Arlo Needs An Entire Body Transplant!

[CheapVehicleWrap]

Hang in there buddy it ain't over till it's over. Besides many here are not letting you go that easy. Best of luck with the tests!

 

[CES020]

Best of luck Arlo. Never give up.

A good friend of mine that I grew up with had a kidney removed when he was about 16. He's about 50 now. Years ago, we did a lot of things together. I never once would have known he had a kidney removed. He drank as much alcohol as anyone else, and lived about as normal life as anyone else. I'm not sure it had an impact on his daily life. He never once mentioned a single word about any effects from it. I had forgotten about it until you posted this thread.

We'll be thinking about you. Stay strong and enjoy your family.

 

[TheSnowman]

Prayers your way Arlo!

 

[Mike F]

Good luck with the scan tomorrow, here's hoping that whatever it is they caught it early enough to do something about it that you're willing to put up with.

 

[slipperyfrog]

Prayers are with you on the scans.

 

[synergy_jim]

My thoughts and prayers are with you man. It's a wicked disease I lost my sister to at age 19. I watched here fight the good fight for 9 months before she left us. Me personally, if The Dr's can't tell me I have an 80% chance with treatment, I'll get on a boat somewhere and die happy....

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

I had my scan yesterday. Took the usual medieval torture of four sticks before they could find a vein to start an IV for the contrast liquid. I'd make a horrible heroin addict. After 18 surgeries and all the chemicals sent thru the veins in my arms most of them have knotted up and atrophied away. I have actually needed to go to the er a couple of times and not gone because of what I knew I'd face with them digging in my arms trying to find a vein. I'm only doing this whining as a way of illustrating part of the process in my thinking that makes me say I will not accept another surgery.

I knew better than to ask the tech what they found in the scan as they never tell you. I went out of my way to build a rapport with her though so I could ask her to confirm from the test that the pain I have is not imaginary. She immediately said "you can't put any stock in what I say because I'm not a radiologist. From what I see, I will say I'm not impressed by what is showing up". I don't put much stock in that. I know the suicide level pain I endure most days from whatever is happening there and can't wait til next week to hear from my doctor about the results.

Thanksgiving today held a particularly noticeable observation for me. There are too many family members missing with my Mom, younger sister and brother gone now. I am now the oldest surviving male on both sides of my family... I've attained the exalted status of reigning patriarch as one of my nephews today referred to me when I went to carve the turkey. That weird little comment had a profound affect on me. There are three other families that make up my extended family I now head up. I realized how much they look to me as an example for stability and strength. I was the one who was called on for the decision to take my baby sister off life support for example. I am called on to straighten out wayward nieces and nephews. I'm important to a number of people and have an obligation to them. I have to live long enough to become a burden to each and every one of them, and I damn well intend to! The comments on this thread about others who have fared just fine with one kidney influenced me an awful lot. Normally, it would be a no brainer to accept a surgery for kidney removal, unless you've already been thru what I have with being hospitalized up to 6 months before following a surgery. I'm totally prepared to have this procedure if I get bad news next week and thank all of you who responded with hope in this thread.

 

[GAC05]

Good to hear that you were well enough to be with your family on Thanksgiving.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[visual800]

I feel for you sir and I hate it like hell. i do not like nor do i understand why some go thru hell while other freeloaders walk the earth in no pain. best of luck to you and you are one brave SOB!

 

[webguru]

I'm important to a number of people and have an obligation to them.

The measure of a man is not the concern he holds for himself but those which depend on him.

The comments on this thread about others who have fared just fine with one kidney influenced me an awful lot.

When all is said and done, all I have is my story to share. I'm happy it may have been the source of a little bit of hope for a brighter future.

Thoughts are with you as you wait for your test results.

 

[ddarlak]

signs 101 is truely interwoven into the threads of your life, and we are greater for it.

 

[OldPaint]

I THINK i told you on facebook of my bladder cancer and they found a spot in my right kidney. it was small but since then they have me do a ct kidney scan every year. apprently it not getting any bigger.
i also have a tough old neighbor, couple years older then me and restores farm tractors.
he smokes like a chimney, even after being found with bladder cancer and it had moved to his right kidney. they took a piece of his bladder, and the right kidney. this was almost 2 years ago.....hes doing fine.

 

[Stealth Ryder]

Good luck Arlo, Prayers have been said...

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

I THINK i told you on facebook of my bladder cancer and they found a spot in my right kidney. it was small but since then they have me do a ct kidney scan every year. apprently it not getting any bigger.
i also have a tough old neighbor, couple years older then me and restores farm tractors.
he smokes like a chimney, even after being found with bladder cancer and it had moved to his right kidney. they took a piece of his bladder, and the right kidney. this was almost 2 years ago.....hes doing fine.

Seems like all I recall from you on FB is dem vs. rep history lessons! I'll admit your last one ALMOST gave me hope in the outcome of the last election, but in the end I still decided you were delusional. But we can't bring that up here.

I too have already had cancer. When I had the massive internal bleeding that led to my first surgery they took out my appendix. It contained a tumor an oncologist told me would have spread thru my intestines within 2 years and been inoperable. Same cancer that killed Michael Landon. I had a liver scan every 3 months for the next 2 years to see if it came back. Never required chemo or radiation, although it was proposed. I'll say this, if the tech knew of the pain that has me up out of bed every night around 3am she would have been impressed. I'm sitting here right now waiting for the smallest dosage of a narcotic I've ever been on (by my choice) to kick in. I usually get about a two hour break from pain early every morning to get my day going before it returns despite the meds. I can't even go for a walk because the pain hits so hard I once got a few blocks away and had to call for a ride back home. I'm not possibly getting good news about this.

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

I feel for you sir and I hate it like hell. i do not like nor do i understand why some go thru hell while other freeloaders walk the earth in no pain. best of luck to you and you are one brave SOB!

Thanks bro. I don't know about brave, but I do admit to being tough. Over the course of 18 surgeries, many of which left me with devastating complications, I've learned to cope with pain levels I refer to as suicidal (because they've nearly driven me to that). Right now I don't hesitate to say most men would be running crying to their mommas if they were experiencing what I am. By choice, however, I have remained at a whisper dosage of narcotics for it that only give me a very brief respite from pain to get my day underway. I refuse to do the routine again of requiring an increase in dosage every few months until I get to the point of being a blithering idiot all day. The only times I have gotten in trouble on this forum were during times I was on high doses of industrial grade narcotics that removed my cognitive reasoning capabilities. I refuse as well to get in that shape again. I always end up putting myself thru withdrawals to get off the meds after a time. Even tho I have that down to a science, I'm tired of that effort too. So I am treating suicide level pain with a little more than ya might get for a particularly bad root canal!

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

I need to add one more thing. I am incredibly thankful for all the support and encouragement throughout my surgeries I and my family have gotten from this forum. If I end up terminal ever, I'm gonna have a hard time deciding who on here to will my vintage sign kit and tons of brushes as well as my Nazi aircraft builder custom made adjustable easel to! Would have to be someone close enough to pick up the easel with a pickup truck.

 

[Cross Signs]

Just saw this thread Arlo. Good luck.

 

[John L]

Tough times call for intense prayer... all on your behalf Arlo. Hope all turns out well for you regardless of the path.

 

[BobM]

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

[Red Ball]

Man, I am pulling for you!