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Sheila Mc said:

Cyst on Kidney

try not to worry, your Nephrologist will discuss your scan results and options with you. Did you have a biopsy on the first cyst or is that why you are going? Not all cysts are cancerous, some are just cysts that require further review. 

Sorry, I was originally sent to a Nephrologist because if said cyst. My insurance actually denied it. Until I went to the hospital and the cyst grew and the lovely complicated one was found. I feel like that was what got things in motion. 

AliceB1950 said:

Are the results of the CT

Are the results of the CT scan posted in your on-line portal? If so, read it carefully and write down any questions you have for the nephrologist. It sounds like you might be prone to having non-cancerous cysts, which is probably annoying and possibly uncomfortable, but not necessarily scary.  Good luck at your appointment.

no, I only know the size of one. The other three were found last Thursday. I have the cd the hospital gave me. I'm familiar with simple cysts, just not "slightly complicated" ones. 

eug91 said:

You can do this!

Hi, k93. Sorry you're going through this, but this is a great message board here. Everyone here has been through a similar experience as yours - we got through it, so we know you can, too! 

It's perfectly normal to be scared and anxious. Any news like this is going to be shocking and scary, but as Sheila said, not all cysts are cancerous.

Focus on Wednesday because your nephrologist will be able to give you answers. Consider bringing a notepad with you. Write down your questions for them beforehand, then write down the answers during your appointment. Or if you're like me and can jot questions/notes on your phone, do that. A few questions you can ask-

-What's the size of the cyst? 

-What's our next step to determine if it's benign or malignant? Biopsy or another type of scan? 

Start from there. Write down what the doctor tells you. If you're confused by anything, ask for clarification - if you think of questions later, you can ask us here.

You can do this. You're gonna do great - we're with you!

 

Thank you so much! 

Bay Area Guy said:

Hi K93.  Things will go fine.

Hi K93.  Things will go fine.  As you can see by the responses you've gotten, we've all been where you are at some point in our lives.  When my primary care doc first got the results of mt CT scan (done, I think, because I had some microscopic blood in my urine and he likely thought it was a kidney stone), I was in a panic.  I called my sister, a nurse practitioner who, in my obviously biased opinion, is one of the smartest people on the planet.  She got me calmed down and focused.  Then my doc got me a referral to a fantastic urologist at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto.  He calmed me down completely.

Some things to remember.  Don't go to Dr. Google.  Much of what you find online is way out of date and some is just plain inaccurate.  Better not to read things at all (speaking from first hand experience.)

EUG91's advice is really good.  Before your appointment, write down any questions you have.  Then bring either a recorder (sorry, my age is showing) and a writing pad to the appointment to record the conversation and take notes.  I found in my first appointment with the urologist, between my wife and me, we got maybe 75% of what he said.  I probably got about 25% of it while my wife got 50%.  There's just too much going on in your head and with your emotions to get it all.

Remember that a lot of cysts are benign.  But also remember that the treatment for malignancies in the kidney have come a very long way in the last decade or so.  All of us here are either survivors or loved ones of survivors and there are a LOT of us here.  That should give you a lot of confidence that all will be well.

We'll be here for you when you get back from your appointment tomorrow and we'll support you the whole way through.

Thank you! I was super nervous even coming here. So I really do appreciate everything from everyone. 

I have really and anxiety, so I'm trying to hard not to Google.

Sheila Mc said:

Scan and blood work

 Your physician can specify what he wants the radiologist to focus on in a new scan and Bloodwork and urine analysis are important to measure kidney function. Sounds like he is gathering all the facts to make a diagnosis as to why you are developing cysts in your kidney. Keep paper and pen handy and write down all your concerns for your next visit, it will be easier for him to answer once he has all the facts. Try and stay positive, the odds are in your favor. 

 

He told me it's not common for 27 year olds to get cysts. Right now doesn't think it is PKD, or possibly C. My blood work is all normal. So, I'm curious what will come up in January. Thank you all. 

Bay Area Guy said:

Sounds like you had a very

Sounds like you had a very good appointment.  

Ive taken two urinalysis. One has microscopic blood, and, and I had to retest.  The next my primary said was normal. However, when I looked at my results online it said there was trace blood, white blood cells and bacterial. Should I call my Nephrologist?

This lock down has messed with me. I had generalized anxiety before Covid, and it has managed to manifest into health anxiety. All of this isn't helping and I'm scared.