Sure appreciate the quick reply! MC disease is minimal change disease of the kidneys. His kidneys or the lining of them, I can’t remember, were affected by the tumor’s presence.
His body weight was up 40 pounds by the time we got to Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center. A surgery had been attempted at another hospital and failed. Two months later he was admitted at MSK and spent 4 weeks on albumin IV’s with lots of diuretics to get the fluid off so that he would be a safe surgery candidate. His liver has now grown back to almost its full size. So that is a good sign.
I would love for him to have a dietary consult when he goes back, but don’t know when that will be. We live in central Texas and he now sees a nephrologist about every month or so. I just don’t want him to go backward and he is frustrated with the whole thing. Thought maybe if he had a dietary plan he would feel involved in his healing which he needs to do. I will let you know. Maybe we can get a consult by mail from MSK when he mails his latest MRI to them this week. Thanks!
Since you are in Texas, contact the nutrition support service at MD Anderson so they can give you and your husband the best local advice. MD Anderson is among the best cancer treatment centers in the U.S and they can collaborate with your husband’s doctor at Sloan Kettering. MD Anderson can talk to his doctor at Sloan Kettering for coordinated care as long as your husband gives permission (HIPPA privacy laws in the U.S.). Your husband’s nutritional status is complex and I would recommend working with a nutrition support dietitian rather than with a general practitioner.
His abdomen must have been very distended from albumin prior to surgery. Did doctors re-route (shunt) the albumin in his abdomen into his stomach to recycle it back into his body besides giving him IV albumin?
The liver is the most amazing and hardworking organ in the body as it does so much besides its ability to regenerate. If he is having MRIs of his liver, the scans must amaze you to see it growing back.
Hey if your husband is getting frustrated it may mean he is getting better. Usually, when patients complain about the food it’s a good sign that they are getting better. Your husband should be involved in his care as he can take better care of himself than another person because he knows how he feels. Give him an active role based on his available choices within his prescribed nutrition therapy. Do make an appointment to see a dietitian at MD Anderson.
