I am continuing to recover nicely from the removal of my right kidney. It's is nice to be sleeping in the bed, being able to drive, and working a little. Also, the effort of recovering from the surgery has taken my mind off of having "cancer".
On December 1st, the 19 staples along the incision were removed and replaced with strips of tape. It's weird that my stomach above the incision feels sore but normal, below the incision is partially numb, and at my waistline is hypersensitive with a stinging sensation when touched. I was told that it was due to the nerves cut during the surgery.
I also had a follow-up meeting on the 8th with Dr. Harris, my kidney expert at Emory. Unfortunately, I don't really like the way he communicates with me, but he seems to be the best doctor for my condition so I just have to resist the urge to switch. During this visit, he revealed that the interleukin treatment (the only treatment with a small chance at remission or cure) does not perform well once the cancer moves to the bone, something he did not mention during the first visit. I opted to have my kidney removed to prepare for the interleukin treatment, so I was floored to learn I may not qualify for it. I hope to learn during a follow-up appointment on the 15th whether I can have the treatment or not. If I do, the first dose may be the week after Christmas.
I wish everyone a merry Christmas and fun holiday season.
Scott
Below is my favorite picture. It was taken on July 4th, 1982 after I ran the Peachtree Road Race. It includes my dad before he became ill and died in 1983 from pancreatic cancer, as well as my brother Rick. The hot girl is of course Sheryl, who robbed the cradle to keep me from becoming a player. December 27th will be our 25th anniversary on top of the 6 years we dated.
