Stage 3 question

Jojo, 

My husband was similarly Stage 3 Renal sinus fat invasion, extensive necrosis. Chromophobe. 7 cm. He was 47 at diagnosis, almost 18 months NED. 

Scans coming up in a week. 

I'm a wreck with the scanxiety and ask myself a lot about Stage 3's that remain NED for long period of time. Our doctor has mentioned several cases he knows of personally. Reading here actually doesn't give me whole lot of positive vibes for Stage 3 staying NED for long term, but I now that it is possible. Nor do I take any comfort in the posts about chromophobe being "indolent" since people here have moved to Stage 4 with this supposed 'indolent' cancer. And extensive necrosis? That's a crapshoot. 

What I do, however, take comfort in, is the idea that anyone is capeable of being a statistical "outlier" in a good way. I'm hoping for that. Someone has to be at the "good end" of the statistical spectrum. Plus my husband tends to be one lucky son of a B%&CH  in general so I really do think he's got some time left. It's tough. . .

I'm also stage 3 with renal vein invasion and having the same questions as you. Not a lot of long term stage 3 on this board to give us answers. 

foroughsh said:

JoJo, I'm stage 2 and always

JoJo, I'm stage 2 and always thinking most members are stage 1,3,4 here!!!! Maybe stage 1 ers also think there aren't enough stage 1 either.  People usually join these boards when they are in need and leave when they are calm. Please don't get nervus if there aren't stage 3 here, I've just had a panic attack and know how bad it is. I had all sysmtoms and convinced myself it's come back  but bone scan result was beautiful then those symptoms and stress were gone all of the sudden!!! May you have the same result.

Just want to say that I'll keep fingers crossed for good follow-up scans for you!

Hi Jojo,

Hi was diagnosed Stage 3TN0 almost 6 months ago....recent scans have shown 2 x 5mm nodes on my lungs so I am hoping to stay stge3 .....as they have not confirmed and wont treat until my next scan.... fingers crossed they stay 5mm.

Best of luck on your scans. I have a feeling that you will be fine.

Tim

angelsnls said:

good luck

Good luck to all of you having scans soon.

Love angela xx

Yes, echoing Angela. Keeping my fingers crossed for all you having scans and may they all come back NED.

Jojo61 said:

Thanks for everyone's

Thanks for everyone's comments and good wishes for those of us with upcoming scans.

I see we haven't had very many stage 3's chime in out there.

Sblairc - you vocalized my thoughts so well....I am feeling that the stage 3 is a holding place. Having read your summary, your husband and I are quite similar other than the chromophobe. But now that you know about my details do you think that my tumour involved necrosis? I can ask the oncologist next week, but just curious.

I must say I am feeling discouraged right now....I know Djinnie's present condition doesn't help matters.

Hugs

Jojo

 

 

I am pretty sure if you read the report and it didn't say it, then it probably didn't have it. I still can't get a clear understanding about the relevance of it anyways even after reading as many journal articles as I could find. I decided to stop totally fixating on it and just staying positive that we are going to beat this thing, get NED scans, at least for a while. 

It's weird, I just expect good scans now. I think those were Fox's words actually. Expect good scans. 

The stress of the unknown is very very difficult. It's been 18 months and I still go to therapy once a month. The abruptness of how my husband was diagnosed and the circumstances around it (which my 8 year old daughter was a part of) had the effect of post traumatic stress disorder. After Ron passed, I was very strongly considering "dropping off" from here. I wasn't sure I could handle it anymore. But that would be letting kidney cancer take away the good feeling I get from trying to help here. So dispite it all, here I am. In the holding pattern of my husband's Stage 3 scans trying to live in the moment as best as I can 

I JUST HAD MY SCANS DONE APRIL 3RD SO FAR CLEAR. HOPE EVERYONE HEARS GOOD VIBES ON THEIR UP COMING SCANS,  . THINKING OF YOU ALL ,HOPE ALL GOES WELL .

Ree_Maryland said:

scans

I JUST HAD MY SCANS DONE APRIL 3RD SO FAR CLEAR. HOPE EVERYONE HEARS GOOD VIBES ON THEIR UP COMING SCANS,  . THINKING OF YOU ALL ,HOPE ALL GOES WELL .

 

Jojo,

let's try to remain positive. Djinnie's  health has a deep effect on everybody's positivity, but the fact is that if it happenned to her - doesn't mean it will happen to you or someone else here...

I myself feel my health anxiety returning. I was so brave, positive and relatively calm during my fiance's treatment. I guess I was in fighting mode. Now, when things seem to be over, I get some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder too. I re-read his scan reports, find other minor health issues mentioned there, not related to cancer and obviously not dangerous. I blow them out of proportions and start thinking it may be another cancer not yet diagnosed, or become cancer in the future...

now I understand how crippling morally cancer is, both for patients and caregivers. This is also the thing we should fight against - letting cancer steal our lives, not physically, but metaphorically.

I will expect good scans for you, as Fox suggested. and they wilL come !

It WILL be NED. It just WILL!!!

JoJo:

sending good thoughts to you on your scans; interestingly, my husband's pathology was also T3(a) because the lab was unaware of his spinal mets that had already been treated.

I sure wish there were ways to get through these tests without stress.

Let us know 

Sarah