Just got back from cancer dr

We dumped Sparrow in Lansing and went to GR to a new Dr. First thing Dr does is go over the history. We learned a lot more then we was ever told before, Sparrow was so tight lipped. We previously only heard about 10% of what we was told today. She was a very thorough and frank Dr. Then she starts going into where we go from here. The mass is on the left side close to the veins feeding the left leg and has the tube from the kidney to the bladder running through the middle of it. She wasn't willing to remove the mass just chemo it and attempt to maintain quality of life. Didn't sound good. She went and talked to her older partner and he was willing to go after the mass, then do radiation.

We ran the whole range of emotions today from end of life to maybe hope yet. All we can do now is put it in gods hands.

Surgery is June2.

Prayers for you, a doctor that communicates is a blessing.

Good luck.

That has to be tough but it sounds like the doctors have a plan. We wish you well.

Makes my problems seem so small!
Prayers said for you.
Jay

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Prayers here as well.

Thoughts and Prayers from central Illinois.
Shoot me a note and I can tell you there is hope,
Jim

Just heard from 50 year old SIL. Stage 2 Kidney cancer detected. Dr. is going to remove it and follow up with Chemo. Sounds like an excepted procedure since you mentioned the same thing. While we are on the subject of Chemo., it's not the horror story you may have heard about. I had a 9 month estimate till termination (my termination) terminal cancer detected in Feb. 2013. 6 Chemo sessions lasting about 4.5 hrs every 3 weeks is all it took. There was no pain in the procedure. A little inconvenient but considering, not a problem. I advanced my mentality by working cross word puzzles during the treatment. Been clean for a year and a half now and feel great.

Medicare negotiated a realistic fee for the procedures and paid 80%. My secondary insurance paid the 20% Medicare left on the table after I paid my annual minimum. Very inexpensive considering the retail price on the street. If you have no insurance then hang onto your pockets as it's pricy......but what's your alternative.....unless you had enough farming and are ready to check out. I did and wasn't quite ready to check out.......got hay to get in if it will quit raining and so far, 2 more weeks at least forcast. Won't be much left. Course the guys that usually have summer hay, planted in late March or early April can't get into the fields so my sorry over grown, mature crop may have some value after all. As a matter of fact a local was over at the house a couple of days ago and said he'd take the whole crop in whatever condition is winds up. That smoothes off some sharp edges.

The glass is half FULL!
Mark

prayers from here for a good result.

Praying for success in surgery, and a full recovery.

Let us know if we can help in any way Jon.
Joan and I are praying for you both.

Good luck!!! They can do wonders today so just keep your hopes up and see how it goes.

First off. . .

Look at the bright side.


-You get to wear diapers) and take a leak in public whenever you want.

-If you have a good doctor, they will get you a good parking spot at the hospital. It's a bunch of strain to find a good place to park.

-If you like this doctor and they are the main treating doctor, you can tell all the other yahoo doctors to take a hike and they will be more personable when they know they are trumped.

-it's the office girls who can't get their manure together. You train them to do your bidding and you are set. Teach them how to deal with you and they will. Remember- If you tell a cook his eggs and bacon are good, you will get he same eggs and bacon each morning. Tell that cook the eggs are too runny and the bacon is too chewy and that cook will make your eggs more well done and crisp up your bacon. Let it go, and you get runny eggs and undercooked bacon. The squeaky wheel gets the good bacon. Same goes for a hospital.


-Don't be fooled. You can get Diet Coke and French Fries in a hospital. They want you to feel at home, so don't be afraid to ask. Well... Except for asking for things that only your wife should do. They don't bend that way. Anything else, it's game on.

-Don't mind fussing on things that really bother you. If you don't speak up, they will hurt you. Tough guy time is over. Don't let them hurt you too much. If it hurts, say something, because if you don't, it won't ever get better. You need to tell them and believe it or not they will make it hurt less.


