Lab Results Are In

On June 27th, I returned to the doctor for the lab results of my nephroureterectomy. I also had my catheter removed, which is a different discussion.

I’m sorry for not posting the results right away. It’s been hard to have a little less energy and not be able to share everything I think might be interesting or helpful for others going through the same type of thing. I really want to talk more about the day of surgery itself, the weird way I woke up in post-op, and more, but it seems hard to back-track and still move forward.

So let’s just focus on the results for a minute.

• They were able to remove the ureter and kidney and do biopsies on them. They found one carcinoma that was just under 5 cm (about 2 inches). The rest came back as benign, and with no need for follow-up radiation or chemotherapy for now.
• I will need to go back in about 3 months to have just follow-up labs done and confirm that the cancer did not develop in the bladder. Then another check-up in 9 months, and then every year for good measure.

So where am I at now? Well, here’s some info in a nutshell:

• My mom, who has been by my side through everything, putting her own life on hold, has returned home to SC. Having her with me during the week was a huge help for Matt and I – but it would be selfish to have her stay any longer. And let’s be honest, my mom is a powerhouse. So the more I recovered, the less there was for her to do – so she was going stir crazy.
• I’m mostly back to work. I worked remotely 2 days last week and then had a slight setback, but I’m back working remotely this week. I’m very grateful for the flexibility to do that as it has allowed me to continue on with my home health care.
• My pain is manageable, it’s mostly discomfort at this point. I have 8 incisions, and 6 of them have healed well. 2 of them are located under my left breast, and unfortunately that means they don’t have the open air they need to heal properly. They continue to have some oozing and bleeding, so I went last week to have them cultured, and got put on some antibiotics.
• My mobility game is on point. I’ve graduated from using a walker to a cane for stability, although I mostly navigate around the house hands-free. Because of the issue with my feet to begin with, I won’t be running any marathons, but my in-home physical therapist has actually provided me with some exercises I can do from my chair to build up my stamina.

That’s enough information for now. I’ve actually been staring at this blog post for days, adding a little more each day, because I’ve been letting it defeat me. I’m hoping just getting past this hurdle will allow me to move forward with topics I’m interested in covering.