Off on a different disease path

I'm 20 months post-op and still throwing zeros. Incontinence and ED are gone, and I was feeling pretty good.

Until April or so. I started to get tired a lot. My gym workouts became a struggle (despite testosterone therapy), and I couldn't stay awake. It took months to get docs to take me seriously. Finally, we found out I had anemia. One simple blood test could have found this months earlier. Then, we spent months trying to find the cause of the anemia with no success.

Despite iron infusions, my hemoglobin was going down. I finally went to the ED a few weeks ago with pain in my side, difficulty breathing and lots of abdominal discomfort. The doc couldn't believe I'd told 2 docs about abdominal discomfort and no one had imaged my abdomen. So, he did a CT scan and found a huge mass on my right kidney. More tests followed, including a completely clear bone scan, which was a relief.


Due to the size of the mass on my kidney, I'm having an open radical nephrectomy tomorrow. The doc says to assume it's cancer until he tells me it isn't. I've been in some pretty serious pain for the past 3 weeks, so I'll be glad to get this thing out of here.

But, now I have a lot to learn (potentially) about a new disease. I guess we don't get an exemption from future cancers just because we've already had 1 (or 2 or 3 or 4 or...).

I so hate to read this.

We have enough issues!

Mel

on the good side...at least you know what questions to ask, have a team in place already!

Best of luck to you on this new fight, please keep us updated on our positive progress!

Jordan

sorry man. I hope it's not cancer.

ed

Well that sucks big time! Sorry to hear it, hope it goes as well as possible, even turning out to be benign! I know, but might as well wish big!

Horrible to have to go through this, after having beaten PCa. Best of luck in winning this fight

Thanks for all of the comments. I had my kidney and the mass removed last Tuesday. I was in the hospital until Sunday. I would say that the pain and complexity of this whole thing made it feel like an order of magnitude "larger" than my RALP. I'm still taking morphine a week after this surgery and I was hospitalized for 5 nights rather than 1. I could have stayed longer if I'd wanted, but I wanted to get out of the hospital.

My final test before surgery, an MRI with contrast was inconclusive. They were trying to not take the kidney unnecessarily, and they were trying to see if the main vein in the kidney was integrated into the mass. Without contrast, they appeared to be connected. With contrast, they did not. So, they took the kidney. I have a half-oval of staples in my abdomen that looks like a huge shark bite.

The resident who assisted told my wife that it appeared the kidney and mass were integrated somewhat, but I don't know what that means for the risk of malignancy. I'll get the pathology report at a follow-up appointment on Thursday, and I'll have the staples removed then.

And then, in October, it's time for my next PSA test.

Glad to hear you made it through surgery.

Here's hoping for a good pathology report.

Andrew

Thanks for the update. You've really been through a lot! I hope that the pathology report is favorable. Take care and hang in there.

I don't how I missed this thread until now, but I was so sorry to read about this. What a curve ball to be thrown after your PC. For the record, I see nothing wrong with you sharing about what you're going through in this forum if you're so inclined and think it could help. And of course, completely understand if you don't care to do so.

But most important, my sincerest wishes for your recovery and that you and your medical team can successfully deal with this.

I totally agree with the posters. Continue to write on this forum if you are so inclined. You are
part of this brotherhood and our concern for you supersedes the type of cancer...

What a curve ball you've been thrown...we both send our best wishes for your new challenge.

Frank and Lisa

Please keep posting. You are still one of us and we do care about your progress fighting this new disease.

Six pounds -- was the baby healthy?

Mel