Pathology Report!! As good as it gets, so I am told........
So, as most of you know I had my surgery (total radical nephrectomy) on 4/29/13 and I have my pathology report.
Below are the findings:
1. Renal Cell Carcinoma, clear cell type
2. Fuhrman Nuclear Grade 2 out of 4
3. Size: 4.7cm / I was informed by my Urologist that images taken (CT Scan/MRI) showed a larger tumor size (according to my previous posts, CT Scan on 4/18/13 showed a mass of 5.3cm); due to the blood flowing thru the tumor, it appeared larger than it's actual size.
4. Tumor appears limited to the kidney (tumor shows foci invasion into the renal capsule, but does not definitely appear to invade beyond it).
5. Vascular, ureter and peripheral margins free of tumor.
6. No definite vascular/lymphatic space tumor invasion identified.
7. Adrenal gland with no malignancy identified.
8. Pathologic Stage (AJCC Stage): pT1b, NX (Stage I)
9. Non-Neoplastic Kidney with no significant pathologic alterations.
I am still at home healing and tomorrow I will return to school (2 weeks post-op) and I will return to work as a nurse on 5/19. My incisions are healing well (ITCHY) but that is as expected, other than that NO PAIN. I haven't experienced any fevers or BM problems & I am HAPPY about that. I must admit that at times I do get sad and am unsure of how to consider myself lucky (so I am told). Most of the time I am grateful and try very hard to consider myself lucky yet I am trying to take care of the kidney I do have along with the rest of my temple (body). My next goal is to lose 30 lbs by my next Dr visit & considering I won't begin a heavy exercise routine till June, it will be GAME ON.
For me what works is to divert my focus. I can't worry about things I have no control over nor can I allow stress to consume me. I must continue to be my happy, positive self regardless of outside forces and have faith that I was brought thru all this for a reason. This is a hard battle but I believe in the strength a positive outlook has.
Warm Regards,
Donna
Comments
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As good as it gets, so I am told........
And they were right - there are not many better path reports you could get.
Being positive now is also right but I'd leave the heavy workouts until at least the end of June, certainly not the beginning, and even then start gently.
Do you have to resume school and nursing, full-time, so soon? A few of us here will feel you're pushing the boat out too soon. If so, you could delay your recovery in the longer term. If Fox comments on this, I'd heed his advice (whether or not he agrees with my thoughts on it).
Incidentally, for anyone who does find they've overdone it, or is just suffering from fatigue following surgery, this excellent short You Tube video, just flagged on Smart Patients, is well worth the ten minutes of watching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTFPMYGe86s 0 -
This is not a MarathonTexas_wedge said:As good as it gets, so I am told........
And they were right - there are not many better path reports you could get.
Being positive now is also right but I'd leave the heavy workouts until at least the end of June, certainly not the beginning, and even then start gently.
Do you have to resume school and nursing, full-time, so soon? A few of us here will feel you're pushing the boat out too soon. If so, you could delay your recovery in the longer term. If Fox comments on this, I'd heed his advice (whether or not he agrees with my thoughts on it).
Incidentally, for anyone who does find they've overdone it, or is just suffering from fatigue following surgery, this excellent short You Tube video, just flagged on Smart Patients, is well worth the ten minutes of watching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTFPMYGe86s Gkad to hear the initiation turned out so good. If you can ease back into school and work. However, being so much younger I am sure you had it easier than many of us.
Icemantoo
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Thank you TexasTexas_wedge said:As good as it gets, so I am told........
And they were right - there are not many better path reports you could get.
Being positive now is also right but I'd leave the heavy workouts until at least the end of June, certainly not the beginning, and even then start gently.
Do you have to resume school and nursing, full-time, so soon? A few of us here will feel you're pushing the boat out too soon. If so, you could delay your recovery in the longer term. If Fox comments on this, I'd heed his advice (whether or not he agrees with my thoughts on it).
Incidentally, for anyone who does find they've overdone it, or is just suffering from fatigue following surgery, this excellent short You Tube video, just flagged on Smart Patients, is well worth the ten minutes of watching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTFPMYGe86s I appreciate your words of advice. Class is 2 days a week & is a 1 1/2 hrs long. I am nearly done with the semester, so I would say I hope I will be ok to finish. I decided to take the summer off to recouperate & focus on losing the weight. Unfortunately I am not receiving any financial support, so I honestly have no choice. Luckily I work on a floor where lifting isn't the norm or required. I do have to walk, raise/lower beds & utilize wheelchairs otherwise, nothing else purely physical is involved. I hope I will be ok and the plan is to listen to my body. So if I feel I need to rest, then rest it will be.
Thanks again Texas!
