Recently searching Kidney cancer info I came upon this site. I have had three different cancers in the past 30 years. It has been 3 1/2 weeks since I had a partial kidney removal for renal cell carcinoma. Some say 3 strikes you're out.....I now say 3 times a charm. Each time I've had cancer it has been a wake up call for me. Not to take life for granted and to savor every day more with family and friends.
The kidney cancer was found due to stupidity. I was collecting black walnuts by a creek bed. Thought it would be fun for my Grandchildren to help me figure out how to crack them open for baking. Then a friend told me the best way to open them was to run them over with my car. Seeing that I live on a dirt road that wasn't going to work. lol Well, climbing up from the water I slipped on several black walnuts and found myself falling flat on my back. The only thing that hurt was my knees and my pride. I made my way back to the car and just started vomiting. I thought it was just from the fear of the fall, which it probably was. I felt fine the next day and ended up feeding a lot of squirrels tons of nuts. :-D
The following week the right side of my back started hurting so bad that I went to the Doctors. Thought for sure I had a kidney infection. Blood in my urine and back pain, but no infection. The following day I went in for a CT scan and I should have known then that I had a problem because a Doctor at the hospital kept ordering other tests. A Doctor stood beside me and said, "You have a mass in your right kidney." My first thought, here I go again.
So that was the start of a new journey. Met with two different surgeons. One wanted to operate immediately stating that he was certain I had cancer and the other wanted me on antibiotics for three weeks then redo all the tests. Thank God I went with the first surgeon. Most of all Thank God I fell.
So now I'm recovering and still can't believe cancer has visited me once again. So, treasure life for it is a gift, love your family and friends to the fullest and laugh instead of cry because it feels better.
I'm happy to have come upon this site because maybe my experiences can help someone else and maybe theirs will help me to remain strong and not look at cancer as a death sentence but merely another path that I'm met to travel. One way I look at cancer is not to fear it but to defeat it. When I fear death from cancer I tell myself...STOP....because I could die in a car accident or by falling out of my shower, cancer may not be the cause. So my new friends embrace your surgeries and treatments and so look forward to tomorrow. Happy New Year.
The kidney cancer was found due to stupidity. I was collecting black walnuts by a creek bed. Thought it would be fun for my Grandchildren to help me figure out how to crack them open for baking. Then a friend told me the best way to open them was to run them over with my car. Seeing that I live on a dirt road that wasn't going to work. lol Well, climbing up from the water I slipped on several black walnuts and found myself falling flat on my back. The only thing that hurt was my knees and my pride. I made my way back to the car and just started vomiting. I thought it was just from the fear of the fall, which it probably was. I felt fine the next day and ended up feeding a lot of squirrels tons of nuts. :-D
The following week the right side of my back started hurting so bad that I went to the Doctors. Thought for sure I had a kidney infection. Blood in my urine and back pain, but no infection. The following day I went in for a CT scan and I should have known then that I had a problem because a Doctor at the hospital kept ordering other tests. A Doctor stood beside me and said, "You have a mass in your right kidney." My first thought, here I go again.
So that was the start of a new journey. Met with two different surgeons. One wanted to operate immediately stating that he was certain I had cancer and the other wanted me on antibiotics for three weeks then redo all the tests. Thank God I went with the first surgeon. Most of all Thank God I fell.
So now I'm recovering and still can't believe cancer has visited me once again. So, treasure life for it is a gift, love your family and friends to the fullest and laugh instead of cry because it feels better.
I'm happy to have come upon this site because maybe my experiences can help someone else and maybe theirs will help me to remain strong and not look at cancer as a death sentence but merely another path that I'm met to travel. One way I look at cancer is not to fear it but to defeat it. When I fear death from cancer I tell myself...STOP....because I could die in a car accident or by falling out of my shower, cancer may not be the cause. So my new friends embrace your surgeries and treatments and so look forward to tomorrow. Happy New Year.