User:Gemma A.S./BlogEntry: 2008 September 17 01:45:24 MSD

From Kidney Cancer Resource

My Consult with the Urologist on Friday 12th September, 08 Where do I start? He did not introduce himself, but I had found him on the Dalahousie website, and there was a photo fo him, so I knew what he looked like. He assumed that the people in front of him were the ones related to the paperwork - I presume. He said he was going to check the scans, and I asked if I could come too, that I needed it to be real, confirmed, and he said he would bring them back to show me. My Right Kidney is small, and the tumor is almost bigger than the rest of it, and he said if you had to choose this would be the one to remove. The left kidney is picture perfect, just like in all the anatomy pictures, and large in comparison. He was very short shrift, it’s a tumor, it’s got to come out, we will do it laprascopically, and then you can get on with life.

I pretty much forgot my list of questions.. Doh! I did ask if it was Cancer - he said there was very little doubt. I asked about the mark on the liver, he circled the word ‘hemangioma’.. I asked would he be checking, and he said no not at this time. I asked was it likely to be related - he said highly unlikely. He said the regular scans will pick up on it if it is something to be concerned about. He actually asked did I want bad news.. he said I was among the 95% that have the kidney out and that is the end of it. But it was like pulling teeth, the whole process. I asked did I need to see the Oncologist, and he said ‘what so that they can tell you it has to come out too’. I asked how long it was likely to have been there, and he said they normally grow about 1cm a year, so possibly 4 years, which is while we were still in France. I asked what would I need to do afterwards in terms of meds, and he said I wouldn’t need any. He does want me to have a chest X-ray so he can see the to half of the lungs, and I will go get that done on Monday.

He said he wanted me in for the op in a few weeks time, and then I asked will I be able to go to Toronto for Thanksgiving, and he was nodding no.. so then I said my sister asked if you can do this after, and he said yes of course, enjoy Thanksgiving and we will see you straight after. Then I was worried and kept asking was he sure, and he said positive, a few weeks will make no difference.

So one of his specialties is laprascopic surgery, and he said he would only do radical if they couldn’t get a kidney out, or if they nicked a vein and needed to stop the bleeding. I asked how long I would stay in, and if he can do it this way a couple of days, and the recovery time is ‘not long’.. so I do not know what that means.. ‘not long’.

Jerry was touching my arm for us to leave the room, the Dr was stood up ready to leave the room.. and I wasn’t done yet.. and my list of questions was still there, but leave we did. After I was cross for the next hour of the journey home, because I didn’t get anything from him to give to Human Resources at work. But I know I have time to get that sent to me.

So the consult was not what I expected, and guess what - I do not have oedema, I have 20 pounds of something else.. might just be age catching up with me. He did make a joke that maybe I would lose 20 pounds when he removed the kidney. At least now I have a focus for the next month, a diet, haven’t needed one of them in about 7 years if not longer. So all this complaining about oedema to my GP, and the heart specialist got me to this guy, who agrees with the others, you do not have oedema - but the complaining found this, so one has to be grateful for that.