User:Lizzyd1957
From Kidney Cancer Resource
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Lizzy (Elaine)
19-Nov-2007 - Summary Catch Up - Just joined the site
Well this is the start of a long long journey...
My name is Elaine but everyone who knows me calls me Lizzy. I am 50 years old and live in Nottingham.
I was diagnosed with kidney cancer with secondaries on Liver and lung on 17th September 2007.
It all started about the beginning of this year when I started with a cough. I did all the right things doubled up on my inhalers as I am slightly asthmatic.. mainly in the winter months when the air is cold and damp.
Then took the usual cold and cough remedies but after 3 weeks it wasn't going so i went to the doctors who prescribed me anti-biotics When they failed to work she gave me another anti-biotic and steroids to keep the infection away from my chest. then we tried more anti-biotics and over the weeks treated for infection of the airways and acid problems.
Still nothing worked after 22 weeks she sent me for a chest x-ray marked "urgent" and a bank of blood tests.
The blood tests came back and was told.. " your kidney isnt 100% and your liver is sluggish but not bad enough to flag up anything you should be worried about"
After 6 weeks and several phone calls from my GP and his staff we finally got my chest x-ray results back.. I had a shadow on my left lung.
Next was to get a CT Scan and then to see the respritory consultant after, so within two weeks I had the CT Scan and then another two weeks I went for the results.
They did the CT Scan from my neck to pelvis and it showed I had kidney cancer with secondaries on liver and lung. The day I was told I had a morning appointment with respitory consultant who told me this news and then she said I had afternoon appointments with Kidney consultant. He breezed into the room that afternoon and told me he had a plan. He said he was going to remove the kidney with keyhole surgery then give me time to recover then do some more CT Scans. He wants to see if the secondaries change after the kidney has been removed because if they do then they are probably feeding from the mass.
The Mass being the cancer in the kidney. If they are then its immunotherapy for me and if not then biopsies and a rethink.
Having heart disease on both sides of my family and having slight asthma Mr Mann my kidney man wanted me to have some tests done in cardiac unit. He said he didnt want to get me on the table then have unforeseen problems so I saw the cardiac man MR Mathews who sent me for a treadmill test. I also have to have a cardiac echo then I shoulod be passed fit for the operation. That was 8 weeks ago... I still have not had the cardiac echo and a provsional booking for my operation for either the 5th or 12th December 2007.
Two weeks ago I got so depressed that I totally broke down and sobbed to a friend who advised me to talk to Cancer Backup..So I did, the woman listened to me between sobs and told me to contact my local hospital and ask for the PALS service. I spoke to a lovely lady called Kim, she promised to get back to me within the hour.
She kept her word and within the hour she called me and told me to expect a call from an oncology nurse called Stephanie.
Within the hour Stephanie had called me and told me she was going to chase everything up.. that was two weeks ago...still no appointment as of today, still stressed still no further down the chain..
My GP has been good he has told me i can phone him anytime and he will answer any questions I have if he can. he has prescribed me diazapam and co-codamol for my lower back pain and when i get urine infections he prescribes me anti-biotics. He doesnt seem to get any information from the hospital .. he wrote over three weeks ago for an update and a request to expedite matters a little and he still has had no reply.
I know I have a weight problem I am overweight but I have always been active and never smoked at all or drunk excessively. Used to work with horses everyday so used to hard work, not that I can do it these days I dont have energy levels.
Blow By Blow
Early 2007
It all started about the beginning of this year when I started with a cough. I did all the right things doubled up on my inhalers as I am slightly asthmatic.. mainly in the winter months when the air is cold and damp.
+ 3 weeks
Then took the usual cold and cough remedies but after 3 weeks it wasn't going so i went to the doctors who prescribed me anti-biotics When they failed to work she gave me another anti-biotic and steroids to keep the infection away from my chest. then we tried more anti-biotics and over the weeks treated for infection of the airways and acid problems.
+22 weeks
Still nothing worked after 22 weeks she sent me for a chest x-ray marked "urgent" and a bank of blood tests.
The blood tests came back and was told.. " your kidney isnt 100% and your liver is sluggish but not bad enough to flag up anything you should be worried about"
+28 weeks (over 6 months)
After 6 weeks and several phone calls from my GP and his staff we finally got my chest x-ray results back.. I had a shadow on my left lung.
September 07
October 07
November 07
December 07
January 08
April 08
- The Great Day
Oct 08
- October 2008 - Great News
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