Adventure is Out There!

Well kids, it's officially been one year since I was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma.  My life hasn't changed that much.  I got engaged, I dyed my hair back to a normal color, we made an offer on a house... For those of you just joining our program, I have: a cancerous tumor on my right kidney, a cyst on my left kidney, a fatty liver and an ovarian cyst. I get ultrasounds and multiple tests every few months to ensure nothing has changed; they call it "watchful waiting".  It's incredible frustrating and doctors can be simply terrible about giving you all the information.  For a while I had no idea which ovary had the cyst and I didn't realize it until another clinician asked me. It's been quite the year but rather than focus on the negative, I'd like to reflect on the year and the lessons that have kicked my butt.  Here are a few things I have learned: 1.  Internal pelvic ultrasounds HURT.   It's a rod with a camera on the end that you ins...

I'm back! Both ovaries are intact, if that's why you're reading this post. My life is still complicated, my health even more so. For now, however, surgery is off the table. This "urgent" situation I suddenly found myself in regarding a "potentially dangerous" ovarian cyst is nonexistent. It is a typical ovarian cyst, called a dermoid cyst because it contains skin, tissue and some even hold teeth!  Mine is currently 2.5 cm but the obgyn said that she refuses to do surgery until it isn't least 5 because it is much harder to separate the mass from the ovary when the cyst is small. My doc also pointed out that while removing the entire ovary is an option, it's not the best one in case something happens to my only remaining ovary and I end up forced to go through menopause before age 30. These were all valid points and so I am stuck in The Waiting Game... again. At this point in my life, I get ultrasounds every 6 months for the cyst on my kidney...

During my ultrasound two months ago to check the size and condition of the tumor on my kidney (for more information on that story see my other post), the technician also did a scan of my bladder. Apparently this is routine but it was news to me and I was unsure why this radiology tech was probing further south than I knew my kidneys or liver to be.  The doctor flagged the ultrasound as "abnormal with suspected ovarian cysts" and ordered a follow up scan of my uterus and ovaries. The next ultrasound came back "inconclusive" due to the images being "unclear". Flashforward to 6 weeks later (yesterday) and I got another ultrasound done because the last two had gone so swimmingly. My doctor called me in the afternoon and told me that I have several cysts, one specifically that needs to be surgically removed soon. There is the potential that my ovary will have to be removed completely. Bobby and I had no plans for children, even in the distant future. Also, I k...

This past weekend I turned 27. I got to spend the entire weekend with my family, not out drinking and partying as most of my friends spend their special day. Our engagement party is this coming weekend and since my grandma is sweet enough to let us borrow her house to host the event, it was only fair that we help her scrub the house and tidy the yard. It was 95°, the lawn needed to be mowed, the carport and siding of the house both needed to be physically scrubbed. Bobby tore his meniscus so he now wears a brace and had to take periodic breaks to ice his knee. I lectured him like any good future wife would and treated him like an invalid, much to his embarrassment and frustration. We spent the better part of Saturday scrubbing until our arms were sore but you could truly tell the difference and I know at the end of the day, my grandma was grateful. It was a hot, tiring day but we sprayed each other with the hose and had a good time while getting things DONE. My family is unfortun...