How the Doctor Accidentally Found My Husband’s Cancer

Summary

A routine pre-operative chest x-ray for a hernia surgery led to the incidental discovery of a kidney tumor in the husband of the author, resulting in successful cancer treatment and postponement of the original hernia surgery.

Abstract

The husband of the author had been living with a hernia that was not causing significant discomfort until recently, when he decided to undergo surgery. During the pre-operative process, which included a series of tests, an abnormality was detected in his chest x-ray. Further investigation with an MRI confirmed the presence of a kidney tumor. Subsequently, a urologist diagnosed the tumor as encased within the kidney and scheduled a timely surgery to remove it. Following the successful kidney surgery, the husband is approaching the 5-year milestone of being cancer-free. However, due to the pain experienced from the kidney surgery, he has chosen to delay the initial hernia surgery indefinitely.

Opinions

The author likely believes in the importance of routine medical tests, as they led to the early detection of her husband's cancer.
There is an implied appreciation for the medical professionals involved, as they acted promptly to address the unexpected health issue.
The husband's decision to postpone the hernia surgery suggests a cautious approach to elective surgeries, especially after a major health event like cancer surgery.

How the Doctor Accidentally Found My Husband’s Cancer

My husband has had a hernia for many years. It hadn’t really bothered him very much. When he started having strong pains, he decided it was time to get the hernia surgery that he knew he would eventually need.

So his PCP referred him to a surgeon. The surgeon scheduled the surgery and sent him to get some pre-op tests, which included bloodwork, chest x-ray, and a release from his cardiologist.

He got it all taken care of, and then the surgeon’s office called him and asked him to come in because the doctor wanted to speak to him. When he met with the doctor, the doctor told him that some abnormality was showing on the x-ray. He sent him to get an MRI.

When my husband went in for the results, the doctor told him he had a tumor in his kidney. He referred him to a urologist.

The urologist told him the tumor was encased in the kidney, so it hadn’t spread. He said he would need to remove the entire kidney. He happened to have a cancellation the following week, so he was able to schedule my husband’s surgery quite quickly. My husband had the surgery, and this July, he will pass the 5-year threshold to be considered cancer-free.

He still has not had the hernia surgery he originally went in for. He was in so much pain after the kidney surgery that he was in no hurry to have another surgery. He’s going to wait as long as possible before he goes under the knife again.