Dawn of the Big "C"

      Hello, people fondly call me by the monicker "DocFon", mainly because I'm a dentist by profession.  However, I prefer to be more of a specialist in fun and adventure and because of this my monicker slowly shifted to DocFun.  For those who do not know me yet, let me start by telling that I teach Biology in a prestigious university.  Being someone familiar with the functions of the human body, the news of being afflicted by one of the dreaded diseases of mankind suddenly shifted my physiology prowess into high gear.  This life-changing event will have a profound impact in my life added by another blockbuster WTF!-OMG! news when someone very close to me will be afflicted with the same problem.  Together we are facing this monster head-on on what seems to be will be the mother-of-all battles in our lifetime.

      Life was easier back then before the dawn of the Big C.  There were the usual ups and downs that one has to hurdle.  I was just beginning to move on from a breakup of the century, but was already weathering a barrage of ailments brought about by work, family, personal problems, love - you name it I got it, ranging from a troublesome kidney that keeps on producing and passing on stones, a sudden attack of hyperstension that brought me to the emergency room, discovering a heartburn hiding behind a false heart attack, a herniated disk in one of my lumbar vertebrae resulting from an accidental fall at home but never got noticed because no one cared at that moment. It left me bedridden for a week.  Most of all, the pot-belly around my waist that's been there for years and refuses to melt away despite all tenacious attempts to get rid of it.  But stubborn as I am, I proudly stood up amidst all these trials - a battle-scarred combatant and continue on with life's challenges. 

      If I would assume when the Big C came crashing down on me, it must have been triggered during my brief stint as an Overseas Filipino Worker in Qatar.  Life was difficult overseas when you don't get to eat native Filipino food on your dining table.  Everything and everyone was moving fast that eating is just not as important as the money you worked hard to earn.  Much of the foods that I buy in the grocery are instant noodles made in India.  In the Philippines, there had been health concerns being pointed on these food products which many claims have potentials to be cancer-causing and that's why much of the advertisements at home emphasizes the "no artificial preservatives" of NAPA in their products.  However, struggling in a foreign land with strange foods and with little budget doesn't provide me with the luxury of choosing and buying better and healthier food options.

      My problem started as a urinary tract infection that doesn't seem to resolve.  Initially, my nephrologist when conducting a systematic assessment of my condition begins by ordering a complete blood count, urinalysis and kidney profile. If there are indications that stones may be the culprit behind the persistent pain and infection, an ultrasound of the kidney-ureter-bladder will be ordered next.  If the pain is intolerable, I will be advised to be confined in the hospital for an intravenous pyelogram of my urinary system.  At the end of all these tests, all results will yield negative for obstructions and constrictions.  And with the pain medications and antibiotics given, I will be released from confinement with a diagnosis that the stones may have passed out unawaringly.  I just scratch my head with uncertainty and just went home.
      The rush to the hospital everytime I had a painful episode on my left lower flank somehow became more frequent and everytime they will always do the routine tests and everytime it will come out negative.  It was in the summer of 2010 that after repeated ultrasound tests were conducted and it still yielded negative did the doctors decide to recommend a CT Stonogram of my kidney.  Finally, the monotony of tests was broken and a new test was done on me to look deeper into the problem that has been bothering my kidney for several years.  Little did I know that this test would change my life forever and redirect all my plans for the future.

 

After having been released from confinement, I returned to the hospital the week after to get the results of the stonogram.  I wasn't worrying about anything at all when I took the results with me and immediately consulted with my nephrologist.  I started to read the findings and afterwards proceeded to reading the interpretation.  There was a little bit of uneasiness when I read the interpretation for the first time.  However, being unfamiliar to the characterization of the disease thru Ct scan, I was a little bit  uncertain what it means.   It read ad follows:  "An isodense, lobulated, non-enhancing soft tissue attenuating lesion is noted in the left interpolar region measuring 3.26 x 4.40 cm with a CT number of +21 on non-contrast and +26 on contrast study."

      When it was finally my turn to see the nephrologist, I innocently handed him over the CT scan results and he began reading it.  His face suddenly changed with a little worried expression and he slowly and carefully described it to me.  "Your CT scan stonogram reveals that you have lesion on your left kidney which might indicate a complex cysts versus a neoplasm.  I asked the doctor what it means.  However he held back on his response.  Instead he went on to write on his prescription form a referral.  He then proceeded to advise me to see a urologist, a surgeon specializing on the urinary system.  I realized that this is no longer a simple case of urinary tract infection but a bigger problem, something that I have not yet contemplated on.  Being familiar with the physiology of the human body, it dawned on me that this might be the beginning of a grueling journey towards the greatest challenge of my life. The one person dearest to me was the first to receive the news followed by my colleagues in school.  Everyone was surprised by the sad news but everyone was optimistic that I will be able to surpass this problem and survive it all.  I agreed with them although with a little bit reservation.  The next step now is to see an able urologist.