Kidney cancer patients: Let's connect and introduce yourself

Hi......I am sorry to hear what they say about the results of the MRI. I hope that when you see the surgeon on Monday he first does a biopsy to make doubly sure. Because mine was contained in the kidney they decided on treatment with the Votrient pill and a diet. Granted the Votrient makes me nauseous and I have lost a lot of weight (one of the side effects of Votrient) but I cannot lose my kidney as the other kidney only works a small bit. I don't want to bore you with my condition but I also have a genetic disease called thin Membrane Disease which put me into stage 4 kidney failure before the cancer came along. Where the cancer came goodness only knows. There's no cancer in my family.
Now I have given you a whole lot of useless information not regarding your problem.....but I truly hope they do a biopsy first to see if they can treat you and keep your kidney. Please keep us posted. Blessings.

That’s great it hasn’t spread! Going through this process was/is a mental nightmare and for me, praying kept me sane since there was/is very little we can do! Have the drs talked about having a biopsy to confirm it’s cancer? No other way to determine it is 100% cancer other than having a biopsy.
Koke

I had my MRI last night, it has not spread outside my kidney. However, after review from three physician’ it “seems” to be renal cell carcinoma. I now see a surgeon this Monday the 16th to decide the next step. The crazy thought I have, is I could lose a kidney and the mass could be benign. I have not obviously met any of you on the other side of these writings. However a kinship has been made. Blessings.

Hi! I’m Koke, the person who started this post months ago! I so appreciate everyone’s comments, experience, questions and progress! About a year ago, my right kidney was robotically removed. I was so relieved to have the cancer out of me. I had a biopsy a month before confirming I had kidney cancer. Three months later, determined by a CT scan, the cancer had spread to a lymph node attached to my lung. I am taking a chemo pill daily and I have immunotherapy IV every 4 weeks. My life has completely changed. I am very very blessed with a large support group and I pray a lot! There is no other choice! I watch my diet, try to exercise and have a very positive attitude! All this helps me tremendously! I pray for all of us. I find it very helpful to read and talk to all of us who are experiencing RCC. And for those wondering….I have had a tremendous success with the drugs! The cancer has disappeared….I pray it ‘stays away’….I live one day at a time!
Enjoy your day….Koke:)

Hi. By now you will have had your MRI. I live in South Africa so there's a time difference . But if you have any results.. (and I pray they are good results) please keep us posted as you go along. Blessings for the biopsy.

Prayers!

Lots’ of wisdom in your reply to me. I have had all the blood and urine tests. MRI just three hours from now. So your note was right on time and very helpful. I guess I will find out if they will want to do biopsy or if MRI gives them all information they need. Blessings.

My only comment is that reading these various accounts of those having kidney cancer and their treatment is a great help. I still have not decided to go through the prescribed treat of a total nephrectomy at my age of 81+.

Actually I did not have an biopsy before surgery. The tumor was encroaching on my kidney and reducing its function... have they done kidney function blood and urine tests? Those are important to monitor.
so whether benign or positive... tumor needed to go. For me it was why go thru another procedure , that has its own risks, when it needs to be removed anyway to save my kidney. So I opted not to. I actually had two ... one on each kidney, so had two surgeries 90 days apart.
MRIs are relatively easy procedures... possibly with an IV, roll you into a tunnel , and you hear lots of loud, very loud, rhythmic knocking noises. Key is to find a comfortable position at start and do your best to not move for the most accurate views and shortest time. I always get a pillow under my knees cause it is about 45 min . Sometimes they do no contrast first, then they add the contrast and it's another 20 or 30 minutes . Again, key is no movement . Drink lots of water afterwards to flush the contrast medium out.
Take someone with you to drive home, just in case you feel odd.
Also always take someone with you to appts to take notes for you. Write down you questions before you go... as they come to your mind. You'll have a lot. For me if a Dr seems reluctant to answer my questions when we have big decisions to make , I get another Dr. I need to be active in my own care.

Thank you so much. It is comforting to know someone is watching and listening. I have an MR I tonight. I have not had a biopsy yet. So they know I have a mass, but do not know if it has spread or even know what kind of pathology it actually is. Cancerous or not. Did you have biopsy before surgery? Appreciate so much your reply. Blessings.