First post:
Sep 12, 2018 Latest post:
Jan 17, 2022
*DONATIONS TO THIS CARING BRIDGE SITE ARE NOT DONATIONS TO DAD*
Dad's Chromophobic Renal Cell Carcinoma is in Stage IV, and we'd like to make sure everyone stays updated as we make decisions and plans for getting together and for treatment. We are using this Caring Bridge site to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support.
Expectations for updates: We get *actual news* about once every week or two, after a few appointments here and there, or when a decision is made. We'll update accordingly, but not exhaustively. Please leave a comment or email Anne Marie if you have a particular question.
To summarize the last few years: A lesion made of cells most likely related to his Renal Cell Carcinoma was found in his spine after he had a scan in Summer 2018 to investigate unrelated pain. It was a very early detection of it, and there have been short-course, high-dose radiation treatments to address it. Another lesion was found in his liver in early 2019, and radiation was administered for that as well. After they found some very small lesions in his lungs and treated them via radiation, he began a regimen of chemotherapy to stay ahead of, or restrict the speed of the growth of, any other lesions that might come to light. A scan in 2021 revealed new lesions in his spine in vertibrae adjacent to the ones that had been treated previously.
In Fall 2021 (November) Dad went in to have a very large kidney stone removed, and unfortunately there were a few complications after the surgery. He went home with a nephrostomy in place, which is a tube going directly into his kidney. The tube was meant to be helpful to the surgery (and was... they use it to monitor bleeding), but Dad's kidney decided to use it for elimination, which isn't normal. When he built up his strength and his kidney chemistry looked good in his blood samples, they sent him home.
As news develops from these complications, we'll post updates. Dad is due for his regular full-body scans and to hopefully get the nephrostomy out once he recovers from an infection.
