I’ve something to share with my KT friends.

last year

last modified: last year

I had 3 brothers. In the mid 1990s my eldest brother (deceased in 2022) had his right kidney removed (nephrectomy) due to cancer.

In 2022, my second brother had lower body pain. His physician did an ultrasound and found nothing. Brother insisted on another and doc found nothing again. Brother asked if a different test could find something the ultrasound couldn’t. Doc suggested CT scan. Brother said to do it. Cancer was found in his right kidney and the kidney was removed.

In 2023, my younger brother decided to have his kidneys checked. No cancer was found, but there are lots of small voids in both kidneys. His physician said he should have them checked regularly.

I don’t see a doctor often and felt no compulsion to have my kidneys checked. However in October of 2024, I had such pain in my right side that it took my breath away. Time to see my doctor. I told her my story and she poo-poohed it. Said most likely I just tweaked my back. I insisted something else was going on. She humored me and suggested ultrasound. I relayed my brothers experiences and said I wanted a CT scan. The results are in. A tiny gallstone that isn’t worrisome, a small node on my left lung that we’ll keep an eye on, and a 3.4 cm solid renal mass. We didn't find anything that could account for my pain. I say it was the cosmos that led me to a doctor so I could discover what was going on with my kidney. They won’t say it’s cancer until it’s out and has been sent to pathology. The surgeon doesn’t believe the entire kidney needs to be removed. Surgery is scheduled for December 11th. I’ll take a monthlong hiatus from work. A very young temp has been hired and I’ve been showing her the ropes for a week. She should have been hired much sooner, but my employer procrastinated. He’ll pay the price while I’m at home. And I’ll pay the price when I return to work.

If any of you feel so inclined, please think positive thoughts for me.

Featured Answer

Alisande

last year

Definitely positive thoughts for you, less than positive for your doctor. How anyone, especially someone in her profession, could poo-pooh a family history like that is beyond me.

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HU-127064464
last year
last modified: last year
Quite a story, donna - and I'm glad you persisted!

It's been a long time since I first saw your name here.

I offer you my good wishes, will keep you in my thoughts and hopes and offer some prayers on your behalf.

Don't have any priceless suggestions to offer to either you or your boss.

ole joyful
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petalique
last year
Dear Donna, you most certainly have my best wishes and I will keep you in my thoughts.

I’m glad you listened to yourself and persued the pain and insisted on an adequate exam that was able to detect the mass. So this coming Wednesday you will have the surgery. I wish you the best possible outcome and recovery.

Do you have anyone to help you when you get back home? I hope so.

Warmest wishes for the best.
donna_loomis thanked petalique
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morz8 - Washington Coast
last year
I will be sending you all my positive energy on Wednesday and hope you find the surgery goes easily. I'm sorry you are facing this, and at this time of year. Or maybe you are more of a winter person than I am, I just don't feel that strong with short daylight hours.

In fact, if its OK with you, I will add you to my prayers. We want you to come out of this well and healthy, put it behind you and get back to your life. Given your family's experiences, you already know you can function perfectly well with one kidney if it should come to that It's much too early to panic. Hang in there, behave yourself for the nurses and let us know how you are when you can! xoxo.
donna_loomis thanked morz8 - Washington Coast
KW PNW Z8
last year
My goodness - you should be rightfully thankful you pushed for more definitive testing & I hope your doctor acknowledged that. You followed your older brother’s good example. Yours & his experiences are why we need to advocate for ourselves and press for doing more when absolute answers aren’t found with first checks. It certainly seems there’s a familial link in your family for kidney cancer but maybe research hasn’t ID’d the gene such as with the BRCA 1 & 2 for breast cancer. Are you aware of any environmental factors that put you and your siblings at risk for this specific kind of cancer? If there’s a next generation of children from you and your brothers, one wonders if genetic testing might be a good thing for them to have done.

All that aside Donna, I wish you good news from the post surgery pathology report and a very speedy recovery. I look forward to hearing good news from you as soon as you’re able after next Wednesday.

