Recent diagnosis

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Gtngbtr58 @aol.com
Gtngbtr58 @aol.com Member Posts: 206 Member
in Kidney Cancer #1

Feeling so vulnertable since this RCC diagnosis.  Everything seems strange and frightening.  Will it get better.  I feel like something is missing-maybe my old self

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  • stub1969
    stub1969 Member Posts: 966 Member
    #2
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    Better??? Yes

    Welcome, 58.  I'm glad you found us.  To answer your question, yes, it does get better.  But, life will never be the same.  After being personally touched with cancer that indestructable feeling is gone.  I'm over a year out from my surgery, and even though I don't think about cancer as much as I did when first diagnosed it's still there.  I don't think you can ever shake the feeling of truly being free of cancer's grip.  That unnerving feeling that it will come back some day hits you like a truck every time a scan comes around.  That's the ugly part of cancer.  The good part is that cancer can really wake you up.    Prior to diagnosis I was so goal oriented and task driven I often missed special moments.  Now, I stop and smell the flowers--literally.  I focus on relationships and I refuse to miss little moments that have a big impact.  Cancer is definiately a life changer....how will you let it change you.

    Blessings

    Stub 

  • Rockspin
    Rockspin Member Posts: 77
    #3
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    I too felt like you. I lost

    I too felt like you. I lost my old life. I was frightened at first and overwhelmed. I've since had my kidney removed in September 2.5 cm clear cell. The rest of our lives will be scans. I have calmed down and learned to accept my "new" normal. Good luck to you on this journey. I know it doesn't seem fair but this group is great for asking questions and perhaps calming you. I felt so much better when iceman posted he was 15 years NED and another lady said she had older nursing home patients who had kidney cancer in their lifetime and had lived nice long lives.

  • donna_lee
    donna_lee Member Posts: 1,042 Member
    #4
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    Stub has his head on straight

    The other part of making changes in your life and attitude is the feeling of NOT being in control of what's happening to your life.  You go into a test sometimes with a flow chart of options.  On one, it says NED-No Evidence of Disease.  On the other it says SPOT/DENSITY/EVIDENCE OF SOMETHING THAT WASN'T THERE ON THE PREVIOUS TEST.  Drop to the next row of boxes and it says futher tests; i.e., immediately, in 3 mo,, 6 mo., monitor in a year.  Options then could be an MRI, CT, Ultrasound/X-ray, biopsy.

    NED is really great.  I had two separate years, following the initial multi-removal of a Kidney and various mets, that said we need to do more surgery.  Then I had 8 years of NED's, and now I'm back to the waiting for a recall CT and other Dr. visits.  The disease can start to control your life.  So you have to make the best of the time you have.

    Since my DX in 2006 said 5-7 months to live, and I was given a reprieve with surgery, I only have one item on my bucket list....To live!

    And yes, everything is strange and frightening; you'll adjust eventually.  And don't hesitate to say something to the Onc. if you have troubles.  I'm on an antidepressant that helps a lot.

    Hugs to you as you begin this journey.

    donna_lee

  • AnnissaP
    AnnissaP Member Posts: 632 Member
    edited November 2017 #5
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    It takes time to adjust as

    It takes time to adjust as there will be many questions and thoughts that arise. The more questions you ask the more at ease you might feel. Sometimes it is the unknown that can be scary. One step at a time and eventually you will be onto the healing process. This is your new "normal." It will settle... Best of luck to you.

  • Angie1496
    Angie1496 Member Posts: 154
    #6
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    Like it’s been said... life

    Like it’s been said... life won’t be the same. But it will get better. It’s been 3 months since my diagnosis and today I am not nearly and focused on cancer and what if now as I was then. Once you have surgery and start to recover things will fade. Worry won’t be as bad as now. I haven’t had my first scans yet so I’m sure I will be apprehensive about that when it gets closer, but this group of amazing people have helped me realize that even if I see RCC again that it’s completely treatable and livable. l’m choosing to live my life and not let RCC rule it. You will find your peace too just give yourself time 

  • hardo718
    hardo718 Member Posts: 853 Member
    edited November 2017 #7
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    It definitely gets better....

    ....just different.  And it takes time, so be patient with yourself. 

    I've learned a few things about myself along the way in this journey of life.  I became complacent in my routines and missed some of the little things that can provide much joy.  My life prior to cancer may have been good, and maybe not so good at times, but it was something I was use to and knew nothing different.  I now realize that change is constant and with that change walks fear, hand in hand if you will.  Change is scary because you don't always know what to expect.  I feel stronger in many ways, more appreciative of people and things that I don't think I really noticed before.  And although as I'm aging (mid 60's now) my eyesight is somewhat worse, I somehow see things with a clarity that I never had before. 

    As odd as it may sound, I have a "thankfulness" for Bob the Blob that once grew in me.  It was a wake up call, life is not to be taken for granted and mine is richer now because of it.  All that being said, I still deal with the fear demons in my head, occasionally, not constantly.

    Hope this helps a little,

    Donna~

  • dannyboy1969
    dannyboy1969 Member Posts: 20 Member
    #8
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    Metastatic Chromophobe RCC

    Greetings all.  I'm new to this site and hope this note finds you well.  Last Wednesday my wife had a Left Radical Nephrectomy for Chromophobe RCC.  This is the first time cancer has touched my family but am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it.  The surgery went well, but they also removed 9 lymph nodes and (3) were positive for Metastatic Chromophobe RCC.  I'm trying to read all I can on this subject to find out what our new normal will be, if there is a normal to be had.  Everyone is different and I guess I'm just wondering what to expect moving forward.  The surgeon wants to see my wife every 3 months at Mayo for the first 2 years and then every 6-months thereafter.  Perhaps our next meeting with the surgeon and oncologist will bring things more into focus, but 3 months is a long time to wait.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #9
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    So we can help you better

    Dannyboy,

     

    Welcome to the club which no one in their right  mind would volunteer to join. Rather than tag on another post, start your own forum post (thread. Fill in your CSN space and inclde the size of your wife's tumor so we can respond better.

     

     

    Icemantoo

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