovelling

 

 And dont rush the gym work yet

so pleased you have hope and a cure

Annie