Ninasusan

Happiness gently landed on my shoulders

kidney cancer

  • The Belly Belt…..

    Please excuse the outfit in this picture…it is the retirement look on a blistering hot day in Missouri. I’m 2 weeks and 2 days post nephrectomy! This belly belt is amazing.  Jenny got it for herself after her pregnancy and loaned it to me for after surgery.  I am not kidding when I say that Read more

  • A day past two weeks…

    I’ve read everything I could get my hands on in order to adequately prepare for my nephrectomy recovery.  4 weeks seems to be the magic number for returning to work.  Exhaustion and muscle pain are often mentioned…but I swear i didn’t  think it would happen that way with me… low and behold…here I am.  Also Read more

  • narcotics, marijuana and mind your own business

    I’m not a drinker of the bubbly.  I don’t see the purpose. 1) I do not like to NOT be in control of me. 2) If I’m going to drink something, it is going to taste good.  Personal preference.  I am going to put it out there that I believe without question that alcohol consumption is Read more

  • Poop

    I have “never discussed” what used to be a “never discussed” subject as much as I have in the last 3 months. When I was diagnosed with diverticulitis, the doctor told me that the way to avoid this in the future is to not get constipated. I must say I can count on one hand Read more

  • Who knew this would creep up on me….

    Today I’m easily irritated.  Not feeling overly great…Just below mid-sternum I have a muscle that causes me great pain when I do some things.  I have no idea what those some things are going to be.  And if I continue doing those things for 1/2 second I get a pulling, tearing type pain that pisses Read more

  • If only we were all the same so we would know what to expect?

    I remember the exact feeling I had when I heard the words…and we found an 8cm mass on your left kidney which we believe is malignant.  He and Jenny were in the room but I was sitting cross legged on the exam table and I saw and I heard white noise.  I’m not sure if my Read more

  • Total Reality Check…and not a pretty picture included in this post…..

    I’m a member of a kidney cancer survivor group on Facebook.  It is a very supportive, non dramatic place to connect, ask questions and feel not totally alone in your disease.  Between the group and what I learned about living with cancer from my friend, Tracy, I decided to go ahead and put my recent kidney Read more

  • That slo-mo time between diagnosis and surgery..

    I’m not exactly sure where I’ve drawn from to make it between March 9 to June 9….kidney cancer diagnosis day to scheduled surgery day.  I’ve had two “on the ledge” days where I had to lean on someone else to make it through the agonizing fear and the sobs….and I will say the extra special Read more

  • It probably not kidney cancer that will get me….

    I was sitting “indian” style on the exam table in the ER on my 59th birthday when the doc told me that I have a large tumor on my left kidney and it is most likely malignant…but first we need to get this diverticulitis abscess taken care of.  He and Jenny were in the room with Read more

  • Losing a picc line

    CT scan Wednesday was the best one yet…diverticulitis has cleared – lets get that picc line out and schedule the kidney surgery!  June 9th has been penciled in for the removal of the left kidney.  When cancer has invaded your body and hangs there in the back of your mind, it seems like a long Read more