Kathy
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PattiG(rose)
last year
Donna, best wishes on your surgery and a good outcome overall.
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Ninapearl
last year
wishing you the very best outcome!
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colleenoz
last year
Sincere prayers for a good outcome for you, Donna. Like you, I had a fortuitous discovery of cancer last year- I had a battery of tests trying to work out the cause of a persistent sharp pain I had in my right side and my doctor said, "Still no idea what's causing the pain in your side, but these lymph nodes down here on the left are a worry," and it turned out I had Stage 2 Hodgkin's lymphoma. After finishing chemo I'm now in remission, fingers crossed I stay that way.

Glad you've found a potential problem early, hoping your surgery goes well.
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Elmer J Fudd
last year
Best wishes for a good outcome.
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dadoes
last year
It's alarming that your doctor initially dismissed your concerns considering the familial history! Best wishes on your procedure and what may follow.
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Fun2BHere
last year
Wishing you a successful surgery with a swift, uncomplicated recovery.
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wildchild2x2
last year
Seeing good thoughts for a great outcome and a speedy recovery.
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Kathsgrdn
last year
Good thoughts for you Donna, hope all goes well for you. I'm glad you stood up for yourself!
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lily316
last year
I'm so glad you persevered regarding your family history. I am sure it will go well for you and you'll recover quickly. Doctors need to really listen to their patients' problems.
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roxsolid
last year
Wishing you all the best.
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orchidrain
last year
Positive thoughts for you and a speedy recovery.

I can't stand when doctors poo-poo a patients concerns.
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Michele
last year
Sending positive thoughts for the news to be good and for a quick and complete recovery from surgery
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Annie Deighnaugh
last year
I'm so glad you were persistent in finding the cause of your pain! Most likely it's benign. If it's not, it's small, and even if they take the whole kidney, you can live just fine with one. I'm sending you thoughts of strength, courage, healing and hope that next several weeks will be easy with nothing but good news in the offing. Let us know how you do!
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lucillle
last year
Sending you positive, supportive thoughts. Hoping for a good outcome.
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salonva
last year
I will most definitely be thinking of you and praying for an uncomplicated surgery with steady healing and good results all around.

I'm sorry you're going through this, but it does sound like it's early enough to deal with whatever surfaces.

Looking forward to hearing back from you after.
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Bluebell66
last year
I hope all goes well with your surgery, Donna, and the most painful part is what you'll be dealing with at work after you're back. ;)
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Suzieque
last year
Oh, Donna - I'll certainly say prayers to my God for healing for you!
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User
last year
I'm glad you got the CT scan! Yes, absolutely...wishing you a smooth surgery and recovery. I agree...going back to work will be the worst part....
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dedtired
last year
I hope all goes well and am so glad you were persistent in finding an answer. You’re in my thoughts.
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chisue
last year
Please let work take care of itself. YOU are the priority here!

I think you will have a surgery similar to mine. It wasn't very painful, but recovery took some time. I was 60. Do you have post-op nursing care lined up?

I had lost 20 lbs I didn't want to lose. I had no pain, and my primary couldn't find a cause. He ordered tried a then-new test, an MRI. I knew the cause had been found when every tech in the facility came in to view the results. I had a 'staghorn calc' -- my left kidney was filling up with stone. It's uncommon.

This required two surgeons, one to make a 'tunnel', from my back into the kidney, and then a urologist to break up and evacuate the stone.

Evidently the theater was full of observers, and when I woke in a hospital room, my primary was sitting there. He didn't trust the overburdened nursing staff and OK'd my request for early dischage. DH to the rescue!

I had two further stones, both right kidney, then nothing. I can't even see the little scar on my back. You'll be fine. You need to give your body time to heal. Work be darned!

My paternal DGM only had one kidney -- and seven children.

