I know it has been advertised on here how difficult the relationship is between my husband and me, but that aside, we learned some terrible news today: he has (more than 95% chance) cancer in one of his kidneys.
As much of a rascal as he has been I think my life would be over if the old man died. They told him one of his kidneys was abnormal, so abnormal it needed to be removed totally, and that rather than do a biopsy and risk stirring up the cancer cells and exposing them to the rest of the body it would be his best bet to have it removed.
I know there are people who live their whole lives with one kidney, my grandpa was one of them, but I'm still worried sick.
I even hate sitting in this house alone without him, as miserable as he could make things. I can't even get out to go see him at the hospital because it has started snowing and the roads are too bad.
They say they don't see anything else on the x-ray and the 5-year survival rate is around 70%, but that is little consolation (what exacly does 5-year survival rate mean, anyway??? He might live 5-years then die???) right now.
Has anyone been through this and know what to expect as far as procedures and expectations, etc? I've never directly dealt with the C word but it has been a fear of mine for as long as I can remember.
If the old man dies I know it will kill me, too. I can't live without him.
I so understand your fears!! I took my husband to ER in Sept 2006 for what I was sure was a kidney stone,.he'd had one before. ER did a CT scan and told use "there is a suspicious spot on his R kidney that needs to be investigated furthur". He was admitted to the hospital,.saw a urologists the next morning. He had an 11cm mass in his R kidney,.99% sure it was renal cell carcinoma. He had a modified laproscopic nephrectomy three days later. It was renal cell CA,.(I'll look up the specifics if you want more info). We were told that if you have to have Ca, this is the kind to have.
He has done great, even with comorbids of HTN and CAD (he has a stint in his LAD). Was back to work in two weeks and has had no kidney related problems since. No chemo.
I so understand your fears. I freaked. As a nurse you see and hear all the horrible cases. I couldn't be a nurse,.I had to be a wife. It was soooo hard. I wish I had gotten more info sooner,.it would have saved me so much worry. I think a lot of the people who talked to us,.either A) thought since I was an RN (cardiac at the time) I just knew everything, what to expect etc,.or B) they knew this wasn't such a horrible thing and just assumed we wouldn't get excited unless they did.
Hang in there,..if you want more details I'll gladly share with you. You are in my prayers,.ask lots of questions,.do some research,...feel free to PM me or just ask here and I'll answer any questions about our situation that I can!
PS,.....stay away from the kidney cancer sites!! At least until after surgery and after the pathology reports are back!! There are several different types of kidney cancer,..some are bad,.but also VERY rare. Wait until you have your facts!
Hang in there,..let me know if you want more details or just to vent a bit!
Specializes in med-surg 5 years geriatrics 12 years.
My heart goes out to you...as do my prayers. My husband had colon cancer with a HUGE met to the liver. The chemo, surgery thing is over but until the PET scan we still worry. We have had ups and downs in the past but a situation like this always shows you what's really important. Know that we will all have you close in our hearts and keep us updated. Love & Prayers
Specializes in ER, Occupational Health, Cardiology.
When I was a student I saw this surgery (nephrectomy), and your husband may be as fortunate as the patient I was following. It was CA, but the tumor (about the size of a golf ball) was totally encapsulated. The surgeon said that the risk of spread was far, far less than if it had not been. That was in 1983, and with all the changes since then, who knows how well things might turn out? Here are wishes for the best for both of you.
Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.
Hi
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your husband.
I had an uncle who had kidney cancer. This was quite a few years ago. He had the kidney removed; he lived quite a number of years after this & led a full life.
BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN
1,236 Posts
I so understand your fears!! I took my husband to ER in Sept 2006 for what I was sure was a kidney stone,.he'd had one before. ER did a CT scan and told use "there is a suspicious spot on his R kidney that needs to be investigated furthur". He was admitted to the hospital,.saw a urologists the next morning. He had an 11cm mass in his R kidney,.99% sure it was renal cell carcinoma. He had a modified laproscopic nephrectomy three days later. It was renal cell CA,.(I'll look up the specifics if you want more info). We were told that if you have to have Ca, this is the kind to have.
He has done great, even with comorbids of HTN and CAD (he has a stint in his LAD). Was back to work in two weeks and has had no kidney related problems since. No chemo.
I so understand your fears. I freaked. As a nurse you see and hear all the horrible cases. I couldn't be a nurse,.I had to be a wife. It was soooo hard. I wish I had gotten more info sooner,.it would have saved me so much worry. I think a lot of the people who talked to us,.either A) thought since I was an RN (cardiac at the time) I just knew everything, what to expect etc,.or B) they knew this wasn't such a horrible thing and just assumed we wouldn't get excited unless they did.
Hang in there,..if you want more details I'll gladly share with you. You are in my prayers,.ask lots of questions,.do some research,...feel free to PM me or just ask here and I'll answer any questions about our situation that I can!