God was with us today when we saw Dr Uzzo. We felt very well cared for, heard, and understood. Dr Uzzo took a great deal of time with us, listened well, and explained things very clearly. He even drew some lovely kidney tumor sketches on the paper cover of the exam table! I felt that I was right where God wanted me to be.
So, I am scheduled for an "open partial nephrectomy" on March 6th at Fox Chase Cancer Center (not lapro, not cryo, not RFA). The open surgery has more pain and recovery time but provides the best chance of saving as much of my kidney as possible, and the best chance of removing all of the tumor with adequate margins. I went right from Dr Uzzo's office and got my pre-admission testing completed, so I am good to go!
Below are some ways you can pray for us. I fully realize that God's plans might not be to say "yes" to my desires and requests, but I know that He wants me to ask Him in faith, trusting that He loves me and will work all things together for good whether He does it 'my' way or not:
1 - As I prepare for surgery - there is MUCH for me to accomplish at home and at work before surgery. More than I can do, really. Pray I will not get discouraged about that! So thankful for friends and family who are already surrounding us with love and help.
2 - For my husband and my many children - that they would grow in faith through this, yet another trial in our lives. We are sort of getting used to persevering through trials! We are sure God has a reason for it all.
3 - For the surgery to be successful at removing ALL of the cancer with the least possible damage to my only remaining kidney.
4 - That my recovery would be swift and as comfortable as possible
5 - That God would use this entire situation for His glory, honor, and purpose.
Thank you so much for praying!
Karen
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Prayers answered!
Wow. Thank you so much for praying for an earlier appt with Dr Uzzo. We serve a mighty God who HEARS our prayers! The doctor's office called AGAIN and moved me up another WEEK, so I will see him in just three days - on Monday February 27th!
The Lord brought this verse to mind a few days ago, and it helped me in the wait, (in spite of my control freak tendencies):
Exodus 14:14 "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Thank you all,
Karen
The Lord brought this verse to mind a few days ago, and it helped me in the wait, (in spite of my control freak tendencies):
Exodus 14:14 "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Thank you all,
Karen
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Praise God with Me
Thank you for praying! Dr Uzzo's office called today and moved my appt up to Monday March 5th!! That's three weeks sooner! I am so relieved. Please keep praying, that I would not be anxious, that my husband and children also will feel God's care for us, that Dr Uzzo's advice will be the best option for me and that we will glean valuable information from the appt.
Thank you to all who are already helping us in so many ways as we try to launch our new sign company in the midst of this medical news while trying to tie up other 'loose ends' in preparation for my probable surgery. We appreciate your help SO MUCH.
Karen
Thank you to all who are already helping us in so many ways as we try to launch our new sign company in the midst of this medical news while trying to tie up other 'loose ends' in preparation for my probable surgery. We appreciate your help SO MUCH.
Karen
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Dr Uzzo
Dear Praying Friends
Please pray concerning my appointment with Dr Uzzo at Fox Chase. After 5 calls today to both Dr Uzzo's scheduler and my Lankenau surgeon's office, plus several calls between the two offices, the earliest appt they could give me is the last week of March. I have to admit I had a complete meltdown over this news, it just felt so hopelessly far away and 'too late'. I am on the wait list if a cancellation comes up and would ask you to pray that will happen!
I also contacted my oncologist at Penn, who worked with Dr Uzzo for many years at Fox Chase, to see if she can help me get a sooner appt. I requested my MRI and CT scan discs from Penn so that I will have them in hand should I be able to see Dr Uzzo sooner. All my other records were already faxed to Fox Chase. I suspect my Lankenau surgeon will also go to bat for me, trying to get an earlier appt. I also called the Kidney Cancer Association for recommendations of other specialists comparable to Dr Uzzo. There are very few within a 3-6 hour radius of Philadelphia; one at NIH near Washington DC, one in NYC, and one at the Cleveland Clinic in OH. There is one possible doc at Jefferson but he doesn't sound nearly as experienced as Dr Uzzo.
I downloaded info on all the possible surgical methods as well as freezing (Cryoablation) and heating (RFA) and sought advice on the Kidney Cancer listserve. So... I am doing all I can do right now, and am trying to wait on God. So please pray for my anxiety as I wait. I know God wants to teach me through this, but I am honestly pretty discouraged about it at the moment.
