CancerCompass message board discussion started by atlfamily on 4/10/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,22931,0.htm Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Okay-I typed out this really funny and cool posting a couple days ago, but have no idea what happened to it.  So here's my latest entry- one full week out from radical nephrectomy.As mentioned surgery on 4/3/08, discharged from hopsital on 4/6/08 with follow up visit with doc today 4/10/08 (removed staples and talked about what to expect next.)As I've mentioned doc is very optimistic (turns out my RC tumor was stage 1) limited to the kidney with no evidence of vascular or extravascular extension.  Next follow up in 6 weeks- with no more x-rays etc (which he says may do more harm than good in my situation)..I'm getting along fine- and drove a little today.  Doc says he'd be concerned with a car accident- and I said- "Yeah, but that's a concern whether I had surgery or not..."  Touche'- I can drive....Flank pain is deep (kind of like sore muscles) and staple removal was not painful at all but actually quite relaxing...  I'm cleared to sleep on my stomach tonight and look forward to that.  I've taken a couple walks around the block and that's pretty nice.All in all- not much more than that to report.I guess to summarize I feel pretty good- and have already mentally placed myself in the high percentage bracket for RCC cure after surgery.  That's bold talk and it's cocky- but how else can I feel?  I never felt sick in all this- I feel the same today as I did a week ago when they cut me open to remove this burden!  So many of you have harrowing and heartbreaking stories and I hope my typing out all this doesn't in any way trivialize your situations.  We all deal with hope, fear and immortality in different ways. I'm the person on the other end of the call now.  And no more when my wife tells me about someone I've met but have no clue who they actually are (a girl from her work)- who's husband has beed diagnosed with "x"...  I'll never project the same fake sympathy again with the "man, that's terrible" or "that sucks"....  I know- I'm that guy now!Standing 8 count for kidney cancer until (if ever) we meet again- I think you're a coward- because the majority of us don't get a fighting chance...Dennis atlfamily Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT