First Urologist Visit

I visited my urologist, Dr. Bell, today.  He was great (which is comforting).  He didn't talk down to me, was very straightforward, and it was clear that he has spent a considerable amount of time and effort on my case, despite everything happening so quickly.  He showed me my CT scan- the tumor looks pretty big on a computer screen...

The tumor definitely needs to be removed and it's too big (at 7cm) to be done laparoscopically which means it will be open surgery.  Normally, they remove the entire kidney for tumors over 4 cm.  However, there's a chance they will only take part of my kidney.

That is because my CT scan also showed one other abnormality: a spot on my left kidney.  If the spot on my left kidney has potential to become malignant, then I may need part of my right kidney in the future.  However, if the spot is just a small cyst, which Dr. Bell thinks it probably is, then they will probably remove the whole kidney.

I will probably hear from Dr. Bell tomorrow.  He may do another CT scan, this time a three-stage scan that would take images before, during, and after contrast.  He also may do an ultrasound on that left kidney.  There will probably also be blood work involved.  Whew.  And then we'll make a decision about  how much of my right kidney can safely be removed.   

It's been a lot to process, obviously.  But I have amazing support from family and friends that are thinking of us, praying for us, and fasting for us.