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Happy for ya Pink!pinkstar said:Thank you Texas
I appreciate your words of advice. Class is 2 days a week & is a 1 1/2 hrs long. I am nearly done with the semester, so I would say I hope I will be ok to finish. I decided to take the summer off to recouperate & focus on losing the weight. Unfortunately I am not receiving any financial support, so I honestly have no choice. Luckily I work on a floor where lifting isn't the norm or required. I do have to walk, raise/lower beds & utilize wheelchairs otherwise, nothing else purely physical is involved. I hope I will be ok and the plan is to listen to my body. So if I feel I need to rest, then rest it will be.
Thanks again Texas!
Happy for ya Pink!
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Thank you Ice!icemantoo said:This is not a Marathon
Gkad to hear the initiation turned out so good. If you can ease back into school and work. However, being so much younger I am sure you had it easier than many of us.
Icemantoo
Yes, I agree with you & I have every plan on resting when I feel it's needed. I listened to my Dr, despite the fact I fought the diagnosis since day 1. Yes, I still believe there is a familial aspect to my diagnosis although I am grateful for the surgery. I researched my Dr before hand via the Medical Board of California. He's been licensed almost as long as I have been alive and has no restrictions. Did I mention he also teaches the surgery? He has a significant amount of teaching hours too. Finding this out helped me gain his trust and his straight forward approach helped. That is what my Dr said Ice. I would also have to agree.
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Thank you Cran!cran1 said:Happy for ya Pink!
Happy for ya Pink!
I appreciate that Cran! I forgot to mention that my Dr did take out the adrenal gland along with the surrounding fat for precautionary measures. I really don't feel any difference compared to before my surgery. I do feel relief. I hope & pray that I will never hear the C word again. In the meantime, I will do my best to be healthier & get my F Cancer t shirt that I so badly need.
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Marvelous news!pinkstar said:Thank you Cran!
I appreciate that Cran! I forgot to mention that my Dr did take out the adrenal gland along with the surrounding fat for precautionary measures. I really don't feel any difference compared to before my surgery. I do feel relief. I hope & pray that I will never hear the C word again. In the meantime, I will do my best to be healthier & get my F Cancer t shirt that I so badly need.
I am pressing to get back into the classroom, but teaching ASAP!
So happy for you! I hope mine is as good!
Michael
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Thank you MD!! I alwaysMDCinSC said:Marvelous news!
I am pressing to get back into the classroom, but teaching ASAP!
So happy for you! I hope mine is as good!
Michael
Thank you MD!! I always trusted my instincts 1st & went with my gut. No doubt, you will be fine. Please let us know how you are feeling & be candid about your experience. This way you are assured to get the help you need.
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I am glad to see your results turned out so well. It has been a long wait for you, it must have been hard on you knowing you needed to have this op, but not having the right insurance. Your determination won through and will stand you in good stead in fighting this disease.
I always think that luck is the wrong term to use, is it a good thing that it was caught in time, yes it is but I would consider it to be more - one of life's challenges, upon which it is surely only natural to reflect. Such reflection, for me at least, only serves to highlight your strength and positivity in moving forward.
All the best
Djinnie x
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Summing upGalrim said:As histology´s go...
...Thats certainly not the worst one. So given its a bit akward to congratulate anyone with a cancer histology , its still a thumbs up :-)
/G
Very well put!
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You da man!Texas_wedge said:Summing up
Very well put!
Wait, You da WOMAN!!!!! Donna, you are approaching recovery the right way. Live on. Never waste energy or thoughts on the negative aspects of life. Just don't feel that you can be a superwoman and reachieve your pre-op function too quickly. I'll bet you a pizza that you will admit to being more fatigued in a couple months than you anticipate. Again, We have been programmed for our entire lives with our bodies taking internal self checks. Homeostasis. Our nervous systems will identify "something" different for a long time. But with time, it does become the "new" normal. There is no short cut to this. The repetition of daily life takes thousands and thousands of repeats before new adjustments become the new you. Not unlike replacing one activity with another when trying to break a bad habit. As a nurse, you know that coach potatos don't ever recover as well as most athletes do. Athletes have a much greater pool of experiences to draw from. Interrupt a caoch potatos life style and what do they replace it with? They are tough to motivate and redirect. Way to much disruption from what is normal for them.
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Great perspective!foxhd said:You da man!
