Inspiration

Our body is a machine for living. It is geared towards it, it is its nature. Let life go on in it unhindered and let it defend itself, it will be more effective than if you paralyze it by encumbering it with remedies.

Leo Tolstoy

Have you been diagnosed with kidney cancer?

If you have recently been diagnosed with kidney cancer there are several things you should do right away:
1. Remember that cancer is no longer a death sentence.
2. Find an RCC Expert. Either through your doctor or the National Cancer Institute.
3. Go to the Kidney Cancer Association web site and download their free book "We Have Kidney Cancer".
4. Most important of all; Do not give in to the disease. Determine you will do all you can to survive and then do it.

Still Fighting The Beast

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Manuel Lopez
Azusa, California, United States
A cancer diagnosis can change your life forever. Once the shock wave passes and the fear settles in and you get over the anger, you either decide you want to live the best life you can, or you give up and let what happens happen. It's up to you. After going through all the stages of the diagnosis, we began living with The Beast present, and you know what? We are holding our own.
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Sunday, July 5, 2009

The 4th is kind of a special day for us Lopezes. Our daughter Shirley was born on the 3rd and the next day is Independence Day.

Shirley can be a firecracker at times but she's usually a beautiful woman who can't help showing how much she loves someone. She's a grandma now and loves her new role. She went north with our son-in-law for the weekend so we didn't get a chance tosee her though we did talk on the phone.

Glenda and I went to her sister's for the holiday. Brother-in-law John and I talked the other day and since we had no plans we decided to get together for burgers and a movie.

For some reason, fatigue did a number on me even before we left the house. When we got to John's he sat on one end of the couch and I took the other. The women sat in the kitchen talking while we watched the Dadgers lose to the Padres. I should say that John and I slept while the Dodgers lost to the Padres.

No sooner did I sit down than I was checking my eyelids for holes. Now and then I would wake up and look over at John. His head was back on the couch and he was snoring like a buzz saw. It's a wonder I could sleep, he was snoring so danged loud.

Good times.

On the 90 minute drive home, Glenda said she hoped to see some fireworks. It wasn't quite dark yet so I said maybe we would see some on the way. It seemed no one was in the mood to celebrate because we did not see one show until we were almost home.

Sanderson Road is a six mile long short cut over some hills north of San Jacinto. It's a winding road and when you reach the top you can see the whole valley below. Quite a view to us city slickers used to seeing smog and traffic instead.

By the time we reached Sanderson, it was dark and the drive through the hills was illuminated only by the full moon's glow.

As we reached the crest of the hill overlooking the valley, a fireworks show started in the vicinity of home. Fireworks are great up close but from the crest of a hill they are really something. They looked like small lights flashing in the distance.

The colors were bright and their shapes were kaleidoscopic above the city lights below us. The timing could not have been better. It seemed they waited for us to get there to start and Glenda loved it.

The drive toward home is an easy one and I began turning and winding my way toward what I hoped was the street the show was taking place. I figured it was a park or something where we could stop and watch. The booms got louder as we got closer and Glenda got excited because we were getting close enough now that she had to look up to see the flares.

She could see the show from her side the entire time.

People were parked in all the shopping centers along State Street. Finally I decided to just pull into a parking lot like everyone else. Glenda said we didn't have to.

"Yeah we do," I told her as I pulled into a space. She just sat there looking through the front window so I got out and told her to come sit in back with me.

Once we sat on the tail gate of the truck she leaned back on me to watch the show. We were almost directly below them and we could smell the smoke and feel the booms of the explosions. Glenda loved it.

She leaned back on me to get a good view, oohing and aahing. She had a big smile on and I could tell she was glad we pulled in.

I thought to myself that chairs would have been a good idea but then it occurred to me that if we had chairs then Glenda would not have leaned against me like this.

Glenda has been through so much on this journey. She told me the other day that she has not had a real good cry yet over our cancer situation though she does cry a little now and then. Looking at her face now made me glad that she was able to forget things while she watched the fireworks.

She was enjoying the show and I was enjoying her. And cancer was far, far away.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

We have Growth

Note (actually a disclaimer): In the past I have discouraged taking a wait and see attitude. Nothing angers me more than a doctor who wants to wait and see if already active cancer will grow or spread before deciding on a plan of attack. I say attack as hard as you can as long as you can. We are waiting two months before doing something because the growth we saw was not very much. Just enough to get our attention. Had it been more, you can bet I would not bother waiting. Instead, we would have changed by now. MJL

Went for the scan last week and then this last Monday for labs, respiratory check up and scan results.

Pam, the PA came in and was very friendly and in a playful mood as she looked me over. During the check I mentioned a belly pain I keep getting in the left side.

Now, this pain is more an irritant than anything else. It will hit when I least expect it and I hold myself until it passes. It feels sort of like gas passing through the system yet it stays in one place. It's been there for a number of months so, I told Pam about it.

"You ever have a colonoscopy?" she asked, reaching for an order form like a mechanic.

"Nope," said I with some trepidation. I knew where this was going.

"Well, you're over due so we need to get one," said she.

Glenda chuckled from the corner chair.

I know RCC can and will spread to the intestines if given the chance so, even though I hesitate to undergo the discomfort, I feel it is required if we are going to win this war. I just know they are going to knock me out so I don't feel a thing.

Go ahead and laugh. I can take it.

Dr. T came in and right away saw there was growth in the lungs. Thankfully, there are no other mets anyplace else that we can see so he focused on the largest in my left lung. It measures just over 1cm.

As we looked at the scan prior and this one, I asked if we could cut the little puke out. Tear out the little cancer bastard, I say. Out damn spot!

Dr. T said he didn't think it would be a good idea to go cutting for just one met. I said I want it gone. Don't care how many times we have to go in to extirpate them little cancer bastards.

I let him know I know that Sutent has an efficiency span of about 26 months and it is coming up on 24 in July so growth isn't unexpected. Glenda, on the other hand, squirmed in the chair, worried things were taking a bad turn.

I looked to her and she looked at me and I held my hand out to her to calm her some. When she stopped squirming, I waved her to me and she fairly jumped out of her chair and came to me where we held hands and looked at the screen.

Dr. T pointed out the met that is attempting to find a way around Sutent's defenses and, yes, the change was evident.

My platelets were low. Normal is 150 and they were around 145. Still, they were lower in February when they did the last scan so we were pleased to see they had climbed. Other than that, everything else was normal. Even my lungs.

My oxygen intake is good. Lung capacity is 88% and the oxygen/co2 exchange is good. Thanks to the treadmill workouts this Spring at college, I feel great.

So, we talked about switching to something else. Of course, they mentioned a trial. Being determined to fight this Beast, I am not very willing to test. I would rather fight with Nexavar or Torisel.

Kick some cancer ass, you know?

We're just happy the growth isn't more. All the other mets are unchanged. Another reason I want the big boy cut out. Scare the little ones into getting out of Dodge.

So, we go back in two months vs the four month interval we planned on. If the growth is more pronounced, we will stop the Sutent and try something else.

We're concerned but not too worried yet. We will see what the next scan shows and decide acordingly.

I see this as round three coming up. Think I'll watch a Rocky movie.