Dear reader,
I'm new here, so I thought I would share a little bit about my journey so far.
A number of week ago, I was referred to a consultant cardiologist by my GP. For a number of months, I had been on medication to lower my blood pressure. At the age of 34, my GP was worried that the medication wasn't doing the trick as she had expected. She referred me to a cardiologist which, at the time I thought was a little much, to investigate further. All a little worrying.
I had some initial tests done which came back normal. The cardiologist recommended an MRI scan to check the blood vessels around my kidneys.
From a cardiology perspective, everything was normal. It was quite the shock to be told there was a growth on my right kidney.
I've since had a CT scan and an appointment with a urologist. The tumour is 3cm and is planned to be removed via partial nephrectomy 24 November.
What I don't understand, is that the urologist can't tell me if it's cancer or not based on the imaging. He said that there's an 80% - 84% probability that it is cancer, but I have to wait until the pathology tests come back after the surgery.
The consultant is excellent at reassuring me, but I find myself feeling all kinds of emotions. Which, objectively, I know is to be expected.
This weekend I've planned to see close family to start breaking the news/perhaps not-news. I wasn't going to tell them until I knew exactly what I was dealing with. But I don't fancy the wrath of my sisters finding out I had surgery without telling them...
Wish me luck.
Very best wishes,
Jonathan
P.s. the blood pressure issue isn't taking up much thinking-space anymore...
Good luck telling your family, it’s much easier once people know and they’re there to support you.
I have a 5cm tumour growing out of my left kidney and when I went to the GP to get signed off work - I asked if he was going to sign me off with stress and he said ‘no, I’ll write kidney cancer if you’re ok with that’. The urologist I’m under said it’s 95% cancerous but I’m similar to you with emotions. Think we just have to deal with little bits at a time, but it’s the not knowing that’s hard.
I have critical care but they won’t accept the diagnosis until after the radical nephrectomy (next week) and the pathology report and they want to know that it’s malignant and invasive….well it obviously is otherwise I wouldn’t be having an operation to remove it 
.
