Well, it's been just about 5 weeks since my surgery date and I'm doing very well.
I should have posted something long ago...
Surgery went well - everything as expected. Dr. Lau and his team removed the tumor in my kidney and a portion of my kidney itself. I suspect I will know more about how much kidney I have left and what it's function level is after my follow up appointment which usually happens 6 - 8 weeks after surgery.
For the many who have asked - we are still awaiting results of the biopsy to confirm any diagnosis such as Renal Cell Carcinoma. Dr. Lau said results usually come in 4 - 6 weeks. This Thursday will be Week 5, so hopefully we find out soon so that we can share with you all.
Norovirus made surgery day sad. Joel was supposed to be able to follow me right through to the surgery doors basically, but as it turned out, he had to say goodbye at the elevator almost 2 hours before surgery was scheduled. Thursday after surgery without visitors wasn't bad. I don't know if it was the anaesthetic or the morphene, but something was making me very sleepy, so Thursday flew by. By Friday night it was becoming a bit of a different story. There were a few tears shed when I received some flowers at the hospital - they not only came from friends that I did not expect to send anything, but they also reminded me that they were my only visitors. The friends couldn't come visit, family couldn't come visit - just the flowers.
On Saturday they pulled out the catheter (thank goodness!) so I was up walking around more, and feeling more ready to go home. Sunday I had my first shower in 4 days - and for any of you that know me well - I was SO relieved to finally wash my hair. Dr. Lau had come to visit and asked if I wanted to go home that day or wait one more day and go home Monday. I couldn't fathom anyone wanting to stay longer than necessary - especially when the hospital is infected with a contageous bug that A) I could catch and B) was ensuring I could have no visitors. OF COURSE I WANT TO GO HOME TODAY!!
On Sunday I was released at lunch time. Home. It didn't take me long to figure out that home was where I needed to be... I was back to work 18 days after surgery (part time for one week, full time after that). I am doing well and pretty much everything is back to normal. Yay me.
...On another note, Joel's mom and dad are here for a few days. Joel's dad had a Dr. appointment yesterday, only to find out he has Squamous Cell Carcinoma (of the skin)... he has the 2nd most common skin cancer... Cancer! Stupid Cancer! A small patch below his eye that will have to be removed by the delicate hands of a plastic surgeon sometime in the upcoming months. I know very little about this, but from what I read and understand from Bert, Fran, and Joel, is that it is fairly minor in nature, easily treated, and very rare to spread. I believe it was Bert that told me he could probably live with the small spot on his face for 5 more years without worry of the cancer spreading beyond his skin into other body parts - that's good, partly because it sounds as though he may wait a few months before getting in to see a plastic surgeon. I'm not sure if they just do a local anaesthetic (that's what I'm assuming, but I neglected to ask!)...
Seems cancer is everywhere these days. Each one of us seems to be touched with cancer, either within our own bodies, or the body of someone we know and love. I guess that is why we should try to live each day to its fullest. WAY harder to do than it sounds... at least for me, but it's something I want to learn to do... must practice doing....
Okay - going to sign off now - going to go practice living my life to its fullest.
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