Coming up on nearly a year now that I was told I had cancer. CANCER. It all started like a normal average day for me. No pain or symptoms of any kind whatsoever that I would be told of all things that it was cancer until I went to the bathroom to pee. Nothing unusual there....yet....as I stood up, turned around to flush I panicked. Looked like a murder scene, nothing but pure blood but I calmed myself enough to just kinds blow it off because I was due for my monthly & because of my age & being told that menopause was coming, I flushed, washed my hands & went about finishing the laundry until a couple of hours later I went pee again but this time, nothing. O.k, I thought, no biggie. bedtime came around & after finishing the dishes I went to go change into my pj's & pee again, this time, murder scene again. "WTH"??? this time, I just did my best to not panic & forget about it. The Entire next day....nothing. my husband came home from work & we ate dinner & were gonna watch a movie when it happened again & I called him in to the bathroom but this time it looked as though a 12 ft. long blood clot curled up in the toilet & he said if it happened again we were going to the er. The next time it happened was the next day after my husband had left for work & I almost passed out trying to get up to get my phone & call him home. We went to the er & because he was still supposed to be working, he dropped me off & went back to work. After explaing to the Dr's & nurses that had come in what had happened they said they had to run some tests & there I sat alone, sad panicky at what could be wrong when a nurse came back & said that they were waiting on a couple more tests but it was most likely a kidney stone. A kidney stone???? I've never had a kidney stone but I've heard enough horror stories to know that there should have maybe been some pain??? sitting in the waiting room watching as people sick & hurt come & go I was ther for another hour when a nurse came & got me & took me in a little room to go over my tests. Yes, it in fact was a kidney stone that hadn't yet passed but it was also cancer. Kidney cancer. she said it so casually. I at that point thought I was again going to pass out when she said they had scheduled me an appt. with a Urologist in the next couple of days & to be sure & keep that appt. I was then led back out into the waiting room & told that I could go home. I called my husband to come get me. He picked me up & asked what they said & I told him it was kidney stone & that they thought it could be cancer. I didn't tell him that it was in fact cancer because I was silently praying that when I went to see the urologist, he would say they made a mistake but he didnt. a great darkness come over me & I had never felt so alone in my whole entire life. The urologist scheduled me an appt. for a consultation with another urologist at U.F Shands hospital in Gainsville 2 weeks later & he confirmed after doing his own tests & scans that it was in fact kidney cancer & my left kidney would have to come out. This all happened around my birthday April 23rd, 2021 & it is now April 5th, 2022 I cannot even begin to tell you the rollercoaster this past year has been & the feeling as though I have lost way way more than just a kidney. I've lost my true love, my soul mate, my best friend. stay tuned for the next post.
