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How it all began...
Early in March, during calving, Bob got up-close and personal with a Momma cow. The heifer head-butted him into the wall of the barn as he was tagging her calf. He was able to get away over a fence and thought he was just bruised up a bit. The pain in his lower back got worse, he had an X-ray, nothing broken. Tried 3 Chiropratic adjustments with no relief. He started to have numbness/tingling down his legs, in particular the right. He also showed some weakness in both legs which resulted in the use of a cane/walker to prevent falls. (Three that he admits to). The next step was imaging.
A CT then MRI was done.
The images showed nothing that should be causing his leg/motor symptoms. Hardware from his numerous previous back surgeries were still intact
So problem #1- why are Bob’s legs weak requiring him to walk with a cane?
As the MRI was interpreted it did reveal
problem #2- a tumor on his right kidney. We do not truly know for certain it is cancer- 80% cancer, but 20% chance it is not. The cow we were ready to turn into hamburger has now risen to royal status, as if not for her, this tumor probably would not have been found as Bob was not having any symptoms.
We were pleased with our care in Pierre.
Dr Wyatt was very knowledgeable and caring as he educated us on the kidneys and surgery options. As Pierre does not have robotic surgery options we looked for another site for surgery plus a place it is done frequently. We also chose the quickest appointment. We made the decision to go to Mayo in Rochester, MN where Kirsten used her connections to direct us to a surgeon. They can do removal laparoscopic robotically.
After meeting with the surgeon, Bob is scheduled for a radical nephrectomy on May 25.
We are continuing to do assessments to uncover the cause of his leg weakness.
In case you’re wondering Bob’s dog, Josie, is well taken care of by Auntie Jean and Uncle Mike. Getting personal walks daily. Only problem is the harness and leash required in the city which cause her some distress.
In the country THANKS to our ever kind neighbors who are “ on call” for their help as needed.
