Bye Bye Right Kidney

The last few weeks have been a blur.  From the time we found out Seth had a large tumor in his right kidney we've been up and down and all over place emotionally with all the testing and information we've been overloaded with.

 

Seth's had ultrasounds, a cat scan, numerous consultations with our primary team as well as the solid tumor team.  At one point we did hear the words "I wish I could tell you he's curable but I can't, I'm so sorry" after asking that very difficult question.  We just felt worn down and didn't know how to move forward and what was best for our family and would give Seth the best quality of life.

 

When leaving the hospital on Saturday we thought we had a plan in place.  We still had a meeting set up with the surgeon on Monday to discuss removing the kidney but didn't think we would be going that route.  Our focus now that we are not working towards a cure is giving him the best quality of life and that includes being home with us and especially Sadie and OUT of the hospital as much as possible.

 

Come Monday Seth had his labs done at home and as we were driving into the Jimmy Clinic we got a call that his calcium was 14.2.   This is the highest it has been yet!  After meeting with the surgeon we would meet with Dr. Wright our primary oncologist to  discuss.  As we were driving in Steve and I discussed that even though we weren't considering surgery beforehand now it needed to be seriously considered because his calcium would most likely be an ongoing problem.

 

When arriving at the clinic Seth's vitals were taken quickly and shortly after we were taken back to a room so he could start a bolus of fluids to start getting the calcium down.

 

Dr. Weldon came to see us (right on time!) and we talked about the surgery.  He showed us the scans of Seth's kidney and the tumor is very large.  He explained that he would take the entire kidney and surrounding lymph nodes if we decided to go with the surgery and it had been tentatively scheduled for next Monday.  If we decided we didn't want to go that route it will be easier to cancel rather than trying to get in the schedule.  He was really thorough in his discussion with us and explained all he does is tumor removals within the abdomen area.

 

Soon after Dr. Wright came in and we discussed the high calcium.  She said that we could go home if we wanted to and manage it through increased Lasix and more free fluids through his G-tube.  We were nervous about this because he got to 14.2 while home with us for just 2 days and a level of 15/16 is where they really become concerned and worry about being symptomatic.  We didn't want to have to worry about this so we decided to be admitted to get his calcium under control and well monitored.

 

Now that they could start on the admission paper work we discussed how to proceed with Seth's calcium management.  After a very lengthy discussion we came to the conclusion that his kidney needs to be removed, otherwise his calcium will continue to be a problem.  The hope is this will allow his electrolytes to regulate and remain in the normal range. 

We were transferred to the ICU Sunday night and after a week in the hospital Seth's right kidney was removed this morning. 

He was taken first thing in the morning and we got to see him about 1:30.  Dr. Weldon said he did great.  They would be keeping a close eye on him and his electrolytes to see how everything responds.

When we got to see Seth he was already awake and seemed to be somewhat comfortable. 

For now he has two peripheral IV's, an arterial IV, a catheter, and an epidural.  We're hoping to keep him as comfortable as possible over the next few days while he heals and until some of his lines can come out. 

The next steps in his treatment/care are still being discussed but we are working towards what's best for Seth and our family.