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Here's the rundown of Dan's cancer journey: Spring 2015- Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (kidney cancer) Kidney removed - no problems! August 2016 - RCC metastasized to right femur which broke. Titanium rod put in plus radiation . Started chemo pill August 2017 - RCC growing again in femur. More radiation. Changed to infusions. Works well. August 2019 - RCC is growing again in femur. Changed to a different chemo pill (Cabometyx) Lost pigment in hair, skin; no appetite, lost 60-70 lbs. February 2020- scans look better, lower dose of Cabometyx. Weight loss slows down. May 2020 - RCC growing in right femur again. Change treatment to Opdivo+Yervoy infusion every three weeks. After two treatments, severe side effects, lost 25 lbs in less than three weeks. Needed IVs, and prednisone. September-October 2020 -Slowly weaned off prednisone, otherwise side effects come back. November 2020 - Feet and legs swell, night sweats May 2021 - RCC growing again. Started pills, Linvema + Everolimus. Doing much better. No side effects. Visited Utah National Parks, and even hiked! June 7, 2021 - right leg swelled up huge from toes too hip. Very painful. No known cause. Couldn't walk or move much. Swelling went down after six or more weeks. October 2021 - RCC growing in soft tissue (muscle) around femur, spot below right knee, plus a few small nodules in lungs. May 2022 - RCC in lung nodules are growing. Started different chemo pill. August 2022 - RCC still growing. Change chemo pill, but in same "family." (last resort) October 2022 - Dan experiencing shortness of breath, tightness in chest, cough
10/29/22 -11/3/22 Dan admitted to Nebraska Med Center Hospital with fluid on his lungs (causing the latest problems). His right lung had some fluid, but the left lung was full of fluid and "collapsed" because of it. In the hospital for seven days, they drained three liters of fluid from his left lung, inserted a PleurX catheter/drain to be able to drain fluid at home.
11/12/22 I (Deb) was draining one liter of fluid from Dan's lung every other day, but on 11/12, Saturday, I noticed that the fluid had more blood in it.
11/13/22 Dan was feeling more chest tightness and shortness of breath, as well as the feeling that food/water "wouldn't go down." I went to drain more fluid, but it was looked like mostly blood, and brighter red. We called the doctor answering service and the recommended that we come in.
Dan was admitted to the Werner Cancer Hospital ( Buffet Cancer Center, part of the Nebraska Medical Center), Progressive Care Unit (step-down from Intensive Care) for Hemothorax, "an accumulation of blood in the pleural cavity."
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