Thank you so much,
Karen
Please pray concerning my appointment with Dr Uzzo at Fox Chase. After 5 calls today to both Dr Uzzo's scheduler and my Lankenau surgeon's office, plus several calls between the two offices, the earliest appt they could give me is the last week of March. I have to admit I had a complete meltdown over this news, it just felt so hopelessly far away and 'too late'. I am on the wait list if a cancellation comes up and would ask you to pray that will happen!
I also contacted my oncologist at Penn, who worked with Dr Uzzo for many years at Fox Chase, to see if she can help me get a sooner appt. I requested my MRI and CT scan discs from Penn so that I will have them in hand should I be able to see Dr Uzzo sooner. All my other records were already faxed to Fox Chase. I suspect my Lankenau surgeon will also go to bat for me, trying to get an earlier appt. I also called the Kidney Cancer Association for recommendations of other specialists comparable to Dr Uzzo. There are very few within a 3-6 hour radius of Philadelphia; one at NIH near Washington DC, one in NYC, and one at the Cleveland Clinic in OH. There is one possible doc at Jefferson but he doesn't sound nearly as experienced as Dr Uzzo.
I downloaded info on all the possible surgical methods as well as freezing (Cryoablation) and heating (RFA) and sought advice on the Kidney Cancer listserve. So... I am doing all I can do right now, and am trying to wait on God. So please pray for my anxiety as I wait. I know God wants to teach me through this, but I am honestly pretty discouraged about it at the moment.
Thank you so much,
Karen
Friday, February 17, 2012
Here we go again
Well, my cancer is back.
Quick summary for those who might not know the background:
In June 2007 I literally woke up one morning and by early that afternoon found out that I had a 15.5 cm (flattened softball) size tumor in my right kidney. Within a few days I had a massive surgery to remove the whole kidney with adrenal gland (and gall bladder since it was nearby!), a rib to get to my lung, and a wedge of my right lower lung, where a 1cm metastasis was located. I took Sutent targeted therapy ('chemo') for almost a year following surgery, in the hopes of killing off any possible remaining cancer cells anywhere they might be lurking.
Since 2007, I had been cancer free, until the spring of 2011 when my regularly scheduled follow-up scans showed 5 tiny spots scattered in my lungs (2-3 mm each). I was quite panicked, but follow up scans several times in the last year have shown no significant change in these spots, even still. My doctors are not convinced that these are cancer, or if they are cancer, they think maybe my immune system is keeping them in check. Benign lung spots in the general population are not uncommon, but often go undiscovered.
But my November 2011 scans showed a new nodule, this time in my left, and my only, kidney. I was advised by both my oncologist and my kidney surgeon to watch it for about 3 months to see if it was growing or my body would keep it in check or what exactly it was going to do. Apparently VERY small nodules like this are actually harder to remove than if they are a little bit bigger, but more importantly, since I only have one kidney, we had to be very sure that we HAD to treat it before doing so, since the risk of damage to my only kidney is no small matter.
Fast forward to February 2012. I had repeat scans. The CT of the lung spots was essentially unchanged, although there are slight variations in the measurements which are a little bit unnerving - still they are very small and both my oncologist and surgeon think there is still a good chance they are not cancer.
But the MRI of the abdomen and pelvis showed that the kidney nodule is growing, albeit ever so slowly. Instead of 1.1x1.2x1.0, it is now 1.3x1.5x1.2 cm or so. Still, this is a very small tumor. If this was my first kidney cancer, I would have a very good chance of complete cure. However, since this is most likely a NEW cancer and not a metastasis, the probability is that I just plain make kidney cancer, and when they get this one out, I am likely to make another kidney cancer in the future. I don't have any spare kidney tissue to waste chopping tumors out of there over and over. Living on dialysis is not a happy thought, and I am not a candidate for transplant unless cancer free for at least 5 years.
All types of removal are some risk to that kidney. Surgical removal (partial nephrectomy) either by open or hand scope or D'Vinci robot all have risk of bleeding and kidney damage - but more chance of complete 'cure' of this tumor (no guarantees about me making another tumor later). More conservative approaches such as 'burning' (RFA) or by 'freezing' (cryoablation) have a lesser chance of damaging the rest of the kidney but also a lesser chance of completely killing the cancer.
