WILMS - anyone got experience of it?

[merlin]

A friend's DS aged 3 has just been diagnosed and had first round of chemo and is due to have a kidney removed next month.

I wonder if anyone on here has personal experience of this that would be willing to talk to her about it or maybe a website/support group that would help her.

TBH I think she is still in shock over the diagnosis as it happened so quickly so any advice/info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

bump

Sorry to hear about your friend's. Mayve you'll find some support here : www.nwtsg.org/participant/links.html. It is normal to crave for information at the beginning, but soon you may be the one providing the support they need.
You have an important part in the recovery. Be there for them, write letters (not emails) with stickers, pictures, post cards, games, small stories about what you have done during the day, a funny thing (or woman or dog) you saw on the bus .....invent or reinvent stories. Soon or later your friend and her son, will be feed up with the illness or people related to illness, they just want to escape the hospital room, nurses, masks etc... so by sending letters you will raise their spirit and give them what they most need: normality.

Sorry, it was meant to be
your friend's DS. Maybe

so sorry

this place looks good

hello merlin

i have no personal experience (brother has had kidney transplant but as adult not child) i did however find an online support group:

www.dailystrength.org/c/Wilms-Tumor/support-group

this may help your friend as average 70 children are diagnosed each year might mean not many local groups around but am sure that macmillan trust would know more.

community.macmillan.org.uk/whatsnew/default.aspx

thoughts go out to you and your friend x

@ anyfucker
x-post! but yes, i thought it looked good too.

hope it can help

Thank you all for your links and suggestions - I'm very grateful. Will check them out and pass on to her.

One of my best friend's daughters was diagnosed at about 8 months old.

She had kidney & tumour removed and then a mammouth round of chemo which lasted for months.

The stress was immense but hey - she's nearly 6 now and doing well at school.

It's reputed to be one of the easiest childhood cancers to treat with a huge success rate (can't remember the stats now although I knew them at the time).

Best wishes to your friend - hang in there - it's a long, hard road but it's been travelled by others successfully.

I wish you could meet my friend's DD - she's the sweetest child I've ever known and I have to pinch myself to recall the horror of that year or two with her.

Doodlez - thank you for the encouraging story! That's what she needs right now - although long term looks good you can't but help fear the worst can you?

They have gone away for a week, but I think when she is back it will really sink in what lies ahead with the weekly chemo and kidney op etc.

We're starting to help by blitzing her house ready for her return (with her blessing!)