Hi @JC56, Wow, your body certainly doesn't like anything invasive. My journey started when I found a lump near my jaw on the left side. I thought it was because of my broken molar, so I went to the dentist. It turned out to be a 9cm×7cm×2cm tangled mass of veins growing inside my neck which I had removed in June. My husband & I went on holidays not long after the surgery, & didn't get the results of the pathology till August. The only real symptoms of the cancer were extreme tiredness & a bit of oedema in the legs, which I didn't associate with kidney cancer. I had surgery in the September, healed well within the 6 weeks & started oral chemo in October. I have been on different chemos ever since, as your body eventually becomes immune to the effects of each drug, & you have to try a different one. Regards to sleeping, I had to sleep on my back, which took a bit of getting used to for me as I'm a left-hand-side sleeper. I used pillows to prop my self up to start with, but then I got a wedge pillow which helped enormously. I also always sleep with a pillow under my feet, as this help drain away the excess fluid in my legs. I see my oncologist every 6-8 weeks & have CT scans every 3 months. I see my GP every month for ongoing pain meds. I am terminal. I am lucky enough to have an absolutely fabulous husband who looks after me. I ate a normal diet before & after the nephrectomy until I started the chemo. It makes your mouth super sensitive to spicey & sweet foods. I can no longer have chilli at all. I can tolerate a small amount of ginger & curry. Chocolate doesn't taste any good anymore. Alot of fruits are too sweet now. Coffee is apparently not good for your kidneys either, but that's one thing I'm NOT giving up. Where abouts do you live, & how far from hospital are you? Can your doctor not do a biopsy to see whether or not it's cancer? And, can you get a second opinion? If you can proceed without a nephrectomy, that would obviously be preferable, especially how your body reacts to things. With the sewing, sorry, I only do cross stitch, not clothes making, so a bit different there. I would think you could still do cutting as long as you don't overstretch yourself. You would definitely need help around the farm for the heavy lifting. If you go ahead with surgery, if the cancer hasn't already spread, you may not need chemo, so then it would be just a matter of recovering from the surgery. Given your history I would definitely say you would need alot longer than 6 weeks. But eat healthy & the most important thing would be to drink at least 2ltrs of water a day. That's the bare minimum. I usually drink 4 litres every day, 5 come summer. I would definitely ask if you could have a biopsy first, then go for a second opinion. But whichever way you choose, I hope I've given you some answers. Please ask me anything you need to. Budgie ... View more

Hi @Pmjbc611, You definitely do not sound crazy, but are very thoughtful. I would do a rinse through the machine with no clothes- just hot water & a tablespoon of bicarb soda, after your older daughters clothes have been washed. You could also do her clothes last of the day & make sure the washing machine is left open to dry out overnight before the next load is put in. Cheers Budgie ... View more

Hi @gg1984, Is your mum able to get into a bath tub? If so, have a warm bath in which a handful of bicarb soda has been dissolved. Make sure its not hot water, as that will make it itch more. Then, she can slather on some calamine lotion as needed. Aloe vera may also help relieve the itch, if she has any. I hope this helps. Budgie ... View more

Hi JC56, I was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer in Aug 2012. I had a radical right nephrectomy & they also took the right adrenal gland. You are very lucky to have found it in stage 1. Are you on any chemo, or are you taking nothing at all? The question about removing the kidney would depend on how big the tumour is. My brother also developed kidney cancer but his was small enough just to be ablated. He appears to be fine now. The thing with kidney cancer is that once it has metastasised, it is too late. If you intend to watch, keep a very close eye on it. Kidneys are remarkable in that you only need 10% of a kidney for your body to function. If you decide to have it removed, they can do keyhole surgery if the kidney isn't too big. My kidney was large, & they nicked my adrenal vein on their way in, so I ended up with a 40cm cut across my stomach. I had 6 weeks off work, & as with all abdominal ops, I wasn't allowed to do any heavy lifting for the same amount of time. Actually, you can't lift anything heavier than 2ltrs for the first couple of weeks. It never interfered with my sewing though. So really, if you take it easy it's not too bad, you should be able to do some gentle gardening after a few weeks. Whichever way you do decide to go, I wish you the very best. Budgie ... View more

