Help!

I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH KIDNEY CANCER THREE YEARS AGO. IN JULY OF 2000 MY RIGHT KIDNEY WAS REMOVED AT SLOAN KETTERING HOSPITAL IN NYC.THERE WAS A QUESTIONABLE MASS ON MY LEFT KIDNEY AND LEFT ADRENAL GLAND BUT THE DOCTOR WANTED TO HOLD OFF. A YEAR LATER AFTER TAKING AN MRI AND CT SCAN THE DOCTOR RECCOMMENDED A PARTIAL NEPHRECTOMY OF MY LEFT KIDNEY ALONG WITH THER REMOVAL OF THE LEFT ADRENAL GLAND. THE RECOVERY TIME WAS LONGER BECAUSE OF COMPLICATIONS. I WAS PUT ON CORTISONE BECAUSE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MY RIGHT ADRENAL GLAND WASN'T FUNCTIONING AND A LITTLE MORE THAN HALF MY LEFT KIDNEY WAS REMOVED. I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL BUT I AM ON MANY MEDS RIGHT NOW AS A RESULT OF THE SURGERY AND THEY HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH MEDS AND CHOOSE ONES THAT ARE EXCRETED THROUGH THE LIVER RATHER THAN THE KIDNEY. I DEVELOPED HIGHT BLOOD PRESSURE, OSTEPEROSIS AND OTHER CONDITIONS AS A RESULT OF THE CORTISONE BESIDES PUTTING ON 60 POUNDS. I ALSO WEAR AN ANABOLIC TESTOSTERONE PATCH BECAUSE MY LEVELS ARE VERY LOW. IT WAS JUST DISCOVERED THAT MY BAD CHOLESTEROL IS 5 X WHAT IT SHOULD BE AND ALSO HAVE AN UNDERAWCTIVE THYROID AND WAS PUT ON SYNTHROID. THE DOCTOR NOW WANTS ME TO WAIT BEFORE GIVING ME MEDS TO LOWER MY CHOLESTEROL, HE FEELS THAT THE THYROID MEDICATION MIGHT HELP THAT. I AM A 55 YEAR OLD MALE AND I GO TO WORK EVERY DAY, BASICALLY FOR THE HEALTH INSURANCE. ASIDES FROM TIRING EASILY, I REALLY DON'T SUFFER TOO MANY SIDE EFFECTS OF THE SURGERY. I FORGOT TO MENTION THST BECAUSE OF THE STEROIDS CAUSING THE OSTEOPEROSIS, I BROKE 2 RIBS LAST YEAR BY SNEEZING. YEAH LIFE IS A **** BUT YOU LEARN TO SURVIVE, I NEVER WENT AROUND SAYING WHY ME? MY SHRINK SAYS I AM IN DENIAL BUT IN MY CASE IT IS A GOOD THING AND IS GETTING ME THROUGH THIS ORDEAL. MY NEXT MRI IS SCHEDULED FOR THE END OF NOVEMBER AND HOPEFULLY THEY WON'T FIND ANY MORE CANCER BECAUSE I MIGHT HAVE TO LOSE THE REMAINING PARTIAL KIDNEY. THE DOCTOR SAID A TRANSPLANT IS NOT AN OPTION BECAUSE I HAVE TO BE CANCER FREE FOR 5 YEARS BEFORE THEY WOULD DO IT. SO LIFE GOES ON. I WISH YOUR FATHER LUCK AND FEEL FREE TO WRITE TO ME AT STANBIRD@AOL.COM.
ALL MY BEST TO YOU.
STAN

nae said:

Hi .. my name is Renee.

I am a survivor of Renal Cell Carcinoma. I had my left kidney removed February 22, 1995. I am now 37 years old and doing very well with only one kidney. I also lost my left adrenal gland as the tumor was on top of the kidney next to the adrenal gland. Renal Cell Carcinoma I was told is typical of older men in their late 60's early 70's. I was definitely not the norm but I did survive. I belive this cancer is common perhaps with the older men but if found early enough can be cured. I have a neighbor oddly enough who also had this same cancer and he survived as well. He was 68 at the time I believe. Trust your doctors. God Bless you and your father. Sometimes I don't know who has it worse ... the cancer victim or the family living through the trauma. It's all so difficult. Keep the faith !

Rene'e

My 47 year old husband was diagnosed with a contained tumor in his right kidney which was removed in March. ( The whole kidney ) He was also told there was a cyst on the adrenal gland on the left side but it was nothing to worry about. In May he started to lose weight and his energy was low, his nephrologist prescribed iron. It wasn't until June that he went to an oncologist and in August he was diagnosed with stage four renal cell. We are dealing with over 40 pounds of weight loss, a man who cannot handle chemotheraphy and I am trying desperately to convince him that our only option now is nutrition. Anyone who has a story on that as a life saving treatment I would appreciate hearing from. He has been through radiation when the cancer spread to his bone and has very little leg mobility. He recently was hospitalized for high sugar due to steriods he was taking. It is a nightmare.