Member of the club now? :)

James1980
James1980 Member Posts: 10
in Kidney Cancer #1
Can I officially count myself as a member of the club now? I had my surgery on 9/12 and it was an astounding success. My relatively small (2 cm) tumor was found to be malignant and I am in the process of healing now. The doctor personally called me to tell me that he felt superbly confident that the cancer is completely gone and I can consider myself completely cured!

The surgery was a breeze (I don't even remember it, haha!) The recovery has been painful, but each day gets easier.

I don't know if I could have maintained my sanity had it not been for this board. Everything you all told me turned out to be accurate. The build up to the surgery was difficult, the first week was crazy painful, and now I look back and wonder why I was so worried.

I still find it hard to say "I had cancer" or "I'm a cancer survivor," but I am and hope to be as helpful to future posters as everyone was to me.


This community has been a God send!

Comments

  • garym
    garym Member Posts: 1,647
    #2
    YES!!!
    Hi James,

    Welcome back and since your initiation is now complete you are definitely a full fledged member of the club, CONGRATULATIONS! Seriously, it is good o hear that everything went well and you are on the mend, remember, drink plenty of water and walk as much as you can, both pay great dividends during recovery. We long for the day that this site is no longer needed, but in the meantime your help with the newbies will be much appreciated.

    Rock on,

    Gary
  • rae_rae
    rae_rae Member Posts: 300 Member
    #3
    garym said:

    YES!!!
    Hi James,

    Welcome back and since your initiation is now complete you are definitely a full fledged member of the club, CONGRATULATIONS! Seriously, it is good o hear that everything went well and you are on the mend, remember, drink plenty of water and walk as much as you can, both pay great dividends during recovery. We long for the day that this site is no longer needed, but in the meantime your help with the newbies will be much appreciated.

    Rock on,

    Gary

    Welcome
    To the club! While the initiation process sucks, this is the best little club of the most awesome, inspiring and warm-hearted people you will find anywhere! Glad everything went well!

    Rae
  • matchframe
    matchframe Member Posts: 58
    #4
    Welcome to the club!!
    You had your surgery almost exactly a year after I did. Mine was also 2cm and malignant. Some days the healing seemed to be slow, but it does get better. I finally went back to work first week of November last year and have not slowed down since.

    I too had to adjust to saying "I'm a cancer survivor" Be sure to participate in your local Walk for Life which is usually early Summer. I went this year for the first time and it was amazing the community support for those of us who are survivors.
  • alice124
    alice124 Member Posts: 896 Member
    #5
    Member of the club!
    That's wonderful James - I'm soooooooooooooooooooo happy for you. Now that you've been through the ordeal, isn't it kind of refreshing to wake up in the morning and appreciate being healthy and alive? It's something so many of us take for granted until we get the scare of our lifetime. Again congratulations.
  • JackieP125
    JackieP125 Member Posts: 56
    #6
    New
    Congrats to you. Sounds like you are on your way to a full recovery. God is good!!!
  • James1980
    James1980 Member Posts: 10
    #7
    Thanks!
    Thank you all for the kind comments. Today has been one of those days. I had to go in to see the surgeon because of some wound issues. They messed with the wound a little and I have been having a dull pain since. I never thought I would be so grateful for pain, though, because I would much rather have the pains of healing than the pains of chemo or radiation.

    Even though I'm glad to be a "member of the club," I certainly pray for the day when there are no new members. I have always been a contributor to the Relay for Life and other ACS charities, but now they hold a much bigger place in my heart. Thanks again for the kind words!
  • James1980
    James1980 Member Posts: 10
    #8
    alice124 said:

    Member of the club!
    That's wonderful James - I'm soooooooooooooooooooo happy for you. Now that you've been through the ordeal, isn't it kind of refreshing to wake up in the morning and appreciate being healthy and alive? It's something so many of us take for granted until we get the scare of our lifetime. Again congratulations.

    Life
    Yes, it is so great to wake up each day and bask in what the Lord has created. Life is too precious to take for granted and I hope that one thing I take from this is to take time to smell the roses and slow down and enjoy everything I am given!
  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #9
    James1980 said:

    Thanks!
    Thank you all for the kind comments. Today has been one of those days. I had to go in to see the surgeon because of some wound issues. They messed with the wound a little and I have been having a dull pain since. I never thought I would be so grateful for pain, though, because I would much rather have the pains of healing than the pains of chemo or radiation.

    Even though I'm glad to be a "member of the club," I certainly pray for the day when there are no new members. I have always been a contributor to the Relay for Life and other ACS charities, but now they hold a much bigger place in my heart. Thanks again for the kind words!

    Attitude
    James,

    You have a great attitude. How about helping me with the newbies for the next 10 years. The difficult cases are helping the members who join with more baggage and we can't promise them everything will be fine,


    Icemantoo

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