SO.... my kidney surgeon at Lankenau is working on getting me in asap to see Dr Uzzo at Fox Chase, a reknown expert in partial nephrectomy. We will see what Dr Uzzo says. I am told he has statistics galore and is extremely knowledgeable and skilled in ALL the options.
Please pray with and for me, and my family. We have been through trial after trial after trial in our lives for the last 6 years and we are WEARY....
But, we know that no matter what happens God is always with us and will NEVER leave us. He is apparently not done teaching us to depend on Him and Him alone. Whether this cancer takes my kidney, or eventually my life, or whether I live to a ripe old age, God is still God. This world is not my home, I am just a passin' through, as the old hymn goes. I want to honor God with my life, and although I would rather live a long time doing that, I just don't know what God has planned for me. Please pray that whatever it is, I am content in His love for me and in His perfect will.
Thank you all!
Karen
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
~Romans 15:13
Quick summary for those who might not know the background:
In June 2007 I literally woke up one morning and by early that afternoon found out that I had a 15.5 cm (flattened softball) size tumor in my right kidney. Within a few days I had a massive surgery to remove the whole kidney with adrenal gland (and gall bladder since it was nearby!), a rib to get to my lung, and a wedge of my right lower lung, where a 1cm metastasis was located. I took Sutent targeted therapy ('chemo') for almost a year following surgery, in the hopes of killing off any possible remaining cancer cells anywhere they might be lurking.
Since 2007, I had been cancer free, until the spring of 2011 when my regularly scheduled follow-up scans showed 5 tiny spots scattered in my lungs (2-3 mm each). I was quite panicked, but follow up scans several times in the last year have shown no significant change in these spots, even still. My doctors are not convinced that these are cancer, or if they are cancer, they think maybe my immune system is keeping them in check. Benign lung spots in the general population are not uncommon, but often go undiscovered.
But my November 2011 scans showed a new nodule, this time in my left, and my only, kidney. I was advised by both my oncologist and my kidney surgeon to watch it for about 3 months to see if it was growing or my body would keep it in check or what exactly it was going to do. Apparently VERY small nodules like this are actually harder to remove than if they are a little bit bigger, but more importantly, since I only have one kidney, we had to be very sure that we HAD to treat it before doing so, since the risk of damage to my only kidney is no small matter.
Fast forward to February 2012. I had repeat scans. The CT of the lung spots was essentially unchanged, although there are slight variations in the measurements which are a little bit unnerving - still they are very small and both my oncologist and surgeon think there is still a good chance they are not cancer.
But the MRI of the abdomen and pelvis showed that the kidney nodule is growing, albeit ever so slowly. Instead of 1.1x1.2x1.0, it is now 1.3x1.5x1.2 cm or so. Still, this is a very small tumor. If this was my first kidney cancer, I would have a very good chance of complete cure. However, since this is most likely a NEW cancer and not a metastasis, the probability is that I just plain make kidney cancer, and when they get this one out, I am likely to make another kidney cancer in the future. I don't have any spare kidney tissue to waste chopping tumors out of there over and over. Living on dialysis is not a happy thought, and I am not a candidate for transplant unless cancer free for at least 5 years.
All types of removal are some risk to that kidney. Surgical removal (partial nephrectomy) either by open or hand scope or D'Vinci robot all have risk of bleeding and kidney damage - but more chance of complete 'cure' of this tumor (no guarantees about me making another tumor later). More conservative approaches such as 'burning' (RFA) or by 'freezing' (cryoablation) have a lesser chance of damaging the rest of the kidney but also a lesser chance of completely killing the cancer.
SO.... my kidney surgeon at Lankenau is working on getting me in asap to see Dr Uzzo at Fox Chase, a reknown expert in partial nephrectomy. We will see what Dr Uzzo says. I am told he has statistics galore and is extremely knowledgeable and skilled in ALL the options.
Please pray with and for me, and my family. We have been through trial after trial after trial in our lives for the last 6 years and we are WEARY....
But, we know that no matter what happens God is always with us and will NEVER leave us. He is apparently not done teaching us to depend on Him and Him alone. Whether this cancer takes my kidney, or eventually my life, or whether I live to a ripe old age, God is still God. This world is not my home, I am just a passin' through, as the old hymn goes. I want to honor God with my life, and although I would rather live a long time doing that, I just don't know what God has planned for me. Please pray that whatever it is, I am content in His love for me and in His perfect will.
Thank you all!
Karen
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
~Romans 15:13
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)