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My husbands diagnosis. Please help. I posted a few months ago about this and you were all so helpful.Pt: 41 y/o male, former marine, non smoker, very occasional drinker, 170 lbs 60.My husbands official diagnosis is Metastatic renal cell carcinoma, which spread to his lungs. They went in and took the tumor off the kidney (he has horseshoe kidney so he only technically has one) and he was very optimistic about getting it all from that area. Said his body encapsulated the tumor and they didnt see anything else on his kidney. They said there were nodes in his lungs, but that they werent treating and just want to keep an eye on until mid December, then talk about what to do if they grow. The problem is, he is weak and is having trouble breathing.No chemo, no radiation, no immunotherapy yet or maybe at all. Is this normal?His lymph nodes have been so swollen I can see them under his collar bone, and in his neck. Im worried. Is metastatic a automatic stage 4 diagnosis?Is his prognosis good? His oncologist and doctor seem to think so, but they wont really speak on anything early on. They said we would meet in December and talk more then. What do I do now?My husband isnt able to work, and is taking time off from getting his degree. He can barely walk around without being winded. I have picked up extra shifts at work, so I dont get to see him and how hes doing. I just want to know if I should trust what they are telling us, or ask for them to check him again since hes so weak. Help? Im losing my mind.Thank you. I appreciate you all so very much.
gpt
Dont wait, call the oncology office now and let them know these concerns, they may need to start other treatments sooner.See a palliative care doctor ASAP. They are experts in cancer pain. Some cancer treatment centers also have anesthesiologists or rehab doctors who are experts in cancer pain.Oncologists are experts in the extreme complexities of treating cancers. There is a lot more to having cancer, and it's best to have an interdisciplinary team.
Ascites 4 weeks post-op, acute renal failureUpdate: Over 5L of fluid was drained from my dads abdomen today. The fluid was high in creatinine and consistent with urine. He initially felt much better, but then started experiencing extreme pain, likely from muscle spasms due to the drastic change in his body over the course if only 2 hours. His O2 dropped to 86 due to the pain. He is now medicated for pain and sleeping on and off. We are hoping that his status will improve over the next few days. Thank you to everyone that commented.70M, 6ft even, 205 lbs, Barrett's esophagus, eczemaHistory of heavy smoking decades ago that was reduced to once or twice per day in the 1980s. Uses edibles/microdosing to manage anxiety and depression.Regular medications include acid reducers for well-monitored esophagus and fish oils and supplements for controlled eczema. Very active lifestyle for age including managing half acre yard, frequent 15 to 20 mile bike rides when weather permits, strength training at gym multiple times per week.January 12th, dad underwent robot assisted prostate removal. Lymph nodes were clear and there was one area where cancer had spread one millimeter into outside tissues. No radiation is recommended at this time. He was disharged home with a catheter. The catheter was removed one week later, but about 18 hours after it was removed, he was having trouble urinating and developed severe pain. He went to the ER cathed again. He was determined to have continued swelling in his urethra.A few days later, a cystogram with his surgeon revealed a small tear in his bladder where his bladder and urethra meet. His surgeon said that he expects the tear to heal on its own.My dad was admitted to the ER today for increasing discomfort in his abdominal area with pain and diarrhea. When I showed up, I noticed that his abdomen was visibly distended. CT confirmed ascites. Nothing else to note other than a 2 mm calcification in a kidney and cirrhosis. He is a recovered alcoholic that hasn't touched alcohol in 37 years. Labs shows some RBCs and WBCs in his urine. Also indicated acute kidney failure. BUN 56 mg/dL, creatinine 4.54 mg/dL, eGFR-Cr 13 mL/min/1.73m2.It is a lymphatic leak? Maybe urine leak caused it? If so, what next?
In a patient with cirrhosis and new onset renal failure with swelling by the prostatic urethra, your dad appears to be at risk for urinary retention because of how much inflammation and swelling there is by the pelvis at the neck of the urethra. A simple noninvasive bladder scan can be done at the urologist's office after he voids or is allowed to empty his bladder completely , called a "post void residual". If there is more than 300-450 cc (every doc has their own cutoff) after a reasonable attempt to empty every last drop, he is considered to have urinary retention. This can cause urine to flow backwards and cause backpressure into the kidneys, effectively causing hydronephrosis (which can be picked up on a renal ultrasound (ultrasound of kidneys), or CT scan of the abdomen. Obstructive uropathy is this condition and can be source of renal failureAlso, ascites is not uncommon in decompensated cirrhosis. Make sure your dad is on a low salt diet. Also it is important to check a Complete metabolic panel or hepatic function panel to see his albumin level. Low albumin can contribute to ascites. Your dad could be in what we call hepatorenal syndrome if his cirrhosis is not under control and can lead to renal failure and death.