1. < Cancer

My dad has a mass on bladder and kidney not functioning

Posted by formydad @formydad, Apr 24, 2019

He is getting surgery tomorrow to remove mass have no idea if cancerous- assuming they will send off - doc said removal may”jump start his kidney which he was unaware is not functioning.. he had prostate cancer and has brach treatment i believe - that cancers gone but i have been reading that having had radiation for it may lead to bladder cancer - anyone experience this?

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formydad | @formydad | Jul 5, 2019

Thanks for the info!
My dad said the following when i asked about treatment also said he’d be getting in wednesdays starting next week

since I only have one kidney they are giving me half doses. I still get the full amount of chemo...just half one day and half later. I suppose that means twice the number of trips, but that’s being on the safe side.
No port. I’m getting two kinds of chemo...Gemcitabine, and Cisplatin.

REPLY
formydad | @formydad | Jul 5, 2019
In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi @formydad, you are in a similar position I was in when my dad was diagnosed..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Hi @formydad, you are in a similar position I was in when my dad was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. My mom accompanied him to all his appointments and was his main caregiver. My job was to research, help them know what questions to ask and support them. My mom especially appreciated my supporting her need for more information. My dad didn't want too much information. He just wanted to deal with things as they happened. Thus I equipped my mom with the symptom tracker from the American Cancer Society. It helped put her mind at ease that she wasn't missing anything. Here's the link:
- Tools to Monitor Treatment https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/tools-to-monitor-treatment.html
- Chemotherapy for Bladder Cancer https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bladder-cancer/treating/chemotherapy.html
- Side effects of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/drugs/gc-gemcis/side-effects

Your dad won't necessarily experience all of the possible side effects. However some chemo drugs are known for specific side effects. His team knows that the combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin reduces white blood cells, so they are taking preventative measures by prescribing growth stimulating factor Neulasta to boost the white blood cell count (WBC). The WBC need to be at a certain level to be ready for the next chemo session. They will also watch for signs of peripheral neuropathy, numbness and tingling in fingers and toes. Keeping track of the side effects will help your team get the dose right for your dad and give medications to help if necessary.

How often will he be getting chemo?

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My mom - not much of a dog person- as she was bit as a child and fears them is very concerned about dogs being in the room as they get chemo- i told her they were therapy dogs but shes not thrilled.. anyway shes worried about cleanliness of that- also she had a question about food? How to feed him as he goes through this?

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2 replies
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jul 5, 2019
In reply to @formydad "My mom - not much of a dog person- as she was bit as a child..." + (show)
@formydad

My mom - not much of a dog person- as she was bit as a child and fears them is very concerned about dogs being in the room as they get chemo- i told her they were therapy dogs but shes not thrilled.. anyway shes worried about cleanliness of that- also she had a question about food? How to feed him as he goes through this?

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Nutrition is a great question. It is possible that your dad's appetite will be affected by the chemo or that food taste will change. Cancer survivor and dietitian @marykaym63 has some good suggestions in this discussion in the Breast Cancer group:
- Nutrition during and after breast cancer treatment https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/nutrition-during-and-after-breast-cancer-treatment/

Here are some other discussions to read:
– Nutrition and Cancer: Getting protein in my diet https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/nutrition/
– Healthy diets for cancer patients https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/healthy-diets-for-cancer-patients/
– Video Q&A Cancer-Fighting Foods https://connect.mayoclinic.org/webinar/cancer-fighting-foods/

Formydad, Have you had an appointment with an oncology dietitian? They can be so helpful with suggestions.

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1 reply
Mentor
Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Jul 5, 2019
In reply to @formydad "My mom - not much of a dog person- as she was bit as a child..." + (show)
@formydad

My mom - not much of a dog person- as she was bit as a child and fears them is very concerned about dogs being in the room as they get chemo- i told her they were therapy dogs but shes not thrilled.. anyway shes worried about cleanliness of that- also she had a question about food? How to feed him as he goes through this?

