Left Renal Pelvic Tumor: TCC, grade II of III, papillary type. No apparent invasion into the lamina propria.

I had my story written the other night when a storm came up and lightning struck my modem before I got my story sent. How distressing!
My story begins in June of 1994 when I became very ill with back pain and fever. At first, I thought I had just injured my back at work (I was working at a sawmill). When the pain and fever became unbearable, I called my doctor’s office. Wouldn’t you know it, my doctor was on vacation and I had to see a doctor unknown to me.
Dr. X took a urine specimen and determined that I had a Kidney infection. He sent me home with pain medication and antibiotics and I was to return in a few days. My fever and pain continued to get worse.When I returned to Dr. X, He immediately put me in the hospital to have tests done. Several tests were done on me and one morning Dr. X came in my room and told me that I had PID and immediately left the room. I was left worried and confused. I had no idea what PID was! I decided that the next morning when he came into my room to quickly ask him what PID was before he could leave again. Upon asking him, he told me that he was wrong and that a urologist would be sent to see me. By the way, I found out that PID stands for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease! Not at all what I had!!!
Now Dr. XX comes to see me and proceeds to tell me that I have an obstruction in my ureter, possibly caused by birth defect.(I did pass a small stone while I was in the hospital.) So, he performs surgery and puts a stent in my ureter and I am to return in 3 months (October 1994) to have it removed.
Three months later, I returned to the hospital for outpatient surgery to have my stent removed. After surgery Dr. XX informs me that he had to leave it in because he didn’t believe my ureter would hold up yet. I was to return in three months (January 5, 1995) to have the stent removed. After outpatient surgery, Dr. XX informs me that he did not remove my stent because there was a growth at the mouth of my kidney. He performed a biopsy on it and I was to return to his office in a few days for the results. I didn’t think any more about it. When I returned to his office, he informed me that the growth in my kidney (which was about the size of a quarter) was cancer. I about freaked. He said that it was fast growing because it hadn’t been there three months before and that I needed to have surgery right away. But, because I did not have insurance at the time he suggested that I find financial assistance before he performs the surgery. Have you ever tried to get financial assistance from the State when you are a self-supporting person? Ha! Every door I knocked on was slammed in my face. The welfare office told me that if I would quit my job (I was working for the County at this time) that they might be able to help me. Can you believe it? They even told me that I would not qualify for food stamps because my car valued too high. I didn’t qualify for AFDC because my child support was $7.00 too much. Can you believe they expected my children and me to live off of their child support?
I called Dr. XX and told him of how I tried every option I could think of for assistance and had no success. I asked him what was going to happen to me if I couldn’t get help and have surgery. He coldly replied, “well, it’s just going to keep growing”. I became very depressed. People were giving me the death sentence. Everyone acted as if I was going to die.
I finally went to see my family physician Feb. 2, 1995 and asked him to please do something because Dr. XX was going to let me die. He immediately was on the phone and got me an appointment with a Uro in a University Hospital.
When I met with the Uro at the University Hosp. he suggested I be admitted promptly into the Hospital and have another biopsy done. March 21, 1995 another biopsy was performed and at that time another tumor was found in my bladder (which they removed). The Pathology report confirmed that I had Papillary TCC, Grade II/IV, of renal pelvis.
March 28, 1995, I had my left kidney, ureter and bladder cuff removed. I also had a hysterectomy at the same time because my gyn suggested it (not because of the cancer but because of female problems). I was cut all the way down my abdominal area to my pelvic bone.
A 9 x 3.5 x 1.5 cm tumor was found inside my kidney but praise God there was no invasion. No chemo. I was sent home and was off work for three months. We won’t discuss how I survived financially. My regular cystos were clear for several years.
July 13, 2001 I had blood in my urine with no pain. I decided to go to the emergency room because I feared having an infection in my one kidney. I had an infection a few years ago in that kidney and Boy, was I sick!!! The emergency Doc was very concerned. There was no sign of infection and because of my history, she made me promise to call my Uro right away.
I went to see my Uro the following Monday. There was no blood in my urine at that time. But, because I hadn’t had an IVP and Cysto for some time, he had me schedule an appointment for these tests.
August 20, 2001 I had an IVP and Cysto. My Uro said that my Kidney looked good. After doing my cysto, he said you have several tumors. We need to operate next week. August 31, 2001 I had a TUR. My pathology report showed Papillary TCC Grade 1/3, with no invasion. Thank God for the no invasion.
After 6 1/2 years I thought I had beat the beast. But Nooo! It had to sneak up on me. I go back for another cysto in December. Doc says that I am high risk for recurrence and that if there is a recurrence, we will have to do treatments. I don’t know if I am a candidate for BCG because I had TB when I was 2 1/2 yr. old. Doc says he will have to check into it. Maybe I’ll be lucky and will never see the beast again or maybe it will be another 6 yrs.
Doctors say I am too young for this kind of cancer and that it usually attacks men over the age of 50. I’m just one of the lucky ones. By the way, I do have good insurance now and because 5 years had passed since my last cancer, my insurance covers this one.