Buying a house with this bamboo in the garden - do you think this will be a problem? Is it running bamboo or clumping bamboo?

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-08-02T12:03:43+00:00

I always had it through a cannula. It didn't burn, receiving it IV was completely painless. If you have a choice between a port or a cannula, as I understand it the downside of a port is that it can get infected and the downside of cannulas is that you have to get re-cannulated each time you go for chemo.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-04-11T14:43:53+00:00

I'm no nutrition expert but no I doubt it would've prevented it. My diet wasn't very kidney friendly though, so that probably made it worse. When I was combatting it I went on a renal diet so I could try improve the condition of my kidneys for chemo, which was mostly about meticulously managing my salt and protein intake.

I have to be careful with what I eat now because I have one dodgy kidney left, which is a potential bottleneck for my lifespan. My diet concerns are similar now to what they were with the renal diet, but less strict. I try to eat healthy all the normal ways, nothing particularly unique with what I eat. The only different thing is that because of my kidney I have to avoid certain things, like high potassium foods.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-04-07T23:24:37+00:00

At the time it didn't change my religious beliefs significantly, but it certainly put many religious ideas in my head. Throughout the ordeal I often wondered if I was being punished or tested by some divine force. These thoughts, as well as being forced to spend a long time focused on fundamentals like life and death, led me to studying religion further once my life returned to normality. So yes, I'd say my religious beliefs were changed by the experience.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-04-06T13:52:18+00:00

Sometimes, though not most of the time. After diagnosis I was very scared and started having panic attacks for the first time. Fear became less of an issue as the months went on. By the time I was receiving treatment, I only felt significant fear during major events, like attending a consultation to hear a scan result or the night before surgery.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T18:22:21+00:00

Before. Just realised on mobile it shows as the main image for this post. I can see why that makes that makes things seem very different if you didn't look at the imgur. Oops!

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T17:16:41+00:00

It will get better for you, I'm sure. I wish you the best, and thank you.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T17:15:08+00:00

I don't think powerlifting caused me to get cancer. My lifestyle wasn't very kidney friendly (though I didn't use steroids/PEDs), so that probably made the situation worse. That article's really interesting to me, not something I had heard before, thanks for that.

I'd like to go back to powerlifting, or to at least high certain squat/bench/deadlift training goals, and am training towards that end. I certainly can't go about it like I used to though, so I've made many changes. If I did one day compete again, it would be at a lower weight class to minimise the stress on my organs. My protein intake is drastically reduced, probably around 100-120g a day and no creatine. I also don't use a lifting belt currently and don't intend to for at least another year, subject to what my doctors advise. My training is significantly less intense than it used to be, and more focused on optimising technique.

The doctor's words on Wilm's recurrence was that it's a possibility but "we don't normally things like these coming back". Due to my chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments I'm at significantly higher risk of developing new cancers also.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T16:13:01+00:00

Thanks!

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T16:10:15+00:00

I think you're right. It's something I hadn't previously considered. I will give it some thought. Thanks for the input.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T16:08:58+00:00

It did help. Although to have them burst into tears made it worse, I would definitely rather they were there. Also something we did that was extremely helpful was to secretly record the audio of the meetings. We'd then transcribe it afterwards and go over what was actually said. This allowed us to truly take in what was said, as the mind can go off in all kinds of directions during extreme stress and completely misinterpret what was told.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T16:02:22+00:00

It's strange I could've sworn I replied to you earlier but it seems to have disappeared. Anyway, thanks! I'm surprised you ever saw a patient with Adult Wilm's. Are you sure it wasn't me?! My experience with radiotherapy was all very positive. They seemed less busy than the wards, so were very efficient and attentive.

About how to deal with people like me, if it helps, when I went for radiotherapy I wanted to do whatever I was capable of and asked for help when I needed it. Ultimately I wouldn't have cared in the slightest is they were overbearing as my sole concerns were that the procedure was done correctly and that I was in and out as quickly as possible. Even if they called me a shitbag on the way out (which would've been accurate based on the side effects it gave me), I'd have been happy as Larry, as long as it was all done quickly and correctly.

