My kidney cancer

MBraden66_Kidney

In my profile I put my first scan as Apr 7th, but it was Mar 30th. I can't edit it for some reason.

I was lucky, while I had soreness on the right side, I just thought it was due to stones. I went to the urologist because I hadn't been to one in a long time and I had a couple of things I wanted to get addressed.

The NP suggested a CT. It showed a mass. So they did another CT with contrast, it showed the interior of the mass. Spoke to the surgeon, scheduled surgery and had it removed May 16th.

I don't really feel like I earned the badge, cancer survivor as it didn't really put up much of a fight. I only lost part of one kidney. No treatment. Just future scans to check if it comes back anywhere else.

I will say, if you you have pains, bumps, etc go see a doctor. If you are blown off by the doctor by them saying, "It's probably nothing" tell them you want a test. Remember, they work for you.

If you are a woman, doctors generally ignore women, so please be your own advocate. Make sure they listen, make sure they do the tests, scans, etc until they are 100% sure it is nothing.

I know for a fact no doctor will tell you 100% you have cancer based on scans. They will wait until the biopsy and pathology report. They do that for legal reasons. So ask them, are they 100% sure it is nothing? If they say yes, ask if you can quote them on that? Be blunt, especially if they ask what you mean. Tell them well if you are wrong, I need my family to know you are the one who told me it was nothing.

Mike

Bay Area Guy

Hi MBraden. I recall a thread on the subject of whether those of us with small growths could really be called cancer survivors. I say yes, indeed we can. Our growths were small because we were lucky that they were caught in their “infancy”, so to speak. We’re lucky because scanning technology has come a very long way where, in the not so distant past, growths our size would not have been found until they were much, much larger. We’re lucky that surgical techniques have advanced to a point where the operation to remove these small growths has become much less invasive.

But just as with others who have had a longer or more serious battle with cancer, we have survived the terror of hearing “you have cancer” along with a piece of paper describing it. We’ve lived with the pre-surgical anxiety and what-ifs flitting through our subconscious. We have survived the actual surgery that, while still less invasive is no less serious. A doctor once told my dad that an upcoming operation my dad needed to have (one of some 15 surgeries he had throughout his life) was “minor”. My dad’s response was, “Doc, the only minor surgeries are on someone else”.

We are survivors.

MBraden66_Kidney

I hear ya, and you aren't the first to have said that to me. I know so many people, personally, who have had to battle cancer, most lost, that it sucks. My mom, grandmother, step-sister, mother in law, countless friends all lost eventually. My mom battled for 5 years, her mom didn't really battle it other than in silence as she fell and an xray showed it metastasized throughout her body, she was 86 at the time. She pass at 87. I know she had to have been living with pain, but didn't say a word to anyone. My step-sister battled for 25+ years. My mother in law close to 20.

My sister in law is battling breast cancer, numerous friends are doing the same.

You and others are right thought. A war is still a ware regardless of the length.

I didn't react to the doctors telling me, I was like, "and?" They were a bit stunned. I do remember being anxious before surgery, wanting to have it to get it over with.

I have already started advocating telling others, do not ignore that annoying pain, ask your doctor. They work for you as you are paying them. Reminding women doctors tend to think women are just complaining more, so they need to advocate for themselves.

You can't wish it away, nor can you ignore it away. It doesn't care if you are too busy or have too much work to do.

I actually had a guy who worked for me in Germany who literally worked up to a week before he passed from his cancer. Only his wife knew how severe it was. She worked with us as well in Germany. While I appreciate his dedication, had I known, I would have told him to stop, spend what time he had left with his wife.

Thanks

Mike