Jump to this post

@formydad You are so right to ask lots of questions before your dad gets his chemo. Therapy dogs are specially trained and must meet health requirements before they can visit. Your mom or dad just have to signal no and the dogs keeper will stay away. Research has shown that some people (but not all) depend on and thrive from the dogs’ visits. We used to allow patient’s pets to come in for the day. Nurses really relaxed when the dogs were there. And everyone washed their hands real well!
I think @colleenyoung answered the question about diet. I agree with her, to try and meet with a dietician

REPLY
1 reply
formydad | @formydad | Jul 5, 2019
In reply to @colleenyoung "Nutrition is a great question. It is possible that your dad's appetite will be affected by..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Nutrition is a great question. It is possible that your dad's appetite will be affected by the chemo or that food taste will change. Cancer survivor and dietitian @marykaym63 has some good suggestions in this discussion in the Breast Cancer group:
- Nutrition during and after breast cancer treatment https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/nutrition-during-and-after-breast-cancer-treatment/

Here are some other discussions to read:
– Nutrition and Cancer: Getting protein in my diet https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/nutrition/
– Healthy diets for cancer patients https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/healthy-diets-for-cancer-patients/
– Video Q&A Cancer-Fighting Foods https://connect.mayoclinic.org/webinar/cancer-fighting-foods/

Formydad, Have you had an appointment with an oncology dietitian? They can be so helpful with suggestions.

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Thanks for all the info!❤️ i have not met with a dietician but i did pass the info on to my parents👍🏼

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formydad | @formydad | Jul 5, 2019
In reply to @becsbuddy "@formydad You are so right to ask lots of questions before your dad gets his chemo...." + (show)
@becsbuddy

@formydad You are so right to ask lots of questions before your dad gets his chemo. Therapy dogs are specially trained and must meet health requirements before they can visit. Your mom or dad just have to signal no and the dogs keeper will stay away. Research has shown that some people (but not all) depend on and thrive from the dogs’ visits. We used to allow patient’s pets to come in for the day. Nurses really relaxed when the dogs were there. And everyone washed their hands real well!
I think @colleenyoung answered the question about diet. I agree with her, to try and meet with a dietician

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Yeah thats almost exactly what i told my mom!
But she about flipped her lid when she saw a dog walk in the office... i told her it was prob a therapy dog for patients just not everyone is a dog person and with dogs going everywhere these days.. grocery stores -hardware stores and more. it was just a shock for her to see one walk in the doc office... i told her its prob not gonna change and just to let them know”politely” that you dont want them around you... 😬🙄be nice about it mom😊i said

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2 replies
Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Jul 5, 2019
In reply to @formydad "Yeah thats almost exactly what i told my mom! But she about flipped her lid when..." + (show)
@formydad

Yeah thats almost exactly what i told my mom!
But she about flipped her lid when she saw a dog walk in the office... i told her it was prob a therapy dog for patients just not everyone is a dog person and with dogs going everywhere these days.. grocery stores -hardware stores and more. it was just a shock for her to see one walk in the doc office... i told her its prob not gonna change and just to let them know”politely” that you dont want them around you... 😬🙄be nice about it mom😊i said

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@formydad, I am uncomfortable around them, too. Your mom is not alone.

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Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Jul 5, 2019
In reply to @formydad "Yeah thats almost exactly what i told my mom! But she about flipped her lid when..." + (show)
@formydad

Yeah thats almost exactly what i told my mom!
But she about flipped her lid when she saw a dog walk in the office... i told her it was prob a therapy dog for patients just not everyone is a dog person and with dogs going everywhere these days.. grocery stores -hardware stores and more. it was just a shock for her to see one walk in the doc office... i told her its prob not gonna change and just to let them know”politely” that you dont want them around you... 😬🙄be nice about it mom😊i said

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@formydad My mother had Alzheimer's and dementia. When the visiting nurse would come to the house, she often came with her beautiful German Shepherd. My mother would interact with him, but not to people. The nurse said it was a good way to assess my mother, how she reacted. I bet therapy dog's could have the same affect!
Ginger

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formydad | @formydad | Jul 5, 2019

Yeah- i was just leaving target tonight and a dog walked by me on way to check out- what is happening?

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2 replies
formydad | @formydad | Jul 5, 2019
In reply to @formydad "Yeah- i was just leaving target tonight and a dog walked by me on way to..." + (show)
@formydad

Yeah- i was just leaving target tonight and a dog walked by me on way to check out- what is happening?

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That was sweet-
Yes i understand therapy dogs for sure- just think people that arent actually owners of therapy dogs are taking their dogs where they really dont belong you know?

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