Cured

Nancy and I show up for our canceled, then re-scheduled appointment. At this point, we’re just going to meet with a nurse to discuss the pathology report. That’s all we cared about!

As it turns out, once we arrive after a short wait, we are ushered back to an examining room. We, I think, totally only expect good news. Dr. Regan pokes his head in and say…I’m with another patient right now, I’ll be back in 15 minutes…but YOU ARE CURED.

So the next day of the rest of my life started with those three words. We learn in the consultation that nothing really will change for me except to be careful of some drugs that are hard on kidneys, all NSAIDs for example. Also, no contact sports where the remaining kidney might take an unfortutious shot.

So it it…back the un-sureal world. We are all thankful. Thankful for the docs, my luck in early detection, and the support of all of our friends and family.

Short chronology

 For those that don’t want the details…here it all is in one post!

12/12/08 Pathology report declares I’m cured. Literly. No follow up treatment required. Just be careful with one kidney. No contact sports.

12/11/08 Surgeon’s office calls to cancel appointment since surgeon is back in surgery. We call back and get in at 10:00am 12/12 to have at least a nurse give us the pathology report. If the tumor was totally encapsulated within kidney, I’m home free. If not, it’s spread and there is no viable treatment.

12/5/ Leave hospital for home with one less kidney

12/4 Surgeon has his own kidney stone surgery

12/3/ Surgery successfully removed kidney and tumor

12/2/ Surgeon calls to now delay surgery to 12:30 from 8:30am because he wants his #1 resident available during surgery in case his own kidney stone kicks in. We chat for 30 minutes about whether he’s up to it the next day or to push to the following week. We go for it.

12/1 Surgeon calls to move surgery up to 8:30 and to warn me that he has kidney stones and may have to cancel the surgery,  but hopes not.

11/22 8am pre-op physical at Suburban. I ask how many kidneys they remove a year…20. I’m nervous.  On way to meeting with surgeon, I get through to surgery scheduler at Georgtown for a 1pm appointment. See current doc. Practice questions on him. Head to Georgetown. Spend 40 minutes with #2 in department, then 45 more with surgeon. We book December 3rd.

11/21 Can’t get  into John Hopkins. Impossible to get through web site and phone system. Got names at Georgetown.

11/20 Recommendations come in to get the best surgeon, not just the first that showed up.

11/19 Back to work. Spoke with primary care physician 8pm who ultimately admited that he’d go to G-Town or John Hopkins, not the urologist he referred me to!

11/18 Bone and body scan shows negative for cancer. Heart tests also okay. Return home. Need to schedule surgery, successful getting in at Suburban 11/24.

11/17 Go to emergency room 8:30 am after passing out cold in the shower. Heart monitored, brain examined, ribs xrayed. CT scan shows tumor on lef t Kidney. Surprise! 8:00 pm hear from doc that kidney is 7 cm and entire kidney must be removed.

11/16 Play 80 minutes of rugby, break 2 ribs, but no real pain.