Marking Wednesday on my calendar.
donna_loomis thanked chisue
foodonastump
last year
Best to you, Donna. I’ll join the rest rooting for you on Wednesday.
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jrb451
last year
Glad you continued to advocate for your health and not accept the first diagnosis. Hope things go well for you.
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palisades_
last year
You did the right thing to request the CT scan. In fact a CT scan can detect many problems with internal organs like heart, lung, kidney, liver, pancreas, spleen. A very worthwhile procedure even for getting a snap shot of your internal body condition once in a while if you can afford it and want it done. My pcp went ahead to order my CT scan when he suspected I had a kidney stone, and the scan confirmed it, and also gave a report on the rest of my other internal parts. I was on a high deductible insurance plan so I paid with my HSA which was 400 over 3 years ago. Good luck with your up coming surgery!
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woodrose77
last year
Prayers for a successful surgery and uncomplicated recovery. I'm glad you persisted in taking care of your own health; you've us all a valuable lesson. May God bless and keep you always.
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Judy Good
last year
last modified: last year
Sounds like my mother's family. All the girls had kidney issues in my mom's family. One sister died of kidney failure at a young age, two had kidney's removed, one was born with one kidney my mom has constant kidney stones. I am the niece and had my left kidney removed because of cancer 9 years ago and am doing fine, It was caught by accident, thank goodness, but my whole kidney needed to be removed. Best of luck and good thoughts.
donna_loomis thanked Judy Good
donna_loomis
Original Author
last year
What an awesome kitchen table to be sitting at! I covet all your well wishes. Thank you.

The only other surgery I’ve had was 54 years ago, as a teenager. I’ll admit that I’m putting on a brave front for my Prince Charming. He’ll be my caregiver after surgery. He’s the one I worry about. His health is not great and I don’t know how he’d fare if I was gone.
porkchop_z5b_MI
last year
Sending you all the best, Donna, in hopes for a full, speedy recovery.
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greenshoekitty
last year
Wishing you the best .Prayers are sent for you and yours that you have a great outcome.
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maire_cate
last year
Of course we'll all be sending you positive thoughts for an uneventful surgery and easy recovery. Thank you for sharing this because it serves as a reminder to advocate for ourselves. I'll be thinking of you on the 11th.
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Patriciae
last year
Add my positive thought for you and yours. At least it was found early and you were persistent. Good luck with the operation and get all the help you can get.
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chloebud
last year
Sending lots of positivity your way, Donna. Do keep us updated with recovery. Sounds like you’re following all the right steps.
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chisue
last year
Should you have a drain as I did, a shower curtain is good protection on your bed.

I think you'll be surprised how well your DH rises to the occasion!
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RNmomof2 zone 5
last year
Donna, my husband in one of 9 cousins/siblings in his generation. Four of them have had renal cell carcinoma, him being one of them. Familial kidney cancer only accounts for 5-8%. Guess you all may be in that very small minority! My husband is going to have genetic testing done.

What type of surgery are you having? Open or robotic assisted? A partial neprectomy is a major surgery whcih ever way they go. Take your time, it's okay to be a couch potato, and know that by New Years, you should be getting back to normal.

Fun fact--your tumor was most likely ten years old or so. Thet grow at the amazingly slow speed of 3 millimeters a year.
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donna_loomis
Original Author
last year
RNmom, it will be robotic assisted. My second brother said they bent him like a pretzel and told me there were 5 incisions. I think he was having a good time describing it for me.
marilyn_c
last year
Sending all best wishes that it isn't cancer, and that you have an excellent result and healing.
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katlan
last year
Way to advocate for yourself Donna! Good for you. You have my prayers for a successful surgery and complete healing.
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OutsidePlaying
last year
Good wishes to you, Donna, for a successful surgery and complete and easy recovery. Proud of you for sticking up for yourself and your health. We shouldn’t have to go to extremes and near begging for procedures to be done, especially with a family history such as yours.
donna_loomis thanked OutsidePlaying
Stacey_mb
last year
Sending best wishes for effective treatment and an uneventful and complete recovery.
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summersrhythm_z6a
last year
Sending good wishes, hope you have a fast recovery!
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sjerin
last year
My very best wishes and a little prayer for you on a successful and easy surgery .
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pudgeder
last year
Donna, you'll be in my prayers and my thoughts. So very glad you were insistent w/your doctor!
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Annie Deighnaugh
last year
Thinking of you and hope the surgery went well and you are recovering nicely. Let us know how you're doing when you are able.
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petalique
last year
Yes, thinking of you and we sll hope everything went well. Now, rest, sleep and recover.
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Michele
last year
I hope everything went smoothly yesterday and recovery is quick and complete.
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salonva
last year
Checking back in to see if Donna had updated. I imagine it will be a while,so still keeping you in our thoughts.
donna_loomis thanked salonva

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