More on my quest for aortic valve replacement
There is good news and bad news - and maybe good news.
Last Thursday I got the last test to get submitted for the clinical trial (Medtonics is trying to get approval to do trans arterial valve replacement on low risk patients), a CT scan of my arteries and to measure the size of my valve. The cardiothoracic surgeon called Monday. My arteries are great for getting the TAVR so that part of the test went just as we hoped. But the radiologist reading the CT saw a mass on one kidney. The surgeon referred me to a urologist.
I saw the urologist this morning. Although we had gotten a CD with the images from the CT scan, he was not able to load them. But from the written report he was of the opinion that I need to have that kidney removed. The mass is large enough that if it is cancer, they don't want to take any chance of leaving any cells. We tried to get another copy of the CD, no go, but we went back to the urologist's office this afternoon to talk more. He'd been - after a lot of effort - able to open the images and look at them.
In addition to the kidney I have an inguinal hernia. I knew about it and had planned to have that repaired once everything else was done. The urologist says that since the kidney surgery would go through that area of the abdomen, the hernia could be fixed at the same time. He does not want to do that extensive surgery until my aortic valve is replaced. On the good side he does not want me to get open heart surgery - the stress of that kind of surgery and the time involved in healing would delay the kidney surgery too long in his opinion.
The plan now is to get me reclassified to an intermediate risk for open heart surgery - that makes me eligible for TAVR without having to be in the trial. As soon as possible after that (weeks rather than months) I'd get the abdominal surgery.
I actually feel very lucky - if I had not been going through all these tests, that mass on my kidney would not have been found. The urologist said that undiscovered kidney cancer has a pretty good chance of metastasizing - once it goes there is no cure.
I'm trying to look on the good side here and I think there really is a good side. I get the TAVR which I wanted. I get that darned hernia fixed. I don't die from kidney cancer that wasn't discovered early enough. That's pretty good for the way my life has been going!
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back at you!
You'll be good for another 100k miles easy.
It's amazing what they can find with new imaging.
My partner went in for CT for his hernia and they found a spot on his pancreas. It was the type of tumor that got Steve Jobs. Not the bad kind of cancer but still cancer. Good thing he had a hernia.
Did they say for sure your kidney is cancerous? Will they biopsy first?
And best wishes 
We lost my favorite brother in law to pancreatic cancer. He'd been complaining for years about abdominal problems and pains. Unfortunately no one thought to give him a CT scan for all those years. By the time they did it was Stage IV and had spread.
It is a wonderful thing that your partner had a hernia!
No, they don't know for certain the kidney is cancerous but a biopsy is nearly as invasive as taking it out (my husband asked about biopsy). The surgeon in the urology practice (not the one I saw) that does most kidneys concurs that it would be better to take the kidney out. I think there are a few considerations: the mass is definitely involved with the kidney, not just an external mass, that I will already be recovering from another surgery, the abysmal prognosis if it is cancer, and the unwillingness to do yet another procedure on me.
Thank you! I'm glad your partner was treated early!
Best wishes!!!!
back at you!in good hands medically.
They were among the first to do the TAVR procedure and have participated in a number of the clinical trials. The "urologist" is the Head of Surgery at that hospital - so his word on my need to get TAVR rather than open heart surgery will have a lot of clout!
Thank you!
funny luck but luck nonetheless. 
The difference in not getting enough blood flow to a good one is amazing apparently.
I'm glad your spouse is doing good!
I've got to remember that phrase.
Wow, your experience is scary - but you had a lot of things go right so the end results was good.
I've gotten used to making lemonade out of lemon situations. I cracked up an insurance adjuster once. Two days after my father's funeral my husband was T-boned on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. His car toppled over, trapping him inside the car since the doors in both sides were crushed in. When the insurance adjuster called to let me know how much they would pay for the totaled car I told him, "Well the sun roof still works - that's how he got our of the car!" The adjust and I laughed together. He thought I would not be happy with the payment, but it was much higher than I expected (and ended up paying for nearly all of the replacement car).
If I don't laugh now, I would be sitting here in a puddle of tears.
Thanks!
Mine just wore out, with calcium build up to make the leaflets less flexible. If I get TAVR the recovery time is about a week - no big incision to heal from, just instant blood flow back to where it is supposed to be. But the abdominal surgery will need time to recover. I'll make sure they get physical therapy prescribed and do those exercises faithfully.
I had a lift chair for years. After I got shoulder surgery in 2009 I realized I couldn't operate the recliner with the handle on the right side. And I couldn't sleep lying flat - too much pain. So I found a beat up old lift chair recliner with a wired control on Craigslist and sent my husband out to pick it up.
I up graded to a power recliner before I got my new knees in 2012 - but this chair is not a lift chair. I may shop for a new lift chair - I am not sure with the abdominal surgery I could get up out of this chair and it is pretty worn out at this point.
Thanks!
being sent your way, for the courage to face your ordeals, for you recovering from all your surgeries in record time, for good health for the rest of your life, and for many family and friends showering you with love and attention during your journey down this path.
