Alan’s Story

Site created on September 12, 2018


*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.


Newest Update

Journal entry by Anne Bryant

It's been expressed to me that perhaps there is some confusion around my last post, the instructions in it, or how all this works. Hope this serves as a good resource!

There are 5 points here:

1. Caring Bridge, where you're reading this, is a blogging site I use that you can follow and get notifications from when there is news. Donations made here do not go to the family. We use this service for free. 

2. Click here to see the current fundraising campaign. There is an older campaign from 2019 that I can't make disappear. Money from that still goes to us, however, I'd like the total to appear so people know how we're doing with our goal here in 2022. Donations made to the older one in the last couple days are now a part of the tally for the newer one.

3. The money collected goes to an account that both Dad and I can access. 

4. If you would prefer to circumvent the fees associated with Fundly, you can write a check to me and mail to
Anne Bryant 
c/o Acorn to Arabella
291 Batchelor St
Granby, MA  01033

5. I'm handling communications and organizing for Mom and Dad, and I have the most current information. If you have questions, please get in touch with me. If you get information from anyone other than me the info might have been mangled through a game of telephone a bit, and while well meaning, might be a bit off.
Email: righthandanne@gmail.com
Phone: 603 781 2864
If I don't answer right away, I'm at work and I'll be back to you soon.

Thanks for all your support! I'm here to help. We're humming along to our goal. We're hoping for a future move to a place that is on a first floor. Any extra money will be used for travel and moving costs. 
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