Wait, You da WOMAN!!!!! Donna, you are approaching recovery the right way. Live on. Never waste energy or thoughts on the negative aspects of life. Just don't feel that you can be a superwoman and reachieve your pre-op function too quickly. I'll bet you a pizza that you will admit to being more fatigued in a couple months than you anticipate. Again, We have been programmed for our entire lives with our bodies taking internal self checks. Homeostasis. Our nervous systems will identify "something" different for a long time. But with time, it does become the "new" normal. There is no short cut to this. The repetition of daily life takes thousands and thousands of repeats before new adjustments become the new you. Not unlike replacing one activity with another when trying to break a bad habit. As a nurse, you know that coach potatos don't ever recover as well as most athletes do. Athletes have a much greater pool of experiences to draw from. Interrupt a caoch potatos life style and what do they replace it with? They are tough to motivate and redirect. Way to much disruption from what is normal for them.
Fox, when I grow up, I want to be just like you! Will you adopt me?
Seriously, you have a great outlook and it is very simialr to mine! I like having you inspiring the rest of us! Keep up the good work!
Michael
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Great perspective indeed!MDCinSC said:Great perspective!
Fox, when I grow up, I want to be just like you! Will you adopt me?
Seriously, you have a great outlook and it is very simialr to mine! I like having you inspiring the rest of us! Keep up the good work!
Michael
There's only one Fox. But then I guess there's also only one GRAF with a face like that!
It's good to see you continuing to stay relaxed Michael - not long to go before the op is behind you and you're telling us all how well you've done too.
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Probably so Fox! I went tofoxhd said:You da man!
Wait, You da WOMAN!!!!! Donna, you are approaching recovery the right way. Live on. Never waste energy or thoughts on the negative aspects of life. Just don't feel that you can be a superwoman and reachieve your pre-op function too quickly. I'll bet you a pizza that you will admit to being more fatigued in a couple months than you anticipate. Again, We have been programmed for our entire lives with our bodies taking internal self checks. Homeostasis. Our nervous systems will identify "something" different for a long time. But with time, it does become the "new" normal. There is no short cut to this. The repetition of daily life takes thousands and thousands of repeats before new adjustments become the new you. Not unlike replacing one activity with another when trying to break a bad habit. As a nurse, you know that coach potatos don't ever recover as well as most athletes do. Athletes have a much greater pool of experiences to draw from. Interrupt a caoch potatos life style and what do they replace it with? They are tough to motivate and redirect. Way to much disruption from what is normal for them.
Probably so Fox! I went to school today & yep, I have HW. I am exhausted. LOL....so I'm taking it easy for a few hrs then I will get up to do what I need to do. I am definitely taking it easy & if I was receiving disability or short term disability then I would definitely take more time off. Financially, it just isn't an option for me but I will definitely take a break if I need too.
Thank you everyone!
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Thank you Djinnie....It wasDjinnie said:I am glad to see your results turned out so well. It has been a long wait for you, it must have been hard on you knowing you needed to have this op, but not having the right insurance. Your determination won through and will stand you in good stead in fighting this disease.
I always think that luck is the wrong term to use, is it a good thing that it was caught in time, yes it is but I would consider it to be more - one of life's challenges, upon which it is surely only natural to reflect. Such reflection, for me at least, only serves to highlight your strength and positivity in moving forward.
All the best
Djinnie x
Thank you Djinnie....It was very hard trying my best to live life, while knowing there was something growing inside me that shouldn't have been. In that time I moved back to my home town, graduated from nursing school & began a new life as a nurse. I can't tell you how hard it was for me except I was so busy living life, that I hardly had the time to think about the mass. That is the best advice I can give anyone. Live your life as happy as possible & do your best to divert your focus. Rather than focus on the negative, focus on the blessings in your life & take the time to smell the roses. I have known 2 people who had a kidney removed due to a mass present & both died by other causes than cancer.
Thanks again
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taking time offpinkstar said:Thank you Eims!!
Thank you Eims!!
reminded me that at my work, people would take every minute off they earned. I had accumalated maybe 6-8 weeks of time off. We were standing in the front office with the boss discussing just this, on a friday. I said, "But what would you do if you got sick and needed time off?" I emphasized the need to squirrel away paid time off. Wouldn't you know that was the weekend that I was admitted to the hospital for my nephrectomy.
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I wish Fox. I have only beenfoxhd said:taking time off
reminded me that at my work, people would take every minute off they earned. I had accumalated maybe 6-8 weeks of time off. We were standing in the front office with the boss discussing just this, on a friday. I said, "But what would you do if you got sick and needed time off?" I emphasized the need to squirrel away paid time off. Wouldn't you know that was the weekend that I was admitted to the hospital for my nephrectomy.
I wish Fox. I have only been at my hospital for 6 months & I waited to do the surgery as soon as my 6 month probation was over. You got lucky! I wish I had the opportunity but I don't. I am just happy that my job is waiting there for me.
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