-Last and FINAL POINT... If they do a catheter and it hurts, be sure to stop them. If you feel even a tiny bit of pain, it could amount to an infection in the worst place and if it starts to hurt afterwards, tell them. That kind of infection will make your life miserable for a LONG TIME. Seeing them do it makes it worse, so close your eyes and the minute you feel pain, stop them. They will. It can be done painless. You just need to let them know when it hurts. Otherwise, the result is so horrible, you will regret ever drinking fluids for a long time, for fear of having to take a wiz.



I wish you the best and I hope you recover fast. You won't die. We will not let you. You need to be around because you have unfinished business. So, to recap... You won't die. You shouldn't let them hurt your whizzy bits. You need to speak up if it starts to hurt too much. You need to eat and drink what makes you comfortable. Make sure you question every person you deal with. They might not know you or your chart correctly. Make sure your Doctor knows the same and your are a name and not a number. Be sure to ask for the good parking for your family. They will give it up. They have sympathy. If you get to wear diapers, be sure to let everyone know when you are relieving yourself. You won't believe how fun it is, and it is totally forgivable in life. You need to have some fun in this stressful situation. Don't be afraid to be outgoing. You are the man of the hour. People will help you in the greatest of ways.

I wish you well.


God Bless

John

We will be praying for her successful surgery and recovery. Dealing with cancer is tough, dealing with doctors is even tougher. Sounds like you made a very wise choice in changing doctors.
Good luck and god bless.

Hard to beat the Meijer Cancer Center.
Praying for her.

I'll put Texas Oncology against any center any day!

We went to St Mary Mercy.

We dumped Sparrow due to the care of the nursing staff. Too many with lack of care, she had an unexplained red mark on her head one morning , dozen call lights going off at once no nurses to be seen, I had to be there just to get simple things like water, meds refused were snuck in while she was sleeping. We didn't realize how tight lipped the Drs were until we went to GR.

Will continue to keep you in my prayers.

Prayers to you. So many people who have not been through what you are going through don't realize the emotional impact cancer can have on a person. We only consider the physical aspect, the side we can actually see. And we should never rely on one doctor's opinion when it comes to something as serious as cancer.

Two years ago Marilyn's bright, cheery sister went through cancer surgery and chemo, hair loss and all. I had never seen her in tears till then. After it was over with her hair came back and things were fine till a few weeks ago when she found a lump on a lymph node. The tears came back again, not only for her but among us too. She is such an up beat person but this whipped her emotions. She went to a different doc this time, who looked at her records. He said the first doc did not include some kind of radium in the first tests he did on the lymph nodes and a speck of cancer was missed because of it and also, he claimed she should have gone through chemo before the surgery instead of after. Also, they should never,ever have punctured a lung when they put in the port.

Now she has to go through the whole chemo regimen again, followed by surgery and radiation. Second doc claims if the first doc would have done it right she would not be going through this again. Marilyn and i took her to Omaha and back many times the first time and we will be there again for her for as long as it takes to whip it.

Sorry to hijack your post, but through Marilyn's sister, i have a tiny bit of understand of what you are going through. Good luck. Jim

Here in Michigan a lot of us have been whining about the roads. I remember riding along with my dad and mom in a car that did not have automatic transmission, power steering, cruise control, air conditioning, rear window defogger, power windows, power seats or GPS. I know I have a tendency to take so much for granted, but all this distraction ends when one receives news like you did. We all (especially me) need to be thankful for what God has given us, and realize that his plans are paramount. I hope this all works out for you for the best as a reality check like this is not fun.

You didn't hijack anything. I call it the YT support group right now. Thanks to everyone for prayers thoughts and even stories.

Onefarmer: My heart goes out to you along with prayers. I hope you have a good support family and friends. It was not ten minutes before I read this. I stopped from the work I was doing to look up at the pictures on my desk. I was thinking how lucky I am with my family, as we all are in good health with one exception my mom which is 89 and has dementia. Please keep us informed as we all will be thinking of you.
JL Ray

Oh I got that too. Mother in law is in the house and has dementia, she is 91.