looking for advice about the op to remove a growth and kidney - or to go with it being watched

[JC56]

Hi Budgie

Thanks for the good wishes. 

So much I still need to organise before leaving in a couple of hours, but just wanted to drop a quick thankyou.

 Gosh, you have moved around haven't you? I can't imagine living like that. 

Hope to reply in a couple of days.

Best wishes.

[Budgie]

My gosh @ JC56,
Did you even get any sleep before you drove off this morning? I hope you had a clear run with no roos, & the procedure went well.
I've loved all the moving around that we've done. I've been able to see alot of the country, made good friends, & got rid of alot of clutter every time we moved. Its amazing how much junk you can accumulate in a short time. My children all grew up to be resilient, responsible adults, very capable of looking after themselves. The only hiccup along the way was how different each state/territory is in educating the children. You would think the country would have one educational system, but each state is different. That made life interesting for the kids - a couple of them actually skipped a year when we moved from NSW to QLD. When we moved back to NSW, they were a year ahead of their old friends. But we had wonderful journeys when we travelled between postings.

Anyway, I hope today has gone well for you 🙂 🤞.

Cheers

[JC56]

Hi Budgie

Thanks for the good wishes.

An observer would say it went well - as there were no complications, the surgeon got three samples and I am feeling ok now, three days later.  

However the day was just one shock after another as there was so much that I had not been told that would happen and I  found it way past stressful even without the actual biopsy.  I really think that people should not just be told what will happen (on the day) but before the day there should be a running sheet for first timers, ie in writing, especially little things that matter like  you won't have your belongings ,  but you may have to sign a release for emergency surgery 10 mins before the biopsy and you will want to have your glasses with you!  Or telling you that a biopsy means that you are going in and out of a CT scan for half-an- hour and have to stay perfectly still through it, instead of assuming that it wouldn't be a shock for me to walk into a room with a CT scan instead of an operating table - as I didn't know that you could even do biopsy with CT scan aid!  Anyway, I got through. Spent most of the day wanting to cry but having no privacy to do so , hid it and didn't.  I have slept well since (certainly didn't the night before) and coping much better now.

Today I have (finally) looked carefully at the original CT scan report and just spent 2 hours 'translating' it, with diagrams. So, when I eventually tell my family about this, they will actually have it in language they can relate to.  

So how are you going?  I am thinking that these emails are probably public and if you would like to communicate more privately please let me know, your personal email.  

I hope you are able to go to a beach or something with the pleasant weather today.

cheers. 

[AlfHam]

Hi @JC56 

Glad to hear you are feeling well after the biopsy. I couldn't agree with you more about info you should be provided. For me personally, I know I deal with things much better if I know exactly what is going to be happening. No matter how daunting it is, I think it's better to be informed.

I didn't have a biopsy done, so don't know what that was like, but I have had some CT guided steroid injections in my back a few years ago. I described that as like having the dentist putting in a filling in your spine! I didn't know they could 'do stuff' to you while you were in or around the CT scanner, so that came as a bit of a surprise to me then.

I've learned to ask lots of questions. Specialists will give you the basic details, and miss out a whole heap of info. We all have different things that we will worry about, so its hard to know what everyone needs to know. Some people get claustrophobic around CT machines, but I don't. I do, however really don't like needles. I've had a fair few of them in the last few months, and every time I tell the person putting it in...talk me through what you're going to do, and also talk me through what you're doing while you're doing it...I look away and grimace, and they get on with what they are doing. The communication just makes it easier for me to deal with.

Fingers crossed you get good news from the results.

When you post in the forum, anyone can see it. Only registered users can reply. There is a Private Message facility to contact people directly (privately.) Click on your username up at the top of the screen it will show you a little menu including a symbol like an envelope. Click on that and you can see any messages you have, or write your own messages.

[JC56]

Hi AlfHam

thank you for the comments. It's so good to know that I don't think 'alonely' and to know that someone else has been surprised to find that things can be done in a CT scan - going in and out repeatedly.  I did have a sedative (another thing I didn't know was going to happen) -  it made me close to but not asleep.  But I slept for 2 hours after i got out and was then groggy for the next day or so.  Even so, i did feel 5 needles go in - don't know how many they needed altogether and felt the 3 that took the biopsy when they backfilled with 'gel' inside me .  I was just glad to be so sedated that i wanted to sleep (escape!). 

Thanks for the suggestions about asking questions.  I didn't even have the knowledge of what to ask beforehand.  If there is a next time,  I will ask to take my glasses and a book - it's much better to have something to do than sit in a lobby for an hour, even if people keep asking your name and what you are allergic to! 

thanks also for the info on how to use this message board. I had looked for something like you described as I am a bit wary of putting too much identifiable info on.  

I hope you are having a great day with the weather so nice. I have decided to stay inside still (hence on the computer) as there is so much needing doing in the garden and I won't be able to stop myself once I get out there ... tomorrow. ...  and distract myself for the next week waiting for the results. 

cheers

[Budgie]

Hi JC56,
I've just sent you a private message 🙂

[JC56]

Hi AlfHam

Thankyou for the advice you shared with me. 

I thought you would like to know that the biopsy was successful in getting three samples (the aim), and me healing well in a week and today I know that I got the 1 in 8 chance that they would not find cancer (YAY) but a benign tumour.- all good news!  I am so fortunate!   

The story isn't over, but the kidney op has been cancelled, and I now move on to monitoring as there is a 1 in 3 chance that it is a false negative because the amount in the sample is so small cf size of tumour, and that it really is a cancer. Only time will tell.

Great news for now. 

I'm so grateful for the skill of the radiographer (surgeon) who did the biopsy and made this outcome possible. 

Wishing you all the best with your recovery and ongoing treatment.

and thankyou for taking the time to reply to me. 

[AlfHam]

Congratulations, that's great news!

Stay vigilant, get periodic scans to monitor it and hopefully it never causes you any worry in the future!