Living with Kidney Cancer

To begin with my father was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had his left kidney removed in March of 2008, he was told that there was cancer in other places that they could not get to during his surgery and put him on chemo pills. The first round of chemo pills he handled faily well just a few side effects of not eating as much, then each time he took another round of chemo pills he became weaker and could not eat anything. Eventually they told him that the cancer had spread and that there was nothing more that they could do for him.

He began to get weaker and weaker and other than just a sip of water now and then he was unable to eat for about 5 weeks after his last round of chemo his body was wore out and could not fight any longer, basically he starved to death from not being able to eat and swallow anything. On October 16, 2008 at 4:03 he passed away at home with his family by his side, even though I know he is in a better place and that he is not suffering anymore it does not make the pain of loosing him any less. Then in January of 2009 I was taken to the hospital for chest pains and was released and sent home to follow up with my physcian I made an appointment and was scheduled for a ultra sound of my gall bladder and if they came back okay then they were going to run a stress test and other tests on my heart. While having my ultrasound on my gall bladder they found a place on my left kidney and scheduled me for blood work and c scan. When they ran the c scan they found a mass in my left kidney and sent the test to my physcian to look at.

My physcian was so good to me he called me and my husband into his office and held my hand while he gave me the news that I did have kidney cancer and that he was going to send me to a cancer doctor is Springfield so he could make sure that what he was seeing was cancer but told me that he was almost a hundred percent sure that it was cancer. I then called my brother and my sister and had them meet me at my mother’s home so that we could tell her what we had found out. At that time and all through all of this I was never worried about me it was my mom and how she would react. She had just lost her husband and now finding out that her daughter has the same cancer as her father and in the same kidney was devastating for her, I never want to ever have to see that look on my mothers face again.

I had surgery in March of 2009 and they were able to get all the cancer. I have had my 3 month check up and go back October 26th 2009 for my 6 months check up where they will do another body scan. I feel that not only my heavenly father has saved my life but my earthly father did also, the doctors had asked all of us kids to be tested just to make sure. So my daddy saved my life…. Also all my brothers and my sister have been tested. And thank the Lord they are all okay.

We were raised in a small community and since my father passed away in October 2008 there have been over 20 other people from the same town that has come down with cancer and some of them have kidney cancer. It is unreal how this disease can hit so fast sometimes without any symptoms. The only symptoms I had was chest pains and being really tired all the time.

I hope that my story has helped someone I just wished I could say that the loss of a loved one gets easier everday, but I would be lying. It will be 1 year in October since my father passed away and even though I know he is in a better place it is still just as hard as the day he passed away.

Also don’t take a single day for granted live everyday to the best of your ability and be checked on a regular basis for cancer screenings for you never know when it could effect your life or the life of someone you love…Pray for me and I will pray for you where ever you are.