That's it....you gotta do what you gotta do! I hope the treatment doesn't get too bad for you. Keep a good attitude if you can, & try to keep up your fluids. All the best @ Andz. Budgie ... View more

Hi there @MyheroCoolSpy, Go get a covid test straight away - either through your GP or a designated testing station. If you use the GP they may send you for a blood test as well. Then, go straight home & don't go anywhere until you get the results. You may not have Covid, it might be just a flu. But even that can be devastating if you have cancer. REST, stay hydrated & relax. I hope you get well soon Budgie ... View more

Hi @Anka80, I'm sorry your Mum's diagnosis. Its never pleasant. Statistics can be wrong, & people given a short time to live CAN live way longer than the doctors say - it depends on the person; their attitude plays a very big part in how they go. Persevere in trying to talk about it with your sister, because at the end of the day, talking about it is what will get you thru. Talk with your mum & also your children. Make sure they know exactly what is going on all the time. Kids are resilient & can understand more than what we give them credit for. You may also find you need counselling. It can help immensely. There are a number if places to get help from The Cancer Council being just one. Don't forget - if you want to break down & cry hard - do it. There's nothing g wrong with that. But remember to pick yourself up again. Take care & don't be a stranger here. Talk as often as you like. Someone will always be listening here. Budgie ... View more

Hi @jordynlei, I'm sorry you're going thru this pain, but you've taken a great step in joining this community. Cancer is a devastating thing & it might seem like the end of the world. But while your dad is still alive, spend as much time with him as you can. Yes, he is young, & the prognosis isn't great, but, that doesn't mean the prognosis is right. Your dad might live for a long time yet. It depends alot on his attitude. You all sound like a close knit family, so you can lean on each other for support, but also, get some counselling. The Cancer Council has a number you can call & speak with someone who can offer good advice. Most importantly, talk with your dad, about his illness & about his death, funeral arrangements etc. While this is painful, it can also be therapeutic. Also talk about your family's history, ask questions about when he was young etc. You may also like to record/film the conversations. Does he have a bucket list? If he's fit enough to do things, do them. Relax. Try not to stress. What is going to happen, will happen, & while you can't stop it, do all you can to make the best of it. It might be a horrible time but when you feel the need to vent, you can do it on here - let it all out & we will help you as best we can. Lots of hugs to you & your family. Budgie ... View more

Hi @Mary_85, What an awful situation. I actually think your brother is jealous. You have a life; he has cancer, so he takes it out on you. It's not fair or right. Your family can't expect you to give up your life to go back & look after him. That wouldn't be fair on you. When your brother dies, your life goes on. If you were to throw away your career here to go back & care for him, what would you have left? I think the whole family could do with some counselling, individually as well as a group. It would probably help a great deal. Its not your fault he is sick, but you're not there to help, so they are taking out their anger on you. There's not alot you can do except try to talk to your brother, about his treatment as well as general stuff. Try to keep it positive - if he was diagnosed as terminal, yet he's still alive, he must have a good fighting spirit. I know sometimes its really hard. When I was younger, my eldest sister was suffering from breast cancer & she would never talk about it, not even with her children. So each time I was on the phone with her I would ask her direct questions about it, her treatment etc. She said little bits but mainly tried to avoid the topic. You can only do so much tho. At least you are still there for him & that is wonderful. Dont be hard on yourself for not actually being there. You have a life to lead. Take care Budgie ... View more

Hi Rikki ,   Yes, please do keep me posted.  I totally understand you being uptight.  Its not nice worrying about your heart on top of everything else.  I had to wear a Holter  monitor last week, as I was having episodes of AF.   It is scary. I hope you get some GOOD pain relief. 😊👍   Budgie ... View more