Kidney Cancer

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I've been diagnosed with metastasized renal cell carcinoma manifesting itself in my lungs. My oncologist estimated my death will occur in approximately 6 months.

How will death occur? How will I know when my time is near?

[EMILIO]

HEY SHOTGUN, I'M SO SORRY TO READ THIS, AND I FEEL FOR YOU. I FOUND OUT MY RCC METASTIZED IN DECEMBER, BUT NOT TO MY LUNGS, BUT TO THE BONES IN MY SPINE. I KNOW EVENTUALLY IT WILL GO ELSEWHERE. YOUR ONCOLOGIST SAID 6 MONTHS? I HAVE ASKED THE QUESTION SEVERAL TIMES, AND BASICALLY NOONE CAN REALLY TELL, JUST GIVE YOU THE 5 YEAR SURVIVAL STATS, AND MINE WERE BAD AT 9.9% SURVIVAL. I HAVE MET, AND TALKED TO ALOT OF PEOPLE NOW WITH CANCER, AND I TRY MY VERY BEST TO NOT THINK ABOUT IT, DO WHAT THE DOCTORS TELL ME, AND REALIZE IT IS WHAT IT IS, AND I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DEAL WITH IT. IT BREAKS MY HEART TO HEAR THESE STORIES, AND HANG IN THERE BUDDY.

EMILIO

[Shotgun]

[quote="EMILIO"]HEY SHOTGUN, I'M SO SORRY TO READ THIS, AND I FEEL FOR YOU. I FOUND OUT MY RCC METASTIZED IN DECEMBER, BUT NOT TO MY LUNGS, BUT TO THE BONES IN MY SPINE. I KNOW EVENTUALLY IT WILL GO ELSEWHERE. YOUR ONCOLOGIST SAID 6 MONTHS? I HAVE ASKED THE QUESTION SEVERAL TIMES, AND BASICALLY NOONE CAN REALLY TELL, JUST GIVE YOU THE 5 YEAR SURVIVAL STATS, AND MINE WERE BAD AT 9.9% SURVIVAL. I HAVE MET, AND TALKED TO ALOT OF PEOPLE NOW WITH CANCER, AND I TRY MY VERY BEST TO NOT THINK ABOUT IT, DO WHAT THE DOCTORS TELL ME, AND REALIZE IT IS WHAT IT IS, AND I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DEAL WITH IT. IT BREAKS MY HEART TO HEAR THESE STORIES, AND HANG IN THERE BUDDY.

EMILIO[/quote]

Emilo,
Thanks for your reply. Spine sounds even more gruesome than mine. Are you still ambulatory and can walk on your own? My oncologist said 6 months UNTREATED. I didn't think I was going to be treated due to the cost of the drug Sutent he wanted me to take. I appealed to the maker of Sutent and they came through with a way for me to get it. I've been on it now for 6 days. So far the side effects have been tolerable. I realize these drugs don't cure....only prolong, and I'm mentally as prepared as I can get for the eventuality, but I'm 67 years old and have heart problems plus COPD so it was sort of a race to see which one would get me first then this popped up unexpectedly and shortened the time table. How old are you?

[EMILIO]

HEY BUDDY, YEAH, I KNOW ALL ABOUT SUTENT, AND NEXOVAR, AND WHAT THE SIDE EFFECTS CAN BE. AT THIS POINT, I WENT THROUGH 13 DAYS IN A ROW OF RADIATION ON MY LOWER BACK, MAINLY PALLIATIVE FOR PAIN. I'M OKAY, HURTS, BUT I TRY TO FIGHT THROUGH IT. UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY GOES ELSEWHERE, I HAVE BEEN DOING MONTHLY TREATMENTS OF A DRUG CALLED ZOMETA, TO STRENGHTEN THE BONES, AND TO SLOW DOWN THE GROWTH. MY RCC IS A WEIRDER ONE, TYPE 2 PAPILLARY RCC, WHICH DOES NOT RESPOND TO CHEMO, OR RADIATION, WHICH MAYBE IS GOOD, I WOULDN'T GO THROUGH CHEMO, BEING A STUBBORN ITALIAN! I'M 48, AND IT IS ALL STILL STRANGE TO ME, SINCE IT'S ONLY BEEN 7 MONTHS, BUT I ALSO REALIZE THIS HAPPENS TO ALOT OF PEOPLE, AND WHY NOT ME. ALL I THINK OF IS, IT IS BETTER ME, THEN SOMEONE I LOVE. HANG IN THERE BUDDY, AND TRY TO ENJOY EACH DAY DOING THE THINGS YOU LOVE TO DO, THE BEST YOU CAN.

GOD BLESS YOU BUDDY.

EMILIO

[Shotgun]

May God bless you too, Emilo. I've only been on Sutent for 6 days and the side effects are starting. Queasy stomach to bad nausea; headaches; diarrhea; fatigue. I've got a prescription to go fill today for an anti-nausea med.

Since there is no cure, I have no intentions of letting a cancer drug ruin the quality of whatever life I have left just to drag things out a few additional months. If the side effects get too bad, I plan to just quit taking it and play the hand out.

Sure sorry to hear it hit you so young. I'm 67 so I've gotten to live a full life. At 48, you have been stricken too young. Good luck to you Emilo.

Shotgun

[EMILIO]

I FEEL VERY LUCKY TO HAVE SO MANY FRIENDS SUPPORTING ME/US THROUGH THIS. HOPEFULLY SHOTGUN, YOUR SIDE EFFECTS WON'T BE SO BAD. I GUESS I'VE BEEN LUCKY THUS FAR, AS THE ZOMETA I AM TAKING MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I HAVE A BAD FLU FOR A FEW DAYS, THEN BETTER, IT COULD BE A HELL OF A LOT WORSE. HANG IN THERE, AND ENJOY YOUR FAMILY, AND FRIENDS. TRY TO HAVE A FUN WEEKEND BUDDY.

EMILIO :)

[EMILIO]

HEY SHOTGUN, JUST CHECKING ON HOW YOU'RE DOING BUDDY.

EMILIO