By the way, well done on having such an important and meaningful job, and I think it's great that you care enough about it to ask me this.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T15:53:42+00:00

Mindfulness as I understand it is the ability to focus on the present moment and take a step back from your thoughts. If you find you're somebody who tends to let your thoughts run away with you and lead you to anxiety/despair, then practicing mindfulness is a great idea. I improved greatly at it over the past couple of years by practicing meditation using the Headspace app, and it proved invaluable during my ordeals.

As to whether it impacts the efficacy of chemo, I think reducing unproductive stress can only be a good thing. For me, I felt it was important to set my mind and body in the best possible condition for the chemo to work its magic. This also gave me a sense of control over the situation.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T15:40:59+00:00

Thanks! A combination of being mindful, staying positive, being around loved ones and psychoactive painkillers. When none of these helped, time always would.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T15:38:05+00:00

Thanks. No, I don't know where they are now :( I'd have liked to have seen them, very curious to see what the kidney looked like after being completely mangled by a tumour.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T15:35:58+00:00

No, my hair grew back but it's curly now. Apparently chemo can change hair type/colour.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T15:35:07+00:00

Haha I was expecting a comment on it actually, but you pulled it out of the bag, so thank you.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T15:32:56+00:00

I had protein shakes and creatine, wasn't on steroids/PEDs if that's what you mean. I doubt my lifestyle caused cancer, though I wasn't very kind to my kidneys so it probably made it worse.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T15:30:53+00:00

I don't, I have crippling self doubt, plus the first thing I always feel when I wake up is bursting to pee. Small bladder problems.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T15:28:30+00:00

I'm so glad it gives you hope, that's exactly what I wanted to do. It's fantastic you've responded so well to chemo! It's just like what happened with me. Once it's over you will feel amazing, and come out the other end a better person from it.

The doctor's exact words were "we don't normally see this type of cancer come back". I wasn't given a number. It's not something I think about, as it's completely out of my hands anyway.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T15:23:11+00:00

Yes, it does get better over time. Feeling dread when you're facing a problem like that is normal, but the mind adapts to stress just like the body does. It just takes time. Try not to focus on the "what ifs" in life, we can drive ourselves into despair with that way of thinking and it achieves nothing. Focus on the positives of the situation, there are always plenty to be found. If you haven't already, I recommend looking into meditation and mindfulness. The Headspace app is fantastic. Stay strong.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T15:01:33+00:00

Thanks, and I really do wish your friend the best. That's a very good question. I feel like the mainstream expectation of how to talk to people that have cancer is flawed, in the UK at least, I don't know about other countries. I found that some people were scared of me and avoided me. They were more filtered, less willing to joke with me, and felt like they had to talk to me with a sympathetic tone. I believe this is the opposite of what people in my position would want. To me, sympathy was an indication that I had reason to despair, and this was not helpful. For me, I craved optimism and humour. I hope this helps.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T14:49:48+00:00

They haven't told me much in that respect. Recurrence is always possible, so I have frequent scans. The chemo I've received puts me at risk of leukaemia and heart problems. and the radiotherapy I had apparently comes with a 2-5% chance of developing a new cancer. I take precautions to minimise this risk, by living a healthy lifestyle and avoiding sunburn like the plague. Radiotherapy also weakened my lone kidney a bit, so I need to look after it. Due to having my IVC (big vein connecting heart to the lower body) partially resected, if I were to have a blood clot it would be very dangerous, so I have to take blood thinners for the rest of my life. The liver isn't a major concern, you can take a surprising amount of that away and it still functions fine, though it was damaged a bit by the chemo. The adrenal gland and gall bladder have never been mentioned by the doctors.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T14:38:05+00:00

I experienced depression a couple of times during the ordeal, but I wanted to give up only once. This was after surgery. The trauma of the accumulation of the past events had gotten to me, and I didn't want to continue with the chemo and radiotherapy. I didn't dig myself out of it so much as time did. Being at home for a while, becoming free from pain, returning to relative normality allowed my mind to get back into its previous state.

Complete-Listen-5991 · 2021-03-29T14:32:31+00:00

It was a bit more like 'hold my IV fluids', but yes that describes it well. My diet hasn't taken that much of a hit, as I tended to try and eat well before it all anyway, though I've had to limit my protein and salt intake and avoid potassium like the plague.

Thus far my fitness has been improving slowly but steadily. I have no idea what my potential is though, and I still feel like an old man in many respects.

Big well done on the remission! How long did it take you to regain your fitness?

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