I am here for my Mom, and I need some help if you can..

I love my Mom
I love my Mom Member Posts: 3
in Kidney Cancer #1
The whole problem (other than the obvious issue of cancer) is deciding which board to refer my Mom to here....kidney or bladder. Hmmm....we really have a lot of problems here, but this seems to be one that I can help with.

Here is a short version of our wild-ride so far (which I'm sure you are all familiar with)...

My mom went to the ER last Wednesday morning with pain that she was thinking was related to her gall bladder (she does have gall bladder issues), but after some preliminary testing they ruled that out.

They ordered a CT scan of the abdomen and found a large mass on her left kidney and impeding the ureter.

*sigh*

Admission to M.D. Anderson.......no passing go and no collecting $200.

They did a biopsy on Monday morning, and the frozen section came back with a preliminary diagnosis of Transitional Cell Carcinoma.

The final on the pathology came back today and it said we are looking at "PUNLMP" (Papillary Urothelial Neoplasm of Low Malignant Potential).

So it seems we have some conflicting information - we don't know what it is....but it seems either way they will be removing her left kidney/ureter and (of course) the mass.

What do you guys know about this?

I want to bring my Mom here - she loves keeping in touch with friends and family and I just bought her an Ipad for her to have in the hospital, so I'm doing some leg work to get her started.

I feel monumentally helpless.

My name is Kelly, and that's my Mom in my avatar - her name is Joyce.

Thanks for anything you can share!!!

Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    MD Anderson
    Kelly, As far as medical help your mother is at a top notch hospital and they can do a hack of a better job than any of us can weigh in on.

    Nearly all of us on this board have had our little nepherectomys and we can even make light of the surgery. No fun. But most of us seem to recover and lead normal lives. Mine was 9 years ago at age 59. Eleven months later for my 60th birthday I went water skiing and took a trapeze (not trampolene) lesson.

    Take some time and read some of the stories on this board. They usually start with complete devistation when we are diagnosed with Kidney Cancer and are told right out of the box that we have major surgery to the realization that for most of us we have a normal life ahead of us and that it was not so bad afterall. Some of us even develope a little humor and levity on our journey.

    Best wishes to Mom and you.

    Icemantoo
  • I love my Mom
    I love my Mom Member Posts: 3
    #3
    icemantoo said:

    MD Anderson
    Kelly, As far as medical help your mother is at a top notch hospital and they can do a hack of a better job than any of us can weigh in on.

    Nearly all of us on this board have had our little nepherectomys and we can even make light of the surgery. No fun. But most of us seem to recover and lead normal lives. Mine was 9 years ago at age 59. Eleven months later for my 60th birthday I went water skiing and took a trapeze (not trampolene) lesson.

    Take some time and read some of the stories on this board. They usually start with complete devistation when we are diagnosed with Kidney Cancer and are told right out of the box that we have major surgery to the realization that for most of us we have a normal life ahead of us and that it was not so bad afterall. Some of us even develope a little humor and levity on our journey.

    Best wishes to Mom and you.

    Icemantoo

    Thank you for your reply -
    Thank you for your reply - SO MUCH!

    I am reading...and there is a lot to read :-)

    A ton of great information....I will have my Mom here as soon as I can.

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!
  • newenglandguy
    newenglandguy Member Posts: 66
    #4
    I love my Mom said:

    Thank you for your reply -
    Thank you for your reply - SO MUCH!

    I am reading...and there is a lot to read :-)

    A ton of great information....I will have my Mom here as soon as I can.

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    Kelly This a great site with
    Kelly

    This a great site with a great bunch of knowledgeable folks. Also check out the ACOR Kidney-Onc site. You go to www.acor.org and sign up for the Kidney Onc Listserv.
  • Minnesota Girl
    Minnesota Girl Member Posts: 119
    #5
    We're here to help
    Hi Kelly - I can't speak much to your specifics, but I can tell you that you and your mom will find a lot of support within this group. I was diagnosed "by accident" in May. The first few days after you hear "you have cancer" are truly mind-numbing. And, as you are already beginning to see, information comes quick and the situation can be ever changing. Try to hang loose and go with the flow. In another week you'll have a lot more definite information.
  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #6
    Minnesota Girl said:

    We're here to help
    Hi Kelly - I can't speak much to your specifics, but I can tell you that you and your mom will find a lot of support within this group. I was diagnosed "by accident" in May. The first few days after you hear "you have cancer" are truly mind-numbing. And, as you are already beginning to see, information comes quick and the situation can be ever changing. Try to hang loose and go with the flow. In another week you'll have a lot more definite information.

    Welcome to the club...
    Hi Kelly,

    Very sorry to hear about what you and your mom are going through, but it sounds like everything that can be done is being done at this point. Things probably seems to be happening fast right now, and I'm guessing that mom will be relying heavily on you for support through this, but slow things down if you can and give your emotions a chance to settle down, don't be afraid to ask a bunch of questions and do some research on your own. Knowledge is power, the more calm and confident you are the easier this will be for your mom. Also, its pretty easy to get lost in all of this, so don't forget to take care of yourself as well. Things should clear up pretty quickly and a treatment plan will be developed, before you know it this will all be behind you and things will be returning to "normal".

    You are in my thoughts and prayers,

    Gary

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