AUA Summit - Remaining Resilient After a Diagnosis of Kidney Cancer During COVID-19

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Remaining Resilient After a Diagnosis of Kidney Cancer During COVID-19

Remaining Resilient After a Diagnosis of Kidney Cancer During COVID-19

Posted on: 31 Mar 2021


Two hands holding two orange cancer ribbons, the sign for kidney cancer.

At the age of 34, Megan was a healthy newlywed looking to start a family in a new city. After going through some fertility issues, she had many tests including an abdominal ultrasound. When the results came back, she was told that she had a mass on her kidney.

She was advised to see a Urologist to get immediate care, not knowing if it was a benign or cancerous tumor. Her first appointment left her feeling unsure, so she sought out a second opinion of a doctor she trusted in her hometown.

After a biopsy showed the tumor was cancerous, she wanted to go into surgery right away. But that is when COVID-19 hit. All the hospitals were crowded with COVID patients and her surgery was looked at as an elective one.

Mentally on hold, Megan was panicked. Somehow her doctor was able to get her into surgery, but she had to go through it alone. Her husband wasn’t allowed in the room to help her recover. He figured out where her hospital room window was, and he would come and wave to her to show his support.

When Megan made it home, she found telemedicine visits with her Urologist were key to her mental and physical recovery. Through her journey, she learned listening to her body, relying on intuition, educating herself and trusting her care team kept hope alive during a cancer diagnosis in a pandemic.

Learn more about virtual kidney cancer support groups.


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