Mike Liesenfeld

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.  As you know Mike was diagnosed with kidney cancer in March 2017.  He underwent surgery to attempt to remove the tumor but once the surgeons opened him up they realized the cancer was much worse than they originally thought.  At the time of surgery the cancer was staged at 4 which is the most severe stage of cancer.  Mike began treatment in New Ulm, MN shortly after his unsuccessful surgery.  His first round of chemotherapy was successful in relieving a large portion of Mike's pain and was successful in shrinking the smaller tumors surrounding his kidney.  Unfortunately it did not shrink the kidney tumor itself.  He then began a regime of oral chemotherapy medications to attempt to shrink the kidney tumor.  Again, this was unsuccessful.  Mike had been able to function close to normal during both of these treatments but when he finished the oral medications his pain was becoming intolerable.  His doctor in New Ulm then ordered a new round of IV chemotherapy to begin on Dec. 8.  Mike did this treatment and began to experience numerous side effects from the new medication.  He was scheduled for a second chemotherapy treatment on Dec. 15 but was instead hospitalized at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.  After discussion with the inpatient team, Mike decided that he is not wanting to continue treatment and instead will be entering hospice care on Dec. 19 upon hospital discharge.  Mike's pain was uncontrollable when he arrived in Minneapolis but has since been better managed.  He is currently using a PCA (pain medication pump) which is delivering continual medications as well as gives him the ability to give himself additional doses every 20 minutes.  At this point, Mike is having some trouble with his hearing and vision as well as having some difficulty with his memory.  He is ready to go home and is anxious to go.  I'm sure he would appreciate any messages and I